HISTORY: 

IDEC meetings, symposia & seminars 
The International Development of European Committee, IDEC meets twice a year. National reading/literacy associations in Europe affiliated to the International Reading Association are entitled to nominate a representative to the IDEC. These representatives come together twice a year for business meetings. The IDEC Chairperson is elected by the IDEC members and usually holds office for two or three years.
Groups in those European countries, which have not formally established national reading associations are invited to send observers to the meetings. Thus invitations go out to some 40 representatives, 30 members and 10 guests, for each meeting. These seminars, which are first most for the benefit of the local educators and members, are arranged primarily by the host association (in co-operation with IDEC). The Local host is in charge of the Program and the Invitations to the seminar. Some examples of past seminars:

• In 2014 in conjunction with the IDEC / FELA meeting in Brighton, UK, a half day seminar was organized on the EU Elinet project.
• In 2010 in conjunction with the IDEC meeting in Skopje, Macedonia a seminar was arranged on the topic “Crossing the Bridges of Literacy” , by the Reading Association of Macedonia, MaRA, at FON University, Skopje.
• In 2007 in conjunction with the IDEC meeting in Dublin, Ireland a seminar was arranged on the topic “Learning a Second Language and Teacher Education in Reading/Literacy”, by the Reading Association of Ireland, RAI, at  St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.
• In 2006 in conjunction with the IDEC meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria a seminar was arranged on the topic “Promoting Reading in Linguistically and Ethnically Diverse Communities”, by the Bulgarian Reading Association, BulRA, at the Sofia University.
• In 2005 in conjunction with the IDEC meeting in Faro, Portugal a two-day seminar, one day in Portuguese and one day in English, was arranged on the topic “Literacy research and practices”, by the Portugese Reading Association, Littera, at Universidade do Algarve.
• In 2004 in conjunction with the IDEC meeting in Linköping, Sweden a seminar was arranged on the topic “Schools Where Literacy Thrives” by the Swedish Reading Association, SCIRA, at the Department of Behavioural Sciences, Linköping University, Campus Valla
• Summer 2016 August 13-14 Turku, Finland. IDEC and FELA meeting in Turku, Finland in conjunction with the 3rd Baltic Sea – – 17th Nordic Literacy Conference
• Winter 2016 January 22-23 Amsterdam Netherlands IDEC and FELA meetings in conjunction with the ELINET final conference in Amsterdam 20­­–22 January
• Winter 2017 IDEC and FELA meeting in conjunction with the conference LITERACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE in Vilnius 20­­–22 January

EUROPEAN CONFERENCES
A European Conference on Literacy is held every two years. The European Conferences on Literacy  are jointly organized by FELA  and the local national association’s organising committee. Although the main Conference language is English, a speaker may present a paper in any European language. There are normally, therefore, sessions in German, Spanish, and French, as well as in English. The Highly appreciated Conferences are a show case of the professional activities of the European network.
 European Conferences on Reading/Literacy
(in national languages of the host country )