diff --git a/.classpath b/.classpath
index f5b84cd..aa407f6 100644
--- a/.classpath
+++ b/.classpath
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <classpath>
-	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/create-users-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
+	<classpathentry kind="src" output="target/create-users-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/java">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="optional" value="true"/>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/create-users-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
+	<classpathentry excluding="**" kind="src" output="target/create-users-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes" path="src/main/resources">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
-	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.7">
+	<classpathentry kind="con" path="org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JRE_CONTAINER/org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.ui.launcher.StandardVMType/JavaSE-1.8">
 		<attributes>
 			<attribute name="maven.pomderived" value="true"/>
 		</attributes>
@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@
 		</attributes>
 	</classpathentry>
 	<classpathentry kind="con" path="com.google.gwt.eclipse.core.GWT_CONTAINER"/>
-	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/create-users-2.3.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
+	<classpathentry kind="output" path="target/create-users-2.4.0-SNAPSHOT/WEB-INF/classes"/>
 </classpath>
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
index 443e085..b257af7 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.inlineJsrBytecode=enabled
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.7
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.8
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.7
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.assertIdentifier=error
 org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.enumIdentifier=error
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
index 1845f38..9a8fb75 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
+++ b/.settings/org.eclipse.wst.common.component
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/" source-path="/src/main/webapp" tag="defaultRootSource"/>
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/java"/>
         <wb-resource deploy-path="/WEB-INF/classes" source-path="/src/main/resources"/>
+        <dependent-module archiveName="email-templates-library-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" deploy-path="/WEB-INF/lib" handle="module:/resource/email-templates-library/email-templates-library">
+            <dependency-type>uses</dependency-type>
+        </dependent-module>
         <dependent-module archiveName="gcube-widgets-2.2.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" deploy-path="/WEB-INF/lib" handle="module:/resource/gcube-widgets/gcube-widgets">
             <dependency-type>uses</dependency-type>
         </dependent-module>
diff --git a/distro/changelog.xml b/distro/changelog.xml
index d532e9e..7afb4e0 100644
--- a/distro/changelog.xml
+++ b/distro/changelog.xml
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 <ReleaseNotes>
+	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets.admin.create-users.2-4-0"
+		date="2017-05-17">
+		<Change>Ported to Java8</Change>
+		<Change>Adapted for template email welcome message</Change>
+	</Changeset>
 	<Changeset component="org.gcube.portlets.admin.create-users.2-2-0"
 		date="2016-12-02">
 		<Change>Removed ASLSession</Change>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 07bf876..86dfd40 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	<groupId>org.gcube.portlets.admin</groupId>
 	<artifactId>create-users</artifactId>
 	<packaging>war</packaging>
-	<version>2.3.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>2.4.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>Create users portlet</name>
 	<description>
 		Create users portlet allows a VRE-Manager to enter user's personal data and automatically register he/she in the portal.
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 		<liferayVersion>6.2.5</liferayVersion>
 		<!-- GWT needs at least java 1.6 -->
 		<maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
-		<maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
+		<maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
 
 		<webappDirectory>${project.build.directory}/${project.build.finalName}</webappDirectory>
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@
 			<artifactId>portal-manager</artifactId>
 			<scope>provided</scope>
 		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+			<groupId>org.gcube.portal.mailing</groupId>
+			<artifactId>email-templates-library</artifactId>
+			<version>[1.0.0-SNAPSHOT,)</version>
+		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.gcube.dvos</groupId>
 			<artifactId>usermanagement-core</artifactId>
@@ -209,8 +214,8 @@
 				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
 				<version>2.3.2</version>
 				<configuration>
-					<source>1.7</source>
-					<target>1.7</target>
+					<source>${maven.compiler.source}</source>
+					<target>${maven.compiler.target}</target>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>
 			<!-- SA Plugin -->
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/client/ui/AddUserForm.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/client/ui/AddUserForm.java
index 55b402c..9bc7c13 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/client/ui/AddUserForm.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/client/ui/AddUserForm.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public class AddUserForm extends Composite{
 	@UiField
 	AlertBlock successBlock;
 
