About ESSL

(contact and bank information)

Vision and Mission

ESSL’s vision is to improve the preparedness of European society for the impacts of severe storms by advancing scientific understanding, building human capacity, and fostering cooperation within Europe in this field.

ESSL’s mission is provide training to forecasters, scientists, and policymakers on topics related to convective weather. ESSL participates in research projects and organizes the European Conference on Severe Storms to improve and stimulate the exchange of knowledge on severe convection. ESSL aims to establish and maintain close relationships with NMS and research institutes to strengthen pan-European collaborations. ESSL maintains the European Severe Weather Database, to support research based on observations of severe convective weather or any related impact.

Read about ESSL’s strategy here.

History

The Laboratory started as an informal network of European scientists in 2002 initiated by Dr. Nikolai Dotzek. In 2006, European Severe Storms Laboratory e.V. became a non-profit registered association under German law with seat in Wessling, Germany.

A subsidiary association, the European Severe Storms Laboratory – Science and Training, also with non-profit status, was founded in 2011 and has its seat in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. It is the legal body for the “ESSL Research and Training Centre” in Wiener Neustadt. This website presents the activities of both organizations under responsibility of the former.

Statutory purposes

The statutory purposes of the Association European Severe Storms Laboratory e.V. (ESSL) are threefold:

  • to advance meteorology and related sciences in the field of research on severe convective storms and extreme weather events on a European level;
  • to operate and extend the European Severe Weather Database, ESWD, and
  • to support or organise the European Conferences on Severe Storms, ECSS

ESSL’s Bodies and Articles of Association

As an Association, ESSL has three principle bodies: the General Assembly, an Executive Board, and an Advisory Council. The applicable regulations are specified in detail in the Articles of Association (see below).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly consists of the full Members of the Association and convenes at least once every year. Among other tasks, the General Assembly ratifies the acts carried out by the Executive Board. Members of the Association include scientists, weather services, and several other organizations. For details on ESSL Membership, see this page.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board takes care of the daily business and general management and represents the Association externally. The Director is chair of the Executive Board. Presently, the Executive Board consists of the following persons:

  • Pieter Groenemeijer, Director (Chair)
  • Alois M. Holzer, Treasurer and Director of Operations
  • Bogdan Antonescu, Deputy Director
  • Michou Baart de la Faille, Deputy Director
  • Tanja Renko, Deputy Director

ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Advisory Council is not only a consultative capacity, it also has a controlling function. It consists of representatives of science and of the meteorological services. Important tasks of the Advisory Council include approval of the Executive Board’s financial accounts, Annual Report and financial plan. Presently, the Advisory Council consists of the following persons with their respective terms of office:

  • Martin Benko, chair  (SHMÚ, Slovakia)
    1 Jan. 2020 – 31 Dec. 2023 (second term)
  • Marina Baldi (National Research Council, Italy)
    1 Jan. 2021 – 31 Dec. 2024 (second term)
  • Yvette Richardson (The Pennsylvania State University, USA)
    1 Jan. 2021 – 31 Dec. 2024 (second term)
  • Sorin Cheval (University of Bucharest, Romania)
    1 Jan. 2021 – 31 Dec. 2024 (second term)
  • Uwe Ulbrich (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany)
    1 Jan. 2020 – 31 Dec. 2023 (second term)
  • Thomas Kratzsch (DWD German Weather Service, Germany)
    1 Jan. 2023 – 31 Dec. 2026 (second term)

Registration of the Associations

Name: European Severe Storms Laboratory e.V.
Register Court: Amtsgericht München
Registration number: VR200584
Value Added Tax Number
(USt.-Id.-Nr.):
DE 252519763
   
Name: European Severe Storms Laboratory – Science and Training
Register: Bundespolizeidirektion Wiener Neustadt
Registration number: ZVR-Zahl 052480132
Value Added Tax Number
(USt.-Id.-Nr.):
none, because of non-profit status

Bank Accounts

For information on ESSL’s bank accounts, please see this page.