The third European Symposium of the Association of Natural Medicine in Europe (ANME) shed new light on the situation of traditional medical approaches in a number of countries in Europe and on the difficulties faced by patients seeking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as their first choice for healthcare.

Over 50 participants took part in this event, organised in Frankfurt on 1 November, under the title ‘CAM in Europe – Quo vadis? Consumer protection at the cost of traditional treatment?’ It was moderated by Nora Laubstein, from ANME. Ms Maria Walcher from the Austrian Unesco Commission presented first results of a study by the National Agency for the Intangible Cultural Heritage, suggesting surprising information on the large use of traditional medical practices in Austria.

Four speakers - Colette Pradelle (France), Frans Copers (Belgium/The Netherlands), Karl-Heinz Sekatsch-Winkelmann (Germany) and Igors Kudrjavcevs (Latvia and some of the countries that joined the EU in 2004) - presented the situation of CAM in their countries from the point of view of patients and practitioners. All four emphasized that patients’ views are still not taken into sufficient consideration in the provision of treatments in this field. Patients face difficulties due to lack of reimbursement and the varying availability of services and products from one Member State to the other. They have to fight for the right to be fully informed about their health or illness or to take responsibility for their own health, usually with no support from the authorities.

ECHAMP presented the difficult legal and regulatory situation of homeopathic and anthroposophic medicinal products in most Member States and the unharmonised approach to these products in the European Union. The ‘CAM demographic data’ show a large and growing interest in this medical approach. However, the basic principles of the EU as described in the Fundamental Rights Charter are still to be put into practice as regards patients’ rights; this was also stressed recently by Mr. Gunther Verheugen, Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, in his speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament on 22 October. 

The main message from this conference was that CAM is growing and progress is being made to improve its position but that there remains a lot to be done by the decision makers to organise and regulate CAM health services and medicinal products in a proper way, in keeping with the demands of more than 100 million citizens in the European Union.

A detailed report of the conference as well as copies of a number of presentations will be available on the ANME website. More information on the activities of the Austrian National Agency for the Intangible Cultural Heritage can be found on their website, which also has information on the recent conference with participation of the World Health Organisation on traditional medicine as part of the world cultural heritage.

Nand De Herdt
ECHAMP General Secretary