EAPCT

The goals

The European Association of Patients and Users of Thermal Centres was formally established on 17th December 2015 in Bologna (Italy). It aims at pursuing the following goals:

1. to disseminate information and data regarding the prevention of EU citizens' diseases and the social promotion also by means of natural treatments especially thermal water and sea water (thalassotherapy);
   
2. to protect European consumers who are willing to access thermal and thalassotherapy treatments so as to make them able to benefit from the right to health care services according to the principles set out in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and by the WHO in the field of health and environment;
   
3. to foster healthy life styles also through information activities concerning primary and secondary prevention of persons;
   
4. to act as to remove those bureaucratic and legal barriers that are still preventing EU citizens to access health care services
   
5. to assist European citizens with the processing of their applications forms to start and access a thermal and thalassotherapy treatment provided for by their national health systems;
   
6. to train new health and wellness professionals also by using innovative methods connected to the use of thermal and sea water;
   
7. to support the establishing of a European excellence network of authorised thermal SPAs and thalassotherapy centres, which is aimed at:
   • managing the exchange of information and best practices concerning prevention and treatments;
     
   • sharing the confirmed experiences as well as the outcomes of the scientific research carried out with reference to therapeutic activities
8. to support the start-up of new thermal and health SPAs centres;
   
9. to organise training courses, seminars, conferences also in partnership with universities and research centres across Europe