Scientific Partners

Council of Europe (consultative status)
Strasbourg, France

The Council of Europe is an organisation operating outside of the European Union (EU) infrastructures. It promotes human rights, freedom of expression and of the media, and launches various campaigns promoting these causes, such as calling for child protections or condemming online hate speech. The Council also helps member states fight corruption and terrorism.

The Council of Europe and the EPA
The EPA has had a consultative status at the Council of Europe since 1989 (replaced by a participatory status in 2003). The Council of Europe regularly gives its patronage for the annual EPA Summer School.

European Medicines Agency (EMA) (scientific collaboration)
Amsterdam, NL

The EMA is a decentralised entity from the EU and is responsible for the evaluation, supervision and safety monitoring of medicines in the EU.

The EMA and the EPA
The EMA collaborates with the EPA in the frame of medicines-related consultations. Since September 2020, the EPA is an eligible organisation of the EMA network of healthcare professionals’ organisations. In 2022, the EPA joined the EMA HCPWP (Healthcare Professionals Working Party).

EU Health Policy Platform

The EU Health Policy Platform is an interactive tool aimed at boosting discussions about public health concerns, sharing knowledge and best practices. The Platform is managed by the EU Commission and gathers a number of health-related interest groups and stakeholders.

The EU Health Policy Platform and the EPA
The EPA is a stakeholder of the EU Health Policy Platform and has participated in Stakeholder and Thematic Networks.

European Parliament (MEP Alliance for Mental Health)
Brussels, Belgium
Strasbourg, France 

The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at the EU level. The Members of the European Parliament are directly elected by voters in all Member States to represent people’s interests with regard to EU law-making and to make sure other EU institutions are working democratically.

The European Parliament and the EPA
The EPA is involved in the meetings of the European Parliament’s MEP Alliance for Mental Health.

World Health Organization (WHO) – Regional Office for Europe
Copenhagen, Denmark

The WHO works worldwide to promote health. In the past years, the WHO has worked with 194 Member States, across six regions, and from more than 150 offices, to ensure better health for everyone. In 2021, the WHO Regional Office for Europe launched the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition, with the aim of improving mental health across the WHO European Region.

The WHO and the EPA
In 2021, the EPA joined the WHO Pan-European Mental Health Coalition.

European Academy of Neurology (EAN)
Vienna, Austria

The EAN is a non-profit, independent organisation representing more than 45,000 members, as well as 47 European national societies. It promotes excellence in the practice of general neurology throughout Europe and aims to keep Europe at the forefront of neurological research.

The EAN and the EPA
The EAN and the EPA work together to promote the importance of psychiatric and neurological care across Europe. The two associations consolidated their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2019.

European Brain Council (EBC)
Brussels, Belgium

The EBC is a non-profit organisation gathering patient associations, major brain-related societies as well as industries. Established in March 2002 and based in Brussels, its mission is to promote brain research in order to improve the quality of life of those living with brain disorders in Europe.

The EBC and the EPA
The EPA has been a scientific member of the EBC since 2006. The EPA collaborates with the EBC and its member organisations by contributing to key advocacy and research activities around mental and neurological disorders at European level.

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)
Utrecht, The Netherlands

The ECNP is committed to ensuring that advances in the understanding of brain function and human behaviour are translated into better treatments and enhanced public health.

The ECNP and the EPA
The ECNP and the EPA have regular exchanges of symposia at each others’ annual congresses.

European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA)
Brussels, Belgium

The EFPA promotes the development, dissemination and application of psychology in Europe and beyond.

The EFPA and the EPA
The EFPA and the EPA collaborate to improve mental health care in Europe. The two associations consolidated their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2020.

European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT)
Brussels, Belgium

The EFPT is an independent federation of psychiatric trainee associations officially recognised by the European Board of Psychiatry and European Board of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The EFPT and the EPA
The EFPT has been an Associate Organisation Member of the EPA since 2013. The EPA and EFPT  share the leadership of a joint Task Force on Education.

European Scientific Association on Schizophrenia and other Psychoses (ESAS)
Zurich, Switzerland

The main goal of the ESAS is to encourage cross-border exchanges and cooperation in order to promote research policy with regards to psychoses.

The ESAS and the EPA
The EPA and the ESAS focus their collaboration on schizophrenia related issues. The two organisations have organised joint symposia at the European Conference on Schizophrenia Research for several years.

European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI)
Leuven, Belgium

The EUFAMI represents the family members of persons affected by severe mental ill health and aims at protecting their rights and interests at European level.

The EUFAMI and the EPA
Since May 2018, the EUFAMI has an ex-officio membership at the EPA Board.  The EPA and the EUFAMI advocate together for better policies addressed to families and carers of people experiencing mental illness.

Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN-Europe)
Brussels, Belgium

GAMIAN-Europe represents the interests of people suffering from mental illness in Europe and advocates for their rights.

GAMIAN-Europe and the EPA
Since March 2018, GAMIAN-Europe has an ex-officio membership at the EPA Board. GAMIAN-Europe and the EPA join forces to promote patient-centred care at EU-level.

