The recognition of plastic surgery as a medical speciality in the European economic community: a 40th anniversary

With the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957, the European Economic Community (EEC) was established. Its principal aim was to allow free mutual movement of goods, capital, services and persons. Medical doctors from the EEC countries were to obtain the right of establishment and practice in all six countries, as of January 1, 1968. In 1959, the national professional associations of doctors formed an interest group (Standing Committee) to act as discussion partner for the legislative bodies of the EEC on medical issues. The professional organisations of the medical specialists in the EEC countries formed the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS) to give advice to the Standing Committee in matters concerning specialised medicine. The UEMS established various monospecialistic sections, one for each recognised speciality, thus expressing the fact that the speciality is practised by specialists who occupy themselves solely with this one particular speciality. Because no monospecialistic section for plastic surgery was initially established, the Dutch plastic surgeons initiated efforts to have their speciality recognised, in 1964. This initiative resulted in recognition and the establishment of a ‘Section Monospécialisée de Chirurgie Plastique’ by the UEMS, in 1969. The impact of the formation of this separate section on the national status of plastic surgery in various countries has been considerable. Still, it took another 6 years before the European Council of Ministers formally recognised this speciality on June 16, 1975. The years of step-by-step efforts to obtain this recognition are memorised to commemorate its 40th anniversary.

Level of Evidence: Not ratable.