it is intended that the members of the group will proceed to discuss their health care systems under a series of themes; for example, the influence of decentralisation across europe on the organisation of health care systems; the comparative advantages and disadvantages of insurance-based and nhs-type systems; the role of the private sector; the methods by which we should efficiently and equitably distribute health care resources etc. The European Health Policy Group is organised by a Steering Committee made up of John Appleby, Anna Dixon, Zeynep Or and Jan Kees Helderman. The objective of the group is to provide a forum for health policy analysts, political scientists, economists and policy makers to discuss the structure of, and changes to, health care systems. The EHPG also meets twice a year in autumn and spring at which research papers are discussed from a comparative and multi disciplinary perspective. Autumn meetings are held in London and are now hosted by The King's Fund. Spring meetings are held in another European location and hosted by a national organisation.