Clinical Laboratory Geneticists
Statement from the EBMG on certifying excellence in Clinical Laboratory 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.
N.B.: EBMG is mainly there to check and certify your expertise as a CLG; presently we do not organize CLG education.
News / Good to know
--> The SOPs of the CLG-branch board can be found here.
--> Criteria how CLG-branch board is set up - see here
- EBMG is a non-profit-organization - i.e. all members of the board are not paid for the work.
- There are ~430 registered ErCLGs now: see here.
- ErCLGs (without Dutch CLG title) can authorize laboratory reports in the Netherlands.
Members of the (Er)CLG-board
Chair
Thomas Liehr - Germany - present term until 12/2026
Co-Chair
Isabel Carreira - Portugal - present term until 12/2026
Secretary
Martina Rincic - Croatia - present term until 12/2026
Members
Zsofia Balogh - France - present term until 12/2026
Zanda Daneberga - Latvia - present term until 12/2026
Malgorzata Drozniewska - Poland - present term until 12/2026
Karen Heath - Spain - present term until 12/2026
Florentia Fostira - Greece - present term until 12/2026
Amina Kozaric - Bosnia and Herzegovina - present term until 12/2026
(terms may be prolonged)
Working group - previous board members
Since 2023 there is a working group supporting the actual board of CLG branch as listed above
- Domenico A Coviello (Italy)
- Elena Dominguez Garrido (Spain)
- Lina Florentin (Greece)
- Hans Scheffer (Netherlands)
- Aniko Ujfalusi (Hungary)
Their possible tasks are
- Support the work of the corresponding 10 actual CLG-branch board members
- Be available on request to supervise/organize in place exams of group 3 country applicants
- Be available on request for Zoom meetings to assist oral part of exams of group 3 country applicants
- Submit suggestions to the Board what could/should be done for our branch development
- Support ongoing work
- Giving advice and expertise in order to promote the international situation/recognition of CLGs
- Serve as highly appreciated 'backup information' on things decided in the past.
Basics
In accordance with the goals of the EBMG our Professional Branch Board has opened the possibility for recognition of practitioners / non-Medical Doctors working in Human Genetics diagnostics laboratories to be recognized as European registered Clinical Laboratory Geneticists (ErCLG).
A core curriculum for the ErCLG was established in 2012 and was slightly revised in 2015 and 2022.
For the history of the Board see here.
All our actions will hopefully be EU-recognized in future based on the now approved EU Directive 2005/36/EC - policy developments and Proposal for modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive = EU Directive 2013/55/EU. The latter was implemented on 16th January 2016.
The request to EU has obviously to go to “Recognition Committee for Professional Qualification" from a EU memberstate national health ministry.
Interestingly there is also an OECD guideline for quality assurance in molecular genetic testing from 2007 in which following has been stated and requested - this document was approved by most if not all EU memberstates:
- E.3 Existing specialist education and training programmes relevant to molecular genetic testing that meet recognised standards should be formally adopted by governments, regulatory and/or professional bodies.
- E5. Relevant government or professional authorities should recognise medical genetics as a discipline comprising both a clinical and a laboratory specialty.
- E.ii Appropriate specialist qualifications, education and training standards for individuals directing molecular genetics laboratories should be established. (...) Educational requirements should include formal training in molecular genetics and where available, certification in the specialty of clinical laboratory molecular genetics, or another relevant discipline.
- E.vi Comparison of specialist education and training systems between jurisdictions should be facilitated as a means to establish equivalence.
- 2. These Guidelines offer principles and best practices for quality assurance in molecular genetic testing for clinical purposes. They are addressed to all those involved in the regulation and provision of molecular genetic testing. The Guidelines are intended to assist both OECD and non-OECD governments in the development and introduction of their standards for quality assurance systems and molecular genetic testing laboratory practices. The Guidelines recognise the existence of regional, national and international quality assurance frameworks and seek to facilitate their mutual recognition.
- 24. Principle B2 refers to the concept of “equivalent recognition”. This should include assessment of competence in services provided, including technical competence and relevant specialist education and training; and also compliance with relevant legal, professional and quality management standards. (B2)
Publications in the field
Here you can download the paper: Liehr et al. European registration process for Clinical Laboratory Geneticists in genetic healthcare. Eur J Hum Genet. 2017;25:515-519.
Here you can download the paper: Liehr T. Expert knowledge on human genetic counselling and chromosomics are necessary for sound genetic laboratory diagnostics. Mol Exp Biol Med 2017;1:1-3.
Here you can download the paper: Liehr et al. Regarding the rights and duties of Clinical Laboratory Geneticists in genetic healthcare systems; results of a survey in over 50 countries. Eur J Hum Genet. 2019; 27:1168-1174.