THE STATUTORY purpose of the European Union of Medical Specialists is the harmonization and improvement of the quality of medical specialist practice in the European Union (EU). Education is a key element in this field, and the European Union of Medical Specialists has been pursuing the formulation of a common policy in the field of training for many years.
In 1993 the Charter on Training of Medical Specialists in the European Community was adopted by the Management Council of the European Union of Medical Specialists. The council consists of the delegates of the national specialist organizations in the EU. The charter forms a framework for harmonization of postgraduate specialist training in the EU in each specialty.
It is in this context that the section of surgery of the European Union of Medical Specialists founded the European Board of Surgery (EBS) in 1994. The EBS, composed of representatives of the national