From a biennial meeting, the EAU Congress becomes an annual event. The Opening Ceremony took place with Juan Antonio Samaranch Torelló as special guest. Samaranch Torelló, Marquess of Samaranch, served as the 7th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1980 to 2001. The organisation from that moment on is entirely in the hands of the congress Department of the EAU Central Office.