The first precedent of the Carbohydrate Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) was a small meeting organized by Prof. López Aparicio during the Seventh Meeting of the Organic Chemistry Group of the Society (L'Espluga of Francolí Tarragona, November 1977), where about 15 participants discussed on the future organization of carbohydrate chemists in Spain and the creation of a new group within the RSEQ specialized in carbohydrate chemistry. A similar meeting, with greater attendance, was repeated and updated at the following meeting of the Organic Chemistry Group in Ronda (Malaga) in 1979. Years later, after the death of Prof. García González, Prof. López Aparicio organized the First "Jornadas de Carbohidratos" from 6 to 8 November 1989, with the sponsorship of the Academy of Mathematical, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences of Granada, which constituted a tribute to Professor García González. During this symposium, a visit to Fuentevaqueros was organized and a commemorative plaque was unveiled. The symposium was held at the Faculty of Science of the University of Granada, with 15 lectures, 3 round tables and about 30 participants. Among the speakers, there were Prof. H. H. Baer (University of Ottawa), Prof. H. Kristen (University of Rostock), Prof. J. Font Cierco (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and most of the disciples of late Prof. García González. During this symposium, there was a plenary meeting whose agenda was to "consider the establishment of the Carbohydrate Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry, and possible agreement on the acceptance of Spain as the venue for an upcoming meeting of the European Carbohydrate Organization."

The Second "Jornadas de Carbohidratos" was held in Medina del Campo (Valladolid) in June 1991 with 61 attendees. During this conference it was agreed to submit to the RSEQ the proposal for the creation of the Carbohydrate Group and it was accepted that the Group would organized the 8th European Carbohydrate Symposium (EUROCARB VIII). The Carbohydrate Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry was finally created in 1991 and its first president was Prof. F. J. Lopez Aparicio. The EUROCARB VIII meeting was held in Seville in 1995, being chairman of the Organizing Committee Prof. Manuel Martín Lomas. Since 1991, the "Jornadas de Carbohydratos" are held every two years, except in 1995 on the occasion of EUROCARB VIII, when the plenary meeting of the Group was held during this international symposium.

In 1995, the Portuguese Carbohydrate Group (Grupo Química da two carbohydrate) was created and held its first meeting (GLUPOR I) in Lisbon the same year. An agreement between the management committees of both groups has led to the celebration of a joint meeting (Iberian Carbohydrate Meeting) every three years, alternating location between the two countries.

During the Ronda meeting in 2002, there was a tribute act in honor of Profs F. J. Lopez Aparicio, J. M. Fernández-Bolaños, and A. Gómez Sánchez. Sadly, the former two had an obituary in their memory at the meeting of Alcala de Henares. There was also another obituary during the meeting in Tarragona in memory of Prof. F. J. Lopez Herrera, who was Chairman of the Group when he suddenly passed away.

José Fuentes Mota
(I wish to thank Profs. Manuel Gómez Guillén, Francisco Santoyo,and José Maria Fernández-Bolaños for their help in the preparation of this historical account)

Jornadas de Carbohidratos

Iberian Carbohydrate Meetings