With over thirty member societies in twenty-four different countries, the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC) is one of the worlds largest corrosion organisations. Founded in 1955, it recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. To mark the event, it was proposed that the EFC Working Parties, each of which addresses a clearly defined aspect of corrosion (or its mitigation), should be invited to contribute to a special publication. Thirteen current and past chairpersons responded to this challenge and each, in their own way, has summarised progress in their particular area of interest. The main focus of these contributions is on developments during the first fifty years of existence of the EFC and, in particular, on the contributions made by its working parties. The topics covered include: Corrosion Inhibitors; High Temperature Corrosion; Nuclear Corrosion; Corrosion Education; Methods of Corrosion Testing; Marine Corrosion; Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion; Corrosion in Concrete; Corrosion in Oil and Gas Production; Corrosion Control by Coatings; Corrosion Management in Refineries; Cathodic Protection; Corrosion in Automotive.