The EPBS was formed in May 1999 at The Hague, Netherlands. This International Non-Profit Association (AISBL) is committed to promoting best practice and ethics for Biomedical Laboratory Scientists throughout Europe. It was officially registered under the Belgian law in Brussels in 2006 as an international non-profit association.
The Association is established to promote best practice and ethics among biomedical laboratory scientists, herein after referred as biomedical scientists, working in clinical diagnostics and research in Europe.
The non-profit purpose of international interest is achieved through the following activities:
1. Education and training
- Setting minimum criteria for the education and training of biomedical scientists in Europe to ensure that all scientists have the knowledge, skills and competence to provide a safe and effective clinical diagnostic laboratory service
- Promoting the development and access to post graduate programmes leading to specialisation of biomedical scientists in all areas of clinical laboratories to enssure that Europe can respond to the changing healthcare environment
- Co-operating with teaching establishments offering biomedical science education to achieve EPBS aims
- Recognising the essential role of continuous professional development (CPD) to quality healthcare, promoting access to CPD programs for all biomedical scientists
2. Public health and patient safety
- Promoting the essential role of biomedical science in health care systems to the general public
- Promoting to healthcare stakeholders the essential role of biomedical scientists in delivering quality clinical laboratory diagnostics for the prevention, diagnosis and disease monitoring and in screening programs
- Providing advice on best practice in the provision of clinical diagnostic services within healthcare organisations and community services
3. Ethics
- Promoting adherence to the highest ethical standards by European biomedical scientists as outlined in the international code of ethics for biomedical laboratory scientists
4. Political
- Ensuring the mutual and official recognition in equivalence of standards concerning biomedical science and its harmonisation, in matters of information, procedures, education, training, testing, measurement resources, laboratory standards, quality management and competence, regulation and code of ethics across Europe
- Providing advice, consultation and recommendations on aspects of biomedical science to the European Commission and other relevant European bodies and organisations
- Working with competent authorities to facilitate the ‘free movement of the profession’ in Europe
- Establishing relationships with active European and international organisations in the field of laboratory medicine
- Promoting the European vision of biomedical science among its members
In order to achieve its objectives, the Association shall develop contacts with the European governing bodies, publish brochures, facilitate exchange programmes for students and professionals, draw up regulations intended to harmonise professional practices within the member countries and carry out any other activity consistent with the objectives above described
The Association may participate in any other activities and undertake any other actions that are directly or indirectly related to the aforementioned objectives, or that are necessary or useful for the realization of such objectives.