EUCAST Statutes

Steering Committee Composition

EUCAST is coordinated by ESCMID, which appoints the following key roles:

• Chair
• Scientific Secretary
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Technical Data Coordinator

These positions are limited to a maximum term of eight years.

The National Antimicrobial Breakpoint Committees (currently in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the UK) nominate 4–6 members with expertise in breakpoint determination. Additionally, 2–4 members from the EUCAST General Committee are appointed by ESCMID, based on recommendations from the Steering Committee.

Members from the General Committee serve two-year terms, renewable only if no other candidates are available. Other Steering Committee members may be reappointed after two years.

Expertise Requirements

All members must demonstrate expertise in:

• Breakpoint setting
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Susceptibility testing
• Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Observers and External Experts

ECDC and EMA observers may attend Steering Committee meetings. External experts may be co-opted to contribute to specific topics, as agreed by the Steering Committee.

General Committee

The General Committee consists of one representative from each European country and each country outside Europe interested in advocating and developing EUCAST guidelines. Countries that have formally applied through their NAC or a national society of clinical microbiology and/or infectious diseases and/or medicine are appointed to the General Committee. Representatives of ECDC and EMA will be ex officio General Committee members. New applications to the EUCAST General Committee may be submitted to the Steering Committee at any time.

Joining the General Committee 

Vacancies for General Committee representative positions are announced:

• Directly to current General Committee members
• On the EUCAST website, where applications can be submitted

The Steering Committee may establish ad-hoc subcommittees to work towards achieving specific objectives of EUCAST. The subcommittees will work to a defined remit and timescale.

• EUCAST proposals will, unless restricted by confidentiality agreements, be distributed for consultation to EUCAST Steering Committee members and, when appropriate, to other interested parties through “Public consultation” announced on the EUCAST website.
• EUCAST proposals for breakpoints as part of the approval process of new antimicrobial agents will be disclosed only to the applicant and to EUCAST Steering Committee members who have signed a confidentiality agreement (when such an agreement has been required).
• The Steering Committee will make final decisions.
• EUCAST will maintain email address lists of expert groups and individual experts in specific fields. These groups will be consulted on and informed of EUCAST activities as appropriate. Other interested parties will, when confidentiality permits, be consulted via “wide consultations” posted on the EUCAST website.

Through an agreement between the EMA, pharmaceutical industry and EUCAST, the role of EUCAST with respect to breakpoint determination, is recognised as part of the official EMA process for approval of new antimicrobial agents (see EMA SOP/H/3043, 14 February 2005, revised 23 January 2007). Only the applicant of the specific product under consideration will be part of the process, as outlined in the EMA SOP/H/3943.

A EUCAST Annual General Meeting will be held in conjunction with the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases-Global (ESCMID-Global) conference. The Annual General Meeting isan open meeting.

The Steering Committee will meet as often as necessary, normally 4-5 times per year.

As appropriate, documents will be submitted for publication in scientific journals. All EUCAST documents will be posted on the EUCAST website.

Each Steering Committee member will make a declaration of commercial interests in companies involved in marketing and/or development of antimicrobial agents or in the manufacture of susceptibility testing products. The declarations will be made/updated at the start of each two-year term of office. Any new interests relating to current discussions must be declared by the individual member. The declarations will be held by the Chair and will be presented on request. Steering Committee members will excuse themselves from discussions on issues where a conflict of interest exists, and this will be noted in minutes.

The activities of EUCAST are jointly supported financially by ESCMID and ECDC based on contractual arrangements. The employers of Steering Committee members support the work of EUCAST by allowing employees to take part in EUCAST activities as agreed between the employer and the employee. Financial support from industry is not accepted for the work of EUCAST committees or subcommittees.