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The European Commission recently awarded a grant to EUROCORD to develop a comprehensive on-line training tool in the field of umbilical cord blood biology. This project named EUROCORD-ED brings together many major European partners including NETCORD, the European network of cord blood banks, the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the European Hematology Association (EHA), cord blood banks in Milano, Madrid, Leiden and Athens, basic science research groups, and the companies Biostór Ireland, Macopharma and Alcimed.

The EUROCORD-ED project aims to inform and educate all the vocational actors involved in the field: laboratory scientists, technicians, clinicians, transplant physicians, obstetricians, midwives and biotechnology companies involved in banking, research, and the clinical analysis of cord blood. EUROCORD-ED also aims to inform future parents, and to support health policy decision-makers.

In addition, the area has become rapidly highly regulated on a par with the pharmaceutical industry. Directive 2004/23/EC established stringent standards for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of umbilical cord blood. Directive 2006/17/EC laid down additional technical requirements and Directive 2006/86/EC laid down traceability requirements, notification of serious adverse reactions and events and certain technical requirements for the coding, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of umbilical cord blood. All establishments involved in cord blood processing now need to be licensed and people need to be trained in the requirements of the Directives and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Training is important to ensure pan-European harmonisation of knowledge and skills and to guarantee the uniform implementation of quality control standards and EU directives. This project will build on previous European Commission grants awarded to EUROCORD related to training, mobility and quality control in the healthcare setting.

EUROCORD-ED has life-long learning objectives. But further to this, the structure is a unique resource for advice for healthcare decision-makers at the national and pan-European levels.

Our mission is to implement a self sustaining web forum delivering professional education and public information on cord blood therapy.

• Connect and provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary training for the many actors involved in the field of cord blood technology.
• Facilitate access to high-level training at a time, place and language convenient to the user.
• Train trainers and provide European academic institutions with training tools for use within their own institutions.
• Improve the understanding and implementation of ethical and regulatory issues, including the European Tissue Directive.
• Spread best practice to all European centres through the dissemination of information on quality standards, quality control and accreditation procedures (JACIE/NETCORD, Good Manufacturing Practice).
• Promote the development of accredited continuing education through EHA-CME.
• Contribute to pan-European harmonization of professional competence in the field of Cord Blood Technology and transplantation.
• Promote professional mobility in the field throughout the European Union and its associated states.
• Contribute to accelerate translational research, in the interest of patients.
• Support the development of the European biotechnology industry.
• Inform regional/national/European policy decision-makers.
• Impact on the quality and international visibility of the European education and research areas.