-	private static final String NAME_SURNAME_PATTERN = "^[a-zA-Z\\s]*$";
+	private static final String NAME_SURNAME_PATTERN = "^[a-zA-ZàáâäãåąčćęèéêëėįìíîïłńòóôöõøùúûüųūÿýżźñçčšžÀÁÂÄÃÅĄĆČĖĘÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏĮŁŃÒÓÔÖÕØÙÚÛÜŲŪŸÝŻŹÑßÇŒÆČŠŽ∂ð ,.'-]+$";
 
 	private static final String EMAIL_PATTERN = 
 			"^[_A-Za-z0-9-\\+]+(\\.[_A-Za-z0-9-]+)*@"
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
index a20ea59..01923b6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/admin/createusers/server/CreateUsersImpl.java
@@ -12,17 +12,22 @@ import java.util.List;
 import javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress;
 
 import org.gcube.common.portal.PortalContext;
+import org.gcube.portal.mailing.message.Recipient;
+import org.gcube.portal.mailing.service.EmailTemplateService;
+import org.gcube.portal.mailing.templates.TemplateWelcomeCreatedAccount;
 import org.gcube.portlets.admin.createusers.client.HandleUsersService;
 import org.gcube.portlets.admin.createusers.shared.VreUserBean;
+import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.UserManager;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.exception.UserManagementPortalException;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.exception.UserManagementSystemException;
+import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.impl.LiferayGroupManager;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.impl.LiferayUserManager;
+import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.GCubeGroup;
 import org.gcube.vomanagement.usermanagement.model.GCubeUser;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import com.google.gwt.user.server.rpc.RemoteServiceServlet;
-import com.liferay.mail.service.MailServiceUtil;
 import com.liferay.portal.kernel.dao.jdbc.DataAccess;
 import com.liferay.portal.kernel.exception.PortalException;
 import com.liferay.portal.kernel.exception.SystemException;
@@ -156,37 +161,23 @@ public class CreateUsersImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet implements HandleUsers
 
 	@Override
 	public void sendEmailToUser(String email) {
-
 		if(isWithinPortal()){
 			try{
 				logger.debug("Sending welcome message to user with email " + email);
 				PortalContext context = PortalContext.getConfiguration();
 				String gatewayName = context.getGatewayName(getThreadLocalRequest());
-				String emailSender = context.getSenderEmail(getThreadLocalRequest());
+				String gatewayURL = context.getGatewayURL(getThreadLocalRequest());
+				long groupId = context.getCurrentGroupId(getThreadLocalRequest());
+				GCubeGroup currVRE = new LiferayGroupManager().getGroup(groupId);
+				UserManager um = new LiferayUserManager();
+				GCubeUser theCreatedAccountUser = um.getUserByEmail(email);
+				GCubeUser theManagerUser =context.getCurrentUser(getThreadLocalRequest());
 
-				InternetAddress to = new InternetAddress(email);
-				InternetAddress from = new InternetAddress(emailSender);
+				String subject = "Your user account for " + currVRE.getGroupName() + " VRE has been created";
+				EmailTemplateService.send(
+						subject, 
+						new TemplateWelcomeCreatedAccount(gatewayName, gatewayURL, theCreatedAccountUser, theManagerUser, currVRE), getThreadLocalRequest(), new Recipient(email));
 
-				LiferayUserManager userManager = new LiferayUserManager();
-				String portalUrl = context.getGatewayURL(getThreadLocalRequest());
-				String username = userManager.getFullNameFromEmail(email);
-
-				MailMessage mailMessage = new MailMessage();
-				mailMessage.setFrom(from);
-				mailMessage.setTo(to);
-
-				// TODO it would be nice to let the creator specify the message to be sent
-				String body = "<p>Dear " + username  + ",<br />" + "<br />" + 
-						"Welcome! Your new account at " + portalUrl + " is ready to be used. Your temporary password is training1, you will be asked to reset it at your first login.<br />" +
-						"<br />" + "Sincerely,<br />" +
-						gatewayName + "<br />" +
-						emailSender + "<br />" + portalUrl;
-				String subject = gatewayName + ": Your New Account was created successfully!";
-
-				mailMessage.setBody(body);
-				mailMessage.setSubject(subject);
-				mailMessage.setHTMLFormat(true);
-				MailServiceUtil.sendEmail(mailMessage);
 			}catch(Exception e){
 				logger.error("Error while sending email to user " + email, e);
 			}