 | |
| Abbreviation | ECSO |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1994 |
| Type | Nonprofit organisation |
| Legal status | Eingetragener Verein registered in Darmstadt |
| Purpose | Co-ordination between European organisations and individuals that promote scientific skepticism [1] |
| Headquarters | Roßdorf, Germany |
Region served | Europe |
President | Pontus Böckman [1] |
| Website | ecso.org |
The European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) is an umbrella of organisations defending scientific skepticism in Europe.
Founded on 25 September 1994, the ECSO aims to co-ordinate activities of European organisations and individuals that aim at critically investigating pseudoscientific statements and claims regarding observations of paranormal phenomena, and to make the results of its investigations known to the broad public. [1] It means to continue the series of European skeptical congresses that preceded its foundation [2] and supports a biennial congress and a symposium every other year. [1]
The Charter of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations states that it strives
1) To protect the public from the promulgation of claims and therapies which have not been subjected to critical testing and thus might pose a danger to them.
2) To investigate by means of controlled tests and experiments such extraordinary claims which are on the fringe of or contradict current scientific knowledge. In particular this applies to phenomena commonly identified as "paranormal" or "pseudoscientific". However no claims, explanations or theories will be rejected in advance of objective evaluation.
3) To promote public policy based on good practice in science and medicine. [3]
The Charter was signed by Amardeo Sarma (GWUP), Michael Howgate (UK Skeptics), Miguel Angel Sabadell (ARP), Paul Kurtz (CSICOP), Tim Trachet (SKEPP), Arlette Fougnies (Comité Para) and Cornelis de Jager (Stichting Skepsis). [3]
Cornelis de Jager served as first president until 2001, when he was replaced by Amardeo Sarma (2001–2013), [4] who in turn was succeeded by Gábor Hraskó (2013–2017). Since 2017 the president has been Claire Klingenberg. As of June 2024, the ECSO board is composed as follows: [5]
The ECSO brings together the following skeptic groups: [6]
| Local name | English name | Abbrev. | Founded | Region served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternativa Racional a las Pseudociencias – Sociedad para el Avance del Pensamiento Crítico [7] | Rational Alternative to Pseudoscience – Society for the Advancement of Critical Thinking | ARP-SAPC | 1986 |  Spain | Founding member. [3] |
| Association for Skeptical Enquiry | Association for Skeptical Enquiry | ASKE | 1997 |  United Kingdom | |
| Association française pour l'information scientifique | French Association for Scientific Information | AFIS | 1968 [8] |  France | Member since 2001. [9] |
| Comitato Italiano per il Controllo delle Affermazioni sulle Pseudoscienze | Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims of the Pseudosciences | CICAP | 1989 |  Italy | |
| Comité belge pour l'Analyse Critique des parasciences | Belgian Committee for the Critical Analysis of Parasciences | Comité Para | 1949 |  Belgium | Serves Wallonia and Brussels. Founding member. [3] |
| Círculo Escéptico | Skeptical Circle | CE | 2006 | Spain | |
| Föreningen Vetenskap och Folkbildning | Science and Popular Enlightenment / Swedish Skeptics Association [10] | VoF | 1982 |  Sweden | |
| Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften | Society for the Scientific Investigation of Parasciences | GWUP | 1987 |  D-A-CH | Based in Roßdorf, Germany. Founding member. [3] |
| Irish Skeptics Society | Irish Skeptics Society | ISS | 2002 |  Ireland | |
| Klub Sceptyków Polskich | Polish Skeptics Club | KSP | 2010 |  Poland | Member since 2017. [11] |
| Observatoire Zététique | Zetetic Observatory | OZ | 2003 | France | [12] |
| Skepsis ry | Skepsis | Skepsis | 1987 |  Finland | |
| Skeptiker Schweiz – Verein für kritisches Denken | Swiss Skeptics – Association for Critical Thinking | Skeptiker | 2012 |  Switzerland | [13] |
| Stichting Skepsis | Skepsis Foundation | Skepsis | 1987 |  Netherlands | Founding member. [3] |
