[en] The progress made in the conservation of European elm genetic resources since the 1st International Elm Conference is reviewed, and the complementarity of in situ and ex situ methods is discussed. The financial support of the European Union to RESGEN project CT96-78 has permitted to co-ordinate and rationalize the ex situ conservation of elms. The project, which involved 17 partner institutes in nine west European countries, aimed at a better evaluation, conservation and utilisation of the existing collections of native elm clones. Main achievements are: establishing a common database of about 2,000 clones; characterizing over 500 clones through RAPDs and chloroplast DNA PCR-RFLPs molecular markers; completing and rationalizing the existing collections; establishing a long-term core collection of 850 clones; cryo-preserving a subset of 444 clones; and identifying clones of interest for breeding and prudent use in the reconstruction of countryside hedges. The "Noble Hardwoods" network of the pan-European programme EUFORGEN groups members representative of 31 countries, and promotes the dynamic conservation of the genetic resources of several genera of broadleaf forest trees, including Ulmus spp. Strategies for the conservation of the adaptive potential of elm resources were defined and will be disseminated among foresters and conservationists through "Guidelines" leaflets. Some countries have already started implementing conservation measures for U. laevis, associating in situ preservation and the establishment of seed orchards. Others are undertaking inventories, or acquiring genetic knowledge on target populations.

[es] Se discute el progreso realizado en la conservaci&oacute;n de los olmos europeos desde la primera conferencia Internacional del Olmo y los m&eacute;todos complementarios de conservaci&oacute;n in situ y ex situ. El apoyo financiero de la Uni&oacute;n Europea al proyecto RESGEN CT96-78 ha permitido coordinar y racionalizar la conservaci&oacute;n ex situ de los olmos. El proyecto, en el cual est&aacute;n involucrados 17 instituciones participantes en nueve pa&iacute;ses de Europa Occidental, tiene por objetivo una mejor evaluaci&oacute;n, conservaci&oacute;n y utilizaci&oacute;n de las colecciones actualmente existentes de clones nativos de olmo. Los principales logros son: el establecimiento de una base de datos com&uacute;n de aproximadamente 2.000 clones; la caracterizaci&oacute;n de m&aacute;s de 500 clones usando RAPD y marcadores moleculares PCR-RFLP de ADN cloropl&aacute;stico; la finalizaci&oacute;n y racionalizaci&oacute;n de las colecciones existentes; el establecimiento a largo plazo de una colecci&oacute;n central con 850 clones; la criopreservaci&oacute;n de un conjunto de 444 clones; y la identificaci&oacute;n de clones de inter&eacute;s para la mejora y para su uso en la restauraci&oacute;n de setos en campo. La red &laquo;Noble Hardwoods&raquo; del programa pan-europeo EUFORGEN agrupa a miembros representantes de 31 pa&iacute;ses, y promueve la conservaci&oacute;n din&aacute;mica de los recursos gen&eacute;ticos de varios g&eacute;neros de &aacute;rboles planifolios, incluido Ulmus spp.. Las estrategias para la conservaci&oacute;n del potencial adaptativo de los recursos de los olmos se definieron y se dieron a conocer entre forestales y conservacionistas a trav&eacute;s de folletos gu&iacute;a. Algunos pa&iacute;ses han comenzado ya a implementar medidas de conservaci&oacute;n para U. laevis mediante el uso de la preservaci&oacute;n in situ y el establecimiento de huertos semilleros. Otros est&aacute;n elaborando inventarios, o adquiriendo informaci&oacute;n gen&eacute;tica de poblaciones de inter&eacute;s.