It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Tony Fitzpatrick, the founding father of the ICC, former chair of ICC and ECML expert.

Tony was committed to the values of the Council of Europe and was heavily involved in ECML language education activities over several decades. The ECML is indebted to Tony: not only was he the coordinator of the Centre’s very first workshop on “Integrating oral skills in the classroom” (Graz, Austria, 14-18 March 1995) and of two successful projects – “Exploring cutting edge applications of networked technologies in vocationally oriented language learning” (2011) and “Information and communication technologies in vocationally oriented language learning” (2000), but he also represented International Certificate Conference e.V. (ICC) within the Professional Network Forum , and contributed to numerous ECML events and conferences.

We will remember him for his commitment to quality language education and for his energy, warmth, generosity and wonderful sense of humour.

We would like to express our deepest sympathy to his family and friends; he will be sorely missed.