| Studiekring voor de Kritische Evaluatie van Pseudowetenschap en het Paranormale | Study Circle for the Critical Evaluation of Pseudoscience and the Paranormal | SKEPP | 1990 | Belgium | Serves Flanders and Brussels. Founding member. [3] |
| Szkeptikus Társaság | Hungarian Skeptic Society | SzT | 2006 |  Hungary | |
| Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij | Association against Quackery | VtdK | 1881 | Netherlands | No formal membership yet. [14] |
| Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos | Czech Skeptics Club Sisyfos | Sisyfos | 1995 |  Czech Republic |
Furthermore, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI, formerly CSICOP), whose founder and long-time chairman Paul Kurtz was actively involved its formation (especially because the Skeptical Inquirer had many subscribers in Europe), [3] and the Israel Skeptics Society are associate members of the ECSO. [6]
European Skeptics Congresses (ESCs), in which skeptical organisations from many different European countries participate, have been held ever since 1989. The conferences are often held in the month of September, and may last from two up to four days. The ECSO was formed at the 6th ESC on 25 September 1994 in Ostend, Belgium. Since its foundation, the ECSO co-ordinates in the organisation of new ESCs that take place (on average) every other year, and is hosted by a different member organisation each time. Skeptical organisations that are non-ECSO members may also send their delegations. Past ESCs have been: [2] [15]
| Event | Date | City | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st European Skeptics Congress | 5–7 May 1989 | Bad Tölz |  West Germany | |
| 2nd European Skeptics Congress | 10–11 August 1990 [16] | Brussels | Belgium | |
| 3rd European Skeptics Congress | 4–5 October 1991 [17] | Amsterdam | Netherlands | |
| 4th European Skeptics Congress | 17–19 July 1992 [18] | Saint-Vincent | Italy | |
| 5th European Skeptics Congress | 29–31 August 1993 | Keele | United Kingdom | Theme: "Science for Life: Health, Medicine and Well-Being". Organised by the UK Skeptics. |
| 6th European Skeptics Congress | 23–25 September 1994 | Ostend | Belgium | Theme: "Science, Pseudoscience and the Environment". [19] ECSO formed. [3] |
| 7th European Skeptics Congress | 4–7 May 1995 | Roßdorf | Germany | |
| 8th European Skeptics Congress | 4–7 September 1997 | A Coruña | Spain | |
| 9th European Skeptics Congress | 17–19 September 1999 | Maastricht | Netherlands | Hosted by Stichting Skepsis [20] |
| 10th European Skeptics Congress | 7–9 September 2001 | Prague | Czech Republic | Theme: "Rise and Development of Paranormal Beliefs in Eastern Europe" [4] |
| 11th European Skeptics Congress | 5–7 September 2003 | London | United Kingdom | |
| 12th European Skeptics Congress | 13–15 October 2005 | Brussels | Belgium | Theme: "Pseudoscience, Alternative Medicine and the Media" [21] |
| 13th European Skeptics Congress | 7–9 September 2007 | Dublin | Ireland | Theme: "The Assault on Science: Constructing a Response" [22] 100+ attendees. [23] |
| 14th European Skeptics Congress | 17–19 September 2010 | Budapest | Hungary | [24] |
| 15th European Skeptics Congress | 22–25 August 2013 | Stockholm | Sweden | Theme: "ESCape to Clarity!" [25] [26] |
| 16th European Skeptics Congress | 10–13 September 2015 | London | United Kingdom | Organised by Association for Skeptical Enquiry and Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit [27] |
| 17th European Skeptics Congress | 22–24 September 2017 | Wrocław | Poland | "Where great minds meet" Organised by Klub Sceptyków Polskich and Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos [28] |
| 18th European Skeptics Congress | 30 August – 1 September 2019 | Ghent | Belgium | "The Joy of Skepticism" Organised by SKEPP and Comité Para [29] |
| 19th European Skeptics Congress | September 9 - September 11 | Vienna |  Austria | |
| 20th European Skeptics Congress | May 30 - June 2 2024 | Lyon | France | Organized by Association Française pour L'information Scientifique |
