Chinese herb importers and suppliers from 10 European countries gathered together in Amsterdam on 1 December 2002 and discussed the initiative of establishing the European Chamber of Commerce for Traditional Chinese Medicine (ECCTCM). This meeting was called against the background of the ongoing EU legislation on traditional medicinal herbal products.

 

The proposed European “Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products” poses the biggest challenge to the Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) sector in Europe. Chinese herb importers and suppliers in European countries realized the seriousness of the situation and felt the necessity to form an alliance to meet the challenge.
ECCTCM aims to improve the safety and quality of Chinese herbal medicinal products and to present a unified voice for the CHM sector in Europe. The use of CHM in Europe has increased steadily in recent years. Its efficacy and safety have won the trust of many patients. On the other hand, incidences of poisoning due to less than satisfactory quality control scheme, such as the Belgium slimming clinic incident, cast a dark shadow on the image of CHM. Members of ECCTCM members are to work together to improve this situation and to promote CHM to Europe’s mainstream healthcare product market.
In addition, ECCTCM will, among other things, educate members and increase their awareness on European laws and regulations relevant to CHM, such as protected animal and plant species, and prepare members for the registration of CHM products according to the “Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products”.
Participants in the meeting represented Chinese herb importers and suppliers from the following 10 European countries: Belgium, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.
A Steering Committee of ECCTCM was formed during the meeting. The Steering Committee consists of 1 representative from each participating country. The next meeting of the Steering Committee of ECCTCM is scheduled for 15th February 2003 in Rome, Italy