| Introduction to EFCAM |
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Introduction The European Federation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine is a federation where representatives of organisations of patients, CAM practitioners, researchers and trade and industry, meet to discuss and prepare political actions to have CAM recognised throughout Europe. Our first activity was to write a declaration on CAM. Our aim is to create a permanent federation for the exchange of views and information and act as a point of reference for the EU institutions on policy and regulatory issues of relevance for CAM. Currently EFCAM meetings are attended by more than 12 European Organisations whose individual national organisation membership stretches across 22 different countries in Europe. Aims of the EFCAM Platform- To ensure the freedom of choice in healthcare for the European public; -To have CAM included in the EU health policy and strategy; -To convince policy makers of the value of CAM; -To pursue recognition of CAM practices; -To pursue the legal right to practise CAM throughout Europe by appropriately trained and regulated practitioners; -To advise on regulatory structures and processes appropriate to CAM disciplines; -To act as an advisory body to EU and other institutions on the recognition and regulation of CAM; -To seek to establish a specific EU budget line for research appropriate to CAM approaches; -To seek the participation of CAM experts in EU research project evaluation committees; -To seek the participation of CAM experts in EU CAM research projects; -To seek the participation of CAM experts in EMEA and other relevant EU bodies; -To improve accessibility of the European public to CAM services and products; -To improve the availability of CAM services and products to the European public. Working Principles and Values of EFCAM: • Democratic • Accountable • Transparent • Non discriminatory • Non profit making EFCAM is the Federation for the CAM community to deal with issues of • Quality standards for practice and products • Access to treatment for patients • Patient safety • Freedom of choice for patients • Freedom to practise for quaiified and regulated practitioners • Research on CAM Officers of EFCAM EFCAM is currently served and represented by three elected officers: • Chairman - Seamus Connolly of the European Shiatsu Federation (ESF) Ireland • General Secretary - Stephen Gordon of the European Central Council of Homeopaths (ECCH) UK • Treasurer - Hans van der Werff of the Reflexology in Europe Network (RiEN) Netherlands EFCAM is registered at the Chamber of Commerce Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with registration number 34315774 Please click here for a downloadable version of EFCAM's Statutes: |
