. Being organized in Amsterdam on 6-8 March, 2006, by IPLOCA in association with the European Pipeline Research Group (EPRG), the meeting's primary objectives are to identify future market needs, supply opportunities, and R&D objectives. The organizing committee, under the chairmanship of Roger Howard of BP in the UK, has set the further more-details objectives for the event, which are to: understand future market trends define future technical requirements harmonize world-wide pipeline material specifications utilise the full capability of the entire supply chain assess material supply constraints, risks, and potential future opportunities define future R&D needs The event will take the form of plenary sessions interspersed with professionally-facilitated discussions which will be designed to lead delegates towards establishing a consensus on the way forward, and how suitable work programmes can be developed. The members of the organizing committee include Roberto Pirani of IPLOCA, Dr Gerhard Knauf of EPRG, Dr Norman Sanderson and Graham Freeth of BP, Dr Ulrike Zeislmair of Vallourec, Jean-Pierre Jansen of Europipe, Peter Schwengler of EON-Ruhrgas, and Adriaan den Herder of Gasunie. The event administration is being undertaken by John Tiratsoo of Global Pipeline Monthly magazine. For further details, look at www.pipespec2006.com, where the latest details will be published as soon as they are available.