• With reference to Article 11 of the European Social Charter, the aims of the Association are centred upon the following themes:
  • Solidarity, co-operation
  • Education and training
  • Participation in research programmes
  • Information
  • Prevention
  • Protection of patients’ interests
  • Lobbying activities with the Authorities
  • Participation in setting healthcare priorities (on a European scale)
• Whilst we are all aware that our calling is to represent the interests of our members, no single member can claim to represent single-handedly the interests of all patients in any one country.
• If we are to have any bearing whatsoever upon European public policy decisions in the field of hepatitis, we need a place where we can get together in order to pursue the thoughts and actions that all patients have in common.
• We are committing ourselves to sharing our information in a common pool, along with our knowledge and action, whilst taking care not to trespass upon the individual, specific domains of each Association member.
• It is this balance between individual and joint action that we must protect.
• This is why, today, we are setting up this European group that is also open to other nations. This creation shall be formed from our jointly-agreed statement.

• to provide a Pan-European organisation to monitor hepatitis and other liver disorders;
• to contribute to keeping its members informed and trained;
• to formulate a general opinion and to make proposals relating to the disorders that concern us, highlighting experiments or claims made by member associations, but without replacing them in their specific fields of activity;
• to undertake any action designed to transform European practices, structures or regulations wherever these are seen to compromise development in the fight against these diseases;
• to give opinions to the European authorities concerning issues related to hepatitis and other liver disorders;
• to propose action that appears to fit with the interests of member associations;
• to provide members of affiliated associations, on behalf of those associations, with training in the context of the general aims and of the area in which the European Association is active;
• to take action with the Authorities concerned to protect the interests of member associations.

The associations listed below have, this day, agreed upon the Articles of Association and to set up the ELPA (European Liver Patient Association, an association for hepatitis and other liver diseases).