European Psychiatric Association

EU Legislative Interests

The EPA follows developments for health policy, particularly in the area of mental health. The EPA carries out advocacy activities in this area, oriented towards the EU, international, and national institutions. The EPA participates in activities and initiatives organised by the European Commission (especially DG SANTE, DG RTD, DG EMPL, & DG EAC) and follows the legislative developments in the European Parliament (especially the SANT, ENVI, EMPL, ITRE & LIBE Committees). The EPA regularly collaborates with the WHO-Europe, the OECD, and civil society partner organisations representing healthcare professionals, informal carers, patients, and other stakeholder groups in the health sector. The EPA is represented in high-level consultations and expert working groups on mental health in the EU, such as the the European Medicines Agency Healthcare Professionals’ Working Party and the EU Health Policy Platform.

Communication Activities

The EPA organises the annual European Congresses of Psychiatry, as well as the EPA Forum, the association's flagship policy event, which precedes the start of the Congress: ▪ The 34th European Congresses of Psychiatry "Mental Health: Improving Care and Expanding Horizons" in Prague from 28-31 March. ▪ The 33rd European Congresses of Psychiatry under the theme "Mental Health: Open and Inclusive" in Madrid on 5 April 2025 ▪ The 32nd European Congresses of Psychiatry under the theme "Towards Real-World Solutions in Mental Health" in Budapest from 6 to 9 April 2024. ▪ The 12th EPA Forum, with the theme "Leaving No One Behind: Personalised and Innovative Pathways towards Mental Health" in Prague on 5 April 2025. ▪ The 11th EPA Forum, under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the theme "Carer Communities & Work Environments: Translating Policy into Action for Mental Health in Europe" in Madrid on 5 April 2025. ▪ The 10th EPA Forum was held under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the theme "Towards Inclusive Mental Health Care: Multiple Perspectives" and preceded the Congress in Budapest on 6 April 2024. The EPA collaborates on communication activities, including events, campaigns, and publications with civil society organisations and associations at EU-level: ▪ Partnerships: The EPA has strengthened strategic partnership with other associations working in the field of health and mental health care at EU-level, with the aim of improving communication and exchanges of good practices and work towards common objectives. The EPA currently has partnerships with the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), European Brain Council (EBC), European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), European Federation of Addiction Societies (EUFAS), European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI), European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT), European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA), European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH), European Pain Forum (EFIC), European Psychiatric Nurses (HORATIO) European Scientific Association on Schizophrenia and other Psychoses (ESAS), European Sleep Research Society (ESRS), European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks – Europe (GAMIAN-Europe), Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA), and the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) Platform. ▪ Campaigns: the EPA initiates and contributes to campaigns aimed at increasing awareness for mental health and raising voices from psychiatry and wider health policy stakeholder communities. The EPA published and promoted its EU Elections Manifesto 2024. The EPA also formed a partnership with EUFAMI and GAMIAN-Europe, "Trilogue of Mental Health" to promote psychiatrist, family carer, and patient perspectives ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections and during the 10th European Parliament term. ▪ Scientific publications: the EPA encourages and enables the publication of scientific research in psychiatry and its adjacent medical fields, primarily through the academic journal European Psychiatry. ▪ Guidance papers, policy papers, position statements, and stakeholder consultations: the EPA also gathers perspectives from the association and its expert community. The EPA contributes to EU-funded projects, primarily as a communication and dissemination partner. These include the Horizon Europe projects: ▪ VIRTUAL BRAIN TWIN ▪ TRUSTING ▪ PsyPal

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

▪ Member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Pan-European Mental Health Coalition ▪ Member of the Council of Europe (CoE) Conference of INGOs (CINGO) (https://www.coe.int/t/ngo/conf_intro_en.asp) ▪ Member of the Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) (https://parea.eu/members) ▪ Full Member of the European Brain Council (EBC) (https://www.braincouncil.eu/about-us/full-members)

Organisation Members

The EPA counts 47 National Psychiatric Association (NPA) member organisations from 42 European countries (https://www.europsy.net/npa-members): ▪ Armenian Psychiatric Association ▪ Austrian Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ▪ Azerbaijan Psychiatric Association ▪ Belarusian Psychiatric Association ▪ Belgian Professional Association of Medical Specialists in Psychiatry ▪ Flemish Association of Psychiatry ▪ Psychiatric Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina ▪ College Private Psychiatry of Bulgaria ▪ Croatian Psychiatric Association ▪ Czech Psychiatric Association ▪ Danish Psychiatric Association ▪ Estonian Psychiatric Association ▪ Finnish Psychiatric Association ▪ French Congress of Psychiatry ▪ French Federation of Psychiatry ▪ Society of Georgian Psychiatrists ▪ German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics ▪ Hellenic Psychiatric Association ▪ Hungarian Psychiatric Association ▪ Icelandic Psychiatric Association ▪ College of Psychiatrists of Ireland ▪ Israel Psychiatric Association ▪ Italian Psychiatric Association ▪ Kosovo Psychiatric Association ▪ Latvian Psychiatric Association ▪ Lithuanian Psychiatric Association ▪ Macedonian Psychiatric Association ▪ Maltese Association of Psychiatry ▪ Society of Psychiatrists, Narcologists, Psychotherapists and Clinical Psychologists from Republic of Moldova ▪ Netherlands Psychiatric Association ▪ Norwegian Psychiatric Association ▪ Polish Psychiatric Association ▪ Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health ▪ Romanian Association of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ▪ Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia ▪ Serbian Psychiatric Association ▪ Slovak Psychiatric Association ▪ Slovenian Psychiatric Association ▪ Association of Psychiatrists of Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry ▪ Spanish Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health ▪ Swedish Psychiatric Association ▪ Swiss Society of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ▪ Psychiatric Association of Türkiye ▪ Association of Neurologists, Psychiatrists and Narcologists of Ukraine ▪ Ukrainian Psychiatric Association ▪ Royal College of Psychiatrists ▪ Taiwan Society of Psychiatry (EPA Associate NPA Member) The EPA also has three Associate Organisation members: ▪ European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) ▪ American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP) ▪ Association of Judicial Psychiatrists of Slovakia (ASPS) The followings are ex-officio member organisations of the EPA: ▪ European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI) ▪ Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN-Europe)

Additional Information

Complementary information regarding the main source of revenues: ▪ The implementation of the annual European Congress of Psychiatry, which is the main source of revenue, is ensured by a professional Congress Organiser. Only the surplus (difference between income and expenditure) accrues to the EPA.