European Board of Medical Genetics

The EBMG was formed in June 2012 and became a legal entity in June 2014, a non-for profit association under Austrian law, registry number ZVR: 616719544.

The Role of the EBMG

The EBMG is set up to serve the needs of patients who use genetic services in Europe through ensuing good standards of practice in three professional branches:

• Clinical laboratory geneticists (CLGs)
• Genetic nurses and genetic counsellors 
• Medical geneticists

The EBMG has developed a set of standards and a curriculum for clinical laboratory geneticists undertaking analysis of genetic material. These standards reflect consensus amongst experts in this field from a wide range of European countries and apply to professionals trained in either clinical science or medicine who are working in clinical genetic laboratory settings.

To ensure patient safety, the EBMG recommends very strongly that clinical laboratory geneticists engaged in genetic testing for clinical purposes should undergo training and education (normally with a duration of 5 years) that includes all those topics in the European curriculum. In addition, they should be able to demonstrate competence in the areas defined by the EBMG standards.

The EBMG makes clear that these standards and curriculum do not fulfil the requirements for those medical professionals trained in clinical genetics and genomics, the needs of which must cover the full breadth of clinical diagnosis, familiarity with laboratory techniques, interpretation of data, and genetic counselling.

New statutes of the EBMG adopted by the General Assembly on September 06, 2021 (ENGLISH).

The German statutes are available here.

1. The aim of the Society is the establishment of professional standards of education, training and practice in human and medical genetics and genetic counselling, by developing and administering systems of certification and/or re-certification for professionals working as specialists in genetic healthcare in Europe.
    
2. The Society pursues exclusively and directly aims for public benefit. It is a non-profit educational and professional association. It has no commercial interest, nor is it bound to any industrial or commercial enterprise. The Society's funds and any profits may exclusively be used for purposes in compliance with the Statutes. No person may benefit from expenses alien to the purpose of the Society, or from disproportionately large remuneration.
    
   
3. The EBMG is an independent body for the purposes of setting professional standards and operation of registration processes. To ensure the work of the EBMG remains current and informed by professional practice, the EBMG will be affiliated with the European Society of Human Genetics.

The members of the Society are divided into full members, supporting members, and honorary members.

• Full members are those who are professionals in the field of Human and Medical Genetics.
   
• Supporting members can be any natural person or legal entity. These are individuals, institutions, corporations or agencies, who have offered substantial financial administrative or in-kind assistance to the EBMG in support of their aims.
   
• Honorary members are persons who have promoted the cause of EBMG and/or its aims and objectives in an exceptional way.

Only full & honorary members will have a vote at the General Assembly.

The members of the Executive Board are:

• President: Clara Serra-Juhe - Spain
• Past President: Birgitte Diness - Denmark
• Incoming President: Joana Barbosa de Melo- Portugal
• Secretary General: Christophe Cordier - Switzerland
• Deputy Sec General: James O'Byrne - Ireland
• Treasurer: Mohamed El hachmi - Italy

Auditors

• Martina Witsch-Baumgartner - Austria
• Charlotta Ingvoldstad Malmgren - Sweden

Honorary Member

• Ulf Kristoffersson - Sweden
• Heather Skirton - United Kingdom

All members of the Board and Branches offer their services on an entirely voluntary basis and receive no payments for their work.  We are grateful for their commitment to this work on behalf of the EBMG. 

The Liaison Members (Branch Board Members) nominated by the ESHG are:

• Ellen Heitzer - Austria
• Rebecca Pestoff - Sweden
• Olaf Riess - Germany