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Conceived in 1974, at a Workshop convened by the European Economic Community's Committee on Medicinal and Public Health Research to improve "the methodology of population studies throughout the Community". Congenital anomalies chosen as first topic for concerted action.
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EUROCAT (acronym derived from its original name "European Concerted Action on Congenital Anomalies and Twins") established in 1979 by Directorate General XII (Science Research and development) as a prototype for European surveillance aiming to assess the feasibility of pooling data across national boundaries, in terms of standardization of definitions, diagnosis and terminology and confidentiality. Central Registry in Department of Epidemiology, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels.
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Funding transferred in 1991 to Directorate General V (Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs, Health and Safety), to function as a service for the surveillance of congenital anomalies in Europe. Central Registry at Scientific Institute for Public Health, Brussels.
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Maintained by registry subscriptions 1998-2000.
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European Funding re-established under the Programme of Community Action on Rare Diseases of Directorate General Health in November 2000. Central Registry in University of Ulster, Northern Ireland in collaboration with London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Trinity College Dublin.
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Funded under EC DG Health Public Health Programme since March 2004 (http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/non_com/rare_diseases_en.htm).
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EUROCAT is now preparing to apply for funding as a Joint Action between the European Commission and the Member States. for more information contact eurocat@ulster.ac.uk or Antoni Montserrat (antoni.montserrat@ec.europa.eu).