1. AOECS
Association of
European Coeliac Societies

2. AOECS
Umbrella organisation
of national
European Coeliac Societies

3. AOECS Founded in Rome (Italy), 1988 36 members from 32 countries:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraina

4. AOECS Represents coeliac patients of Europe
Reviews problems of international importance
Coordinates international activities and matters
Partner of scientific projects

5. AOECS Chaired by Board of 5 Directors:
Christian Scerri, Malta, president
Jean-Louis Kieffer, Luxembourg
Tunde Koltai, Hungary
Susan Phillips, Italy
Sarah Sleet, United Kingdom

6. AOECS Working Groups 1. Helping Coeliacs & Consumer Affaires
2. Statutes
3. Research
4. Coeliac Youth of
Europe

7. International Trade mark
Registered by Coeliac UK and AOECS

8. 8

9. European Licensing System

10. European Licensing System
The European Charta was accepted in 2009 in Malta by the General Assembly
Regulates the use of the Crossed Grain Symbol on food products within Europe
providing unified licensing conditions
having more food products available across Europe featuring the Symbol
Provides the highest possible guarantee for coeliacs as are communicating that the products
comply with the AOECS Standard
are guaranteed inside the country
are guaranteed in the whole AOECS territory

11. Helping Coeliacs and Consumer Affaires
Involve coeliac societies of all European countries
Help new societies in the „missing” countries (Handbook)
Consumer affaires
„Equal chance, equal quality of life for coeliacs in Europe”
Spread out information about the new Codex and EU-regulation (41/2009) about the composition and labelling of foodstuffs suitable for people intolerant to gluten

12. International Coeliac Day
Goals
Create/increase awareness for the whole/enlarged spectrum of gluten sensitivity
Decrease the huge number of the undiagnosed and misdiagnosed cases
Coeliac/gluten sensitive patients have (yet) no other therapy only the strict glutenfree diet
Support diagnosed patients and their families
Increase compliance of the (right) diagnosis
Maintain a strong network = European and national coeliac societies, providing correct and up-to-date information about ‘glutenfree lifestyle’

13. International Coeliac Day
Target groups
General public
Potential patients in Europe:
Coeliac disease: 1% = 7 million people
Gluten sensitivity: % = abt. 40 million people
Diagnosed and potential patients + their families and friends
Healthcare professionals (family doctors, general practitioners, different specialists, nurses, dieteticians etc.)
Politicians
Others: shop owners, hypermarket chaines, food producers, caterers, resaurants and hotels, etc....

14. 2006

15. 2007

16. 2008

17. 2009

18. Coeliacs for Coeliacs First action in 2006 and 2007
Fundraising - co-operation with producers
Collected money used for projects
- Lithuania: screening
- Regional Conference of Central-East-European
coeliac associations

19. Regional Conference Central/Eastern Europe:
Awareness is very low (in general population, among politicians and healthcare professionals)
Missing or limited financial support
Mentality of people is similar (they don't have social “we” feeling, exclude others, deal with their own problems, etc.)
People need strong messages, symbols/pictures and international support

20. Regional Conference Specific problems
low-income employees and families
retired (old) people
unemployed patients
students
healthcare professionals in training
local producers of GF products
patients’ associations for being able to provide services and support patients

21. Partner of EU-funded projects
AOECS is partner of 2 EU-funded scientific projects:
PREVENT CD
CDMEDICS

22. PREVENT CD 'Prevention is better than cure'
European scientific research project to prevent coeliac disease.
The project studies the influence of the dietary history in the prevention of coeliac disease: possibilities of induction of tolerance for gluten in genetic predisposed children for
coeliac disease.

23. CDMEDICS Coeliac Disease management monitoring
and diagnosis - using biosensors and
an integrated chip system

24. CDMEDICS Pamphlet for doctors and healthcare professionals

25. Contacts:
Youth:

26. 2 members of AOECS (F.A.C.E. and SMAP)
Report April 5th 2011 CELIAC SOCIETIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN NETWORK MEDICEL
Country N.
Members
Organization
Notes
Albania
no society
Algeria
Slovenia
one
2000
national 8 regional
member of AOECS
Bosnia
more
300
1/canton =10
Croatia
1000
national 3 regional
member of AOECS?
Egypt
France
6500
national
member of AOECS 
Greece
1300
2 members of AOECS
Istrael
10.000
Italy
national + 20 regional
Lebanon
Lybia
Malta
450
1 national
Morocco
Siria
Spain
25 regional
2  members of AOECS (F.A.C.E. and SMAP)
Tunisia
Turkey

27. Spain
Contact person: Ms Matilde Torralba Celiacs de Catalunya - SMAP
Balmes 109, PRINCIPAL 2A Barcelona Tel: Fax: web:
Contact person: Mr Carlos Bravo FACE C/Hileras 4,5° 1° E Madrid Tel: Fax: web:
France Contac person: Mme Catherine Remillieux- Rast A.F.D.I.A.G. 15 Rue d' Hauteville, 7
5015 Paris - FRANCE Tel Fax: web:
Greece
Maria Pateraki Platia Anexartisias I
LIOYPOLI ATENE - Greece Tel: web:
Malta Contact person: Mary Rose Caruana Coeliac Association Malta Lumut 60 Fuq il-Gonna,
Swieqi SWQ 3526 MALTA Tel Fax:
Israel Contact person: Mr Rakefet Sheffer The Coeliac Association of Israel 40 Habiluyim St.,
Ramat Gan ISRAEL Tel: web:
Slovenia Contact person: Mr Breda Kojc Slovensko Drustvo za Celiakijo Ljubljanska ul. 5,
2000 Maribor - SLOVENIA Tel+386 (0) Fax:+386(0) web:
Turkey
Çölyakla Yaşam Derneği olarak
Eminali Paşa Cad. Kibar Apt. No: 1 D: 5 Altıntepe, Küçükyalı Maltepe, İstanbul Turkey Telefon : / Faks :
AIC Italy
Via Caffaro 68 A/rosso –
16124 GENOVA
Tel Fax
Morocco Association des Coeliaques de Tanger 2 Rue de la Haye,
3eme etageTanger - MOROCCO Tel

28. 8th September 2011 Welcome in Malta MEDICEL – PREVENTCD – CDMEDICS
Workshop
AOECS GA 9 – 11 September 2011

29. OUR COMMON CHALLANGE

30. Thank you
for your kind
attention!