Gábor Hraskó, who was then President of ECSO, stated in a 2015 interview [30] that some goals of ECSO are to facilitate communication between the member groups; organise the regular conferences, and keep track of the active leaders for the various European groups. Sometimes a leader or a whole group will "disappear", and some groups are still active but with new leaders; it is important to "establish networks". At the 2015 conference held in London, Hraskó felt that he had learned a lot about organising from the UK skeptic groups. They operate differently than the continental Europeans, which tend to be one group that runs everything. The UK groups are all independent and more grassroots, but they end up working together on big conferences and projects. The 2017 conference "hopefully will be with the Polish and Czech skeptics". Hraskó stated that the Czech skeptics disappeared for some time, and he hopes that they have re-organised and they and the Polish skeptics will formalize the plans for the 2017 conference. This was achieved with the Polish Skeptics’ Club in cooperation with the Czech Skeptics’ Club Sisyfos organising the 17th biannual European Skeptics Congress 2017 in Wrocław, Poland. [31] They were denied access to their initial venue on religious grounds, [32] then they changed venue to the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics at the University of Wrocław. [31] The ECSO met at the end of the conference and new leadership was elected. Claire Klingenberg took over as president from Gábor Hraskó. In an interview with Eran Segev for the Skeptic Zone podcast, Klingenberg said that the conference “went great … quite productive and stimulating.” When Segev congratulated her on her new role as president of ECSO, he asked her what her top priority for ESCO was. Her answer was, “make ECSO important … it has to be more relevant, more influential … and seen as a partner not just with European skeptics, but with organizations all over the world.” [33]
Catherine de Jong stated that having an organization overseeing the entire European skeptic groups is helpful to disseminate information when an alt med lecturer is planning a European tour. She gave the example of faith healer Peter Popoff being one who planned a tour of Europe. The UK skeptic Michael Marshall was able to contact the ECSO, who in turn were able to notify all the leaders of the other groups. They were able to share information and plan how to handle the events. [34]
András Gabor Pinter reported from the 2019 conference in Belgium that they heard presentations about investigating psychics, the anti-vaccination movement, GMOs, and nuclear power. "Energy policies should be driven by science and as skeptics that’s what we advocate, after all." [35]
During the 6th World Skeptics Congress (Berlin, 18–20 May 2012 [36] ), co-sponsored by the ECSO, GWUP and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), the ECSO presented the "Outstanding Skeptics Award" to Wim Betz (SKEPP) and Luigi Garlaschelli (CICAP) "in recognition of [their] dedication and outstanding contributions in promoting science and investigating extraordinary claims". Simultaneously, the CSI presented Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst with the "In Praise of Reason Award" "in recognition of [their] distinguished contribution to the use of critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge". [37] [38]
Scientific skepticism or rational skepticism, sometimes referred to as skeptical inquiry, is a position in which one questions the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence. In practice, the term most commonly refers to the examination of claims and theories that appear to be beyond mainstream science, rather than the routine discussions and challenges among scientists. Scientific skepticism differs from philosophical skepticism, which questions humans' ability to claim any knowledge about the nature of the world and how they perceive it, and the similar but distinct methodological skepticism, which is a systematic process of being skeptical about the truth of one's beliefs.
Stichting Skepsis is a Dutch organisation dedicated to the promotion and practice of scientific skepticism. It is a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO).
Cornelis "Kees" de Jager was a Dutch astronomer who specialized in predicting solar variation to assess the Sun's impact on future climate. He was the General Secretary of the IAU from 1967 to 1973 and former director of the observatory at Utrecht. He was a fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and played an important role in the European skeptical movement as the first chairman of both Stichting Skepsis and the European Council of Skeptical Organisations.
