Since 1981 there has been an attempt in Europe to organize a series of small meetings/workshops/tavole rotonde with the aim of bringing together physi cists and chemists interested in problems concerning atoms or molecules in teracting with external photons where the continua are investigated. The number of problems that fall into this category turns out to be vast. However, it is not possible to make a strict separation into problems con cerning atomic and molecular collisions and those related to the usual spec troscopy. This admixture of two disciplines, discussions on the role of photons...