Organisation

The Steering Committee (CD-P-TS)

The European Committee on Blood Transfusion (CD-P-TS) is the steering committee in charge of blood transfusion activities at the Council of Europe.

The CD-P-TS actively promotes voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, mutual assistance, optimal use of blood and blood components and the protection of the donor and recipient. It develops technical standards aimed at ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of blood and blood components and provides guiding principles which underpin safe blood donation.

Its activities include the collection of international data and monitoring of practices in Europe, the transfer of knowledge and expertise between organisations and experts through training and networking and the elaboration of reports, surveys and recommendations.

The CD-P-TS is chaired by Dr Johanna Castrén (Finland), with Dr Vincenzo de Angelis (Italy) as Vice-Chair.

The Committee is composed of internationally recognised experts from Council of Europe member states, observer countries, the European Commission (DG SANTE), European Medicines Agency (EMA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) the World Health Organization (WHO), representatives from the Steering Committee for Organ Transplantation (CD-P-TO) and Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO).

The activities of the CD-P-TS are co-ordinated by the EDQM, as Scientific Secretariat.

Main tasks

  • elaborate quality and safety standards for the collection, preparation, testing and use of blood and blood components based on the latest scientific developments; in particular, by updating and publishing, on a regular basis, the technical appendix to Committee of Ministers Recommendation R(95)15, also known as the Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components, and promoting its implementation;
  • examine questions and monitor practices related to human blood transfusion, notably as regards quality and safety standards and their implementation, including collection, preparation, testing, storage, distribution and appropriate use of human blood and its components;
  • assist member states in improving and, if needed, in restructuring their blood transfusion services
  • propose safety and quality standards for professional practices and for blood component specifications;
  • ensure the transfer of knowledge and expertise and develop the competencies of experts through training and networking;
  • monitor practices in Europe and support the assessment of epidemiological risks, in particular, the emergence of new blood-borne transmissible infectious agents that might jeopardise the safety of blood transfusion;
  • draft proposals for recommendations and resolutions for adoption by the Committee of Ministers;
  • support the organisation of external quality assessment programmes (EQA) such as proficiency testing schemes to measure the performance of testing laboratories in European blood establishments;
  • support the organisation of programmes helping European blood establishments implement harmonised quality management systems and European regulatory and technical standards;
  • support the successful implementation of European Union (EU)/EDQM co-funded ad hoc activities aimed at implementing both EU and Council of Europe standards and harmonising practices in Europe;
  • co-operate with the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO) in the implementation of all aspects of blood transfusion covered by the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (ETS 164).