European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)
Brussels, Belgium

The UEMS is a non-governmental organisation representing national associations of medical specialists in the EU and in represented countries.

The UEMS and the EPA
The EPA and the UEMS have had mutual representation of delegates at internal meetings since 2009, share the leadership of a Joint Task Force on Education, dispensed Psychotherapy courses in Croatia in 2015, and have regular annual joint meetings.

European Pain Forum
Brussels, Belgium

The European Pain Forum is a platform that gathers together many European medical, scientific and patient organisations to cooperate on subjects related to pain. The platform was launched during the European Pain Federation (EFIC) 2019 Congress in Valencia.

The European Pain Forum and the EPA
The EPA is one of the endorsing organisations of the European Pain Forum. In its role, the EPA collaborates with the other stakeholders around the issue of pain and promotes the work carried out by the platform.

Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA)

Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) is a a non-profit, membership-led, multistakeholder and multidisciplinary partnership advocating for modern, rational, and ethically responsible integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into European mainstream health services.

PAREA and the EPA
Since October 2022, the EPA is a full member of the Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA).

European Federation of Addiction Societies (EUFAS)
Salzburg, Austria

The EUFAS draws together 34 national addiction societies across the broad European area – all dedicated to the scientific study and clinical or public health aspects of addiction prevention and care. The purpose of EUFAS is to promote education and understanding in the field of addiction in all European countries.

The EUFAS and the EPA
The EUFAS has developed a close collaboration with the EPA that resulted in the organisation of a joint EPA-EUFAS symposia on addiction related topics. EUFAS also closely collaborates with the EPA Scientific Section on Addictive Behaviours.

European Institute of Women’s Health (EIWH)
Dublin, Ireland

The EIWH is a non-governmental organisation that promotes gender equity in public health, research and social policies across Europe.

The EIWH and the EPA
The EIWH and the EPA collaborate to give visibility to the topic of Gender and Mental Health at EU-level. The two associations consolidated their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022.

Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) platform
Brussels, Belgium

The Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) platform is a multi-stakeholder partnership led by the European Pain Federation (EFIC) and Pain Alliance Europe (PAE), which aims to raise awareness of pain and change pain policies.

The SIP platform and the EPA
The EPA joined the SIP platform and participates in the SIP Stakeholder Forums organised within the partnership. In 2023, the EPA formalised its involvement in the platform by signing the SIP Memorandum of Understanding.

Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
Brussels, Belgium

FENS is the main organisation for neuroscience in Europe. FENS currently represents 44 national and single-discipline neuroscience societies across 33 European countries and more than 22,000 member scientists. FENS promotes excellence in neuroscience research and facilitates exchanges and networking between neuroscientists within the European Research Area and beyond.

FENS and the EPA
FENS and the EPA work together to promote the importance of neuroscience and psychiatric research across Europe. The two associations consolidated their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022.

European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)
Brussels, Belgium

The EPSU brings together trade unions, representing 8 million public service workers across Europe. The EPSU aims at delivering better working conditions, improved health and safety and enhanced rights for its members.

The EPSU and the EPA
Since 2020, the EPA and the EPSU have collaborated on joint webinars and publications on the mental health of healthcare professionals.

African Association of Psychiatrists and Allied Professions (AAPAP)

The AAPAP promotes training in mental health care and cross-border research, and identifies areas in most urgent need of psychiatric care.

The AAPAP and the EPA
A MoU was signed in 2016.

Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations (AFPA)
Tokyo, Japan

The AFPA regroups different national Asian psychiatric associations with the goal of achieving excellence in psychiatric care on the represented continents.

The AFPA and the EPA
A MoU was signed in 2016.

The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
Melbourne, Australia

The RANZCP is responsible for training, educating and representing psychiatrists in Australia and Zew Zealand.

The RANZCP and the EPA 
A MoU was signed in 2016.

Senior International Health Association (SIHA)
Brussels, Belgium

The SIHA is federation that regroups European and international associations that promote access to quality care for elderly people, with the aim of coordinating actions for health and promoting objective interests for the protection of both patients and health systems.

The SIHA and the EPA
A MoU was signed in 2016.

World Psychiatric Association (WPA)
Geneva, Switzerland

The WPA is an association of national psychiatric societies that aims to increase the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the field of mental health and the care for the mentally ill.

WPA and the EPA
The WPA zonal representative for Europe is a regularly invited observer at EPA Council of NPAs meetings. EPA signed the “Bill of rights for persons with mental illness” with WPA in 2015.

American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP)
Parker (Colorado), USA

The AAEP acts as a spokes-organisation for emergency psychiatry and educates the public and health professionals about crisis and emergency psychiatric care.

The AAEP and the EPA
The AAEP has been an Associate Organisation Member since 2016.

Association of Judicial Psychiatrists of Slovakia (ASPS)
Trencin, Slovakia

The ASPS is a national psychiatric association that aims to harmonise psychiatric care and education within Slovakia.

The ASPS and the EPA
The ASPS has been an Associate Organisation Member since 2014.