From a Drum Corps Europe press release: History in Europe was made over last weekend as senior officials from the leading marching band and drum corps organizations met in Brussels to set the stage for a unified working environment that will provide members of all organizations experiences that they will covet for years to come. The meeting, chaired by Drum Corps Europe's chairman Marcel Matthijsse, saw the collective ideas of like-minded organizations including the British Youth Band Association (BYBA), Drum Corps Netherlands (DCN), Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK), Drum Corps Germany (DCG) and Drum Corps France (DCF) shared in a single meeting that has already taken steps to see a more unified environment in which to allow all members to enjoy. Although more discussions are to take place on the details, those present were able to agree in principal that a unified system, and series of sanctioned events across the whole of Europe should be adopted by no later than the 2008 marching seasons.

Matthijsse said about the meeting: "It is always an apprehensive time when bringing together such great organizations as this, but after the first introductions and discussions, any apprehensions were dispersed, and the meeting was both encouraging and exciting for the future of European drum corps. This is the start of an excellent journey in which the only beneficiaries will be the marching members and audiences that enjoy watching all of our performers do what they do best. Entertain! I very much look forward to more successful talks and the creation of a unified Europe working in harmony together." www.dce.org