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About ECCO

ECCO is a highly active non-profit medical association

focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and acting inside Europe and encouraging collaboration beyond Europe’s borders

We are representing over

5121

IBD experts as Individual Members

Who we are

The European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), founded in 2001 to improve the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Europe, is now the largest forum for specialists in IBD in the world. It is a non-profit association, which successfully expanded from an organisation comprising 14 Country Members to an association assembling 35 member states of the Council of Europe and facilitating collaborations beyond Europe's borders. In 2009, we introduced individual membership allowing anyone around the globe interested in IBD to both benefit from our programmes and initiatives and to join us in our mission.

Our Mission

ECCO’s mission is to improve the care of patients with IBD in all its aspects through international guidelines for practice, education, research and collaboration in the area of IBD.

ECCO Code of Conduct

ECCO endorses the governance practices of its umbrella organisations, UEG and Biomedical Alliance in Europe, and its Code of Conduct for Healthcare Professionals and Scientific Organizations, which maintains that: 

“As health care and knowledge are highly valuable public benefits, it is of the utmost importance that they are delivered in an independent way. It follows that governance, organisation, and activities are independent from any interest – such as governmental, commercial or personal interests – but those of the medical specialty and its practitioners. Assuring this necessitates transparency to allow the assessment of independence; and, when assessed, accountability to the members, to the patients and to society.” i

The ECCO Code of Conduct complements these principles, with its own approach to and implementation of our shared core values: Quality, Integrity, and Transparency.

Read more

What we do

  • Influence IBD management through the development, publication, dissemination, and teaching of IBD guidelines and other educational materials.
  • Facilitate and promote the education of health care professionals in the field of IBD (including physicians, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, endoscopists, nurse specialists, dietitians and allied professions).
  • Organise national and international scientific and educational programmes in the field of IBD.
  • Enhance the quality of research in the field of IBD, both in basic science (e.g. organising pathogenesis workshops) and clinical science (e.g. review of IBD study protocols).
  • Promote and support national and international IBD research efforts.
  • Are a political voice in Europe and collaborate with organisations sharing an interest in IBD including medical societies, patient organisations, and industries.
  • Participate in the activities of the United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEG) and in the annual United European Gastroenterology Week (UEG Week).

How it all began ...

Read about how the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation was founded and how it evolved over the years in the 10 year ECCO Anniversary Book - written by the founders of ECCO, ECCO National Representatives and ECCO Officers.

10 year Anniversary Book
20 year Anniversary Book