Brussels (25 April 2010) – The market of aesthetic surgery interventions – sometimes also called cosmetic surgery - has increased dramatically over the last years. The growing availability of travel, the internet and the numerous financial payment facilities also mean that medical tourism in relation to aesthetic surgery has become a reality.
Nevertheless, many Member States have not yet put in place adequate regulations or standards on how to provide these surgery services in a safe environment and consumers are not always fully aware of the risks associated with aesthetic surgery.
Consequently, there is a rising need – especially from a patient safety perspective – to ensure that patients can rely on safe aesthetic surgery interventions, whether it is at home or abroad.
This has prompted CEN – the European Committee for Standardisation – to accept the proposal from the Austrian Standards Institute (ASI) to create a new Project Committee, CEN/TC 403 'Project Committee- Aesthetic surgery services', the aim of which is to elaborate European Standards for aesthetic surgery services. The first meeting of this new Project Committee is expected to be held in September 2010.
European Standards are, from a legal point of view, voluntary, but their impact is significant. In this particular instance, they will provide a real added-value for the aesthetic surgery market by helping consumers to make informed choices, by creating an equal level playing field for aesthetic surgery service providers, complementing existing legislation and filling gaps where no regulation or standard exist. Aesthetic surgery standards will also contribute to the European Commission's patient safety communication COM (2008) 836 Final.
CEN has traditionally made standards for products. However, over the last few years, it is moving towards elaborating standards for services, with a specific focus on healthcare and social services standards. Aesthetic surgery services standards are a prime example of how standards can be used as an alternative instrument for detailed European legislation.
Media contact
Celine Oeyen
Manager Communication
Tel: + 32 2 519 68 85
E-mail
Back