About Us

EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL is a non-profit association that was established on the 27th of October 1997.
The founder members of EUROPEN were educational institutions from the following countries: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland. Additional members of EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL are: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brasil, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovac Republic, Slovenia, USA. 

Future members: Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovia, Greece,  Indonesia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia           

Countries involved in EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL
EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL is the world-wide practice firms network. The network consists of 5500 practice firms in forty-two countries. 
  
EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL Structure
The association has members meetings that take place twice a year in different members`counries.
The association has a Managing Committee consisting of three Central Office Managers, that change each year based on a rotary basis. The association has a Co-ordination Center which has it's seat in Germany and is among other things responsible for the PR and co-ordination of the various Central Offices. 
  
History of EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL

EUROPEN-PEN INTERNATIONAL used to be an European Project that was started in November 1993.  It used to be financed by the European Social Fund (45%) and the Land North-Rhine Westphalia (55%).

The origin of practice firms (in the past also named "fictitious firms") can be traced back to the 17th century with the help of literature. In the year 1960 Mr. Lerice (citizen of Danzig, Germany) described the commission transactions of the invented businessman named Peter Winst in his book "Commission and Factory". There are other books that explain the philosophy of a practice firm as for example Mr. Karl F. Barth who wrote the following in 1776: "The teacher lets them choose a sort of action and a trading location....; each one receives fictitious capital, goods or securities..."

Those old creations can be looked upon as midwifes of the current practice firms.  

©EUROPEN e.V. 2008