The Hungarian Skeptic Society (HSS) (Hungarian: Szkeptikus Társaság Egyesület) is a skeptic organisation based in Hungary. Founded in 2006, it has been a member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) since 2007. Its former president, Gábor Hraskó was also chairman of ECSO from 2013 to 2017. The current president, András Gábor Pintér who has been a board member of ECSO since 2017, is also the initiator, producer & co-host of the European Skeptics Podcast.
The Comité Para, in full Comité belge pour l'Analyse Critique des parasciences, is a Francophone Belgian skeptical non-profit organisation. Founded in 1949, the Comité Para regards itself as the originator of the modern skeptical movement. The group's motto is Ne rien nier a priori, ne rien affirmer sans preuve.
Tim Trachet is a Belgian writer, publicist, journalist and skeptic. He studied mathematics, astronomy and philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and is a reporter at the VRT, where he produces history television documentaries.
The Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) is a skeptical organisation in the United Kingdom.
European Skeptics Congresses (ESCs) – a series of congresses now supported by the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO), in which skeptical organisations from many different European countries participate. They have been held ever since 1989. The conferences are often held in the month of September, and may last from two up to four days. The ECSO was formed at the 6th ESC on 25 September 1994 in Ostend, Belgium. Since its foundation, the ECSO co-ordinates in the organisation of new ESCs that take place every other year, and is hosted by a different member organisation each time. Skeptical organisations that are non-ECSO members may also send their delegations. Past ESCs are enumerated below.
Catharina Jantina (Catherine) de Jong is a Dutch anesthesiologist, drug rehab physician, intensivist, since 2009 board member of the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (VtdK), between 2011–2015 as chair, and board member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO).
Roelof Hendrik "Rob" Nanninga was a Dutch skeptic, writer, board member of Stichting Skepsis and editor of its magazine Skepter. He became known for his critical writings about sects, alternative healers and therapists, paranormal claims and pseudoscientific trainings and courses.
QED: Question, Explore, Discover is an annual skeptical conference held in Manchester, England. QED is organised by North West Skeptical Events Ltd (NWSE), a volunteer-owned non-profit organisation originating from a collaboration between the Merseyside Skeptics Society and the Greater Manchester Skeptics Society.
Klub Sceptyków Polskich or KSP is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation actively engaged in the promotion of critical thinking, scientific skepticism and scientific methods. It unites scientists and people interested in science and scientific research in Poland.
Gábor Hraskó is a Hungarian science communicator and skeptic, well known within the Hungarian and international movement as the president of the Hungarian Skeptic Society and chairman of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations (2013-2017). He is a member of the Club of Hungarian Science Journalists, author of the "X-Aknák" popular science blog, and was co-editor and co-host of the television series of the same name. Hraskó is a scientific and technical consultant for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
Amardeo Sarma is a qualified engineer for electrical and telecommunications engineering, chair of the Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) and former chair of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations. Professionally, he works for NEC Laboratories Europe.
The European Skeptics Podcast (TheESP) is a weekly podcast recorded in English and hosted by three skeptics from several different European countries: András Gábor Pintér from Hungary, Pontus Böckman from Sweden and Annika Harrison from Germany who joined the team in July 2020. The main goal of the podcast is to "support European level actions within the skeptical movement and build bridges among skeptics" all over the continent. The show is often jokingly referred to by other podcasters and people interviewed on the show as "the REAL ESP experience" referring to a namesake pseudoscientific concept.
Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos is a Czech skeptical nonprofit organisation founded in 1994 and headquartered in Prague. Its primary goal and mission is to spread and defend the findings and results of contemporary science, to promote rational, critical thinking, to acquaint the public with the principles of scientific method, to speak out against the spread of paranormal ideas and unproven procedures, to ensure that universities, scientific societies and institutions are actively responsible for defending science and critical thinking, to investigate controversies and false claims, to provide assistance to citizens in protecting against fraudulent products and ineffective or dangerous alternative medicine products and healing methods. In line with mission and goals, the club refuses to interfere with religious, moral and political issues.
