ESGE and Public Advocacy

Public advocacy includes a wide range of activities with the common feature of interaction of an organization with entities and individuals outside that organization. Public advocacy and lobbying are not the same. Lobbying is simply the attempt to influence decisions on behalf of a special interest group. Advocacy involves making a case and stimulating discussion based on scientific evidence and thoughtful reasoning. Scientific and evidence-based discussions are at the heart of public advocacy, while it is not a central issue in lobbying. The ESGE recognizes public advocacy as an important task and societal responsibility.

To create an infrastructure and further boost public advocacy activities, in early 2020, the ESGE promoted the ESGE Public Advocacy Working Group to the ESGE Public Advocacy Committee (PAC). The ESGE PAC is now one of seven standing committees of the Society (the others are the executive committee, and the committees for research, guidelines, education, quality improvement, and young endoscopists, respectively) [11].

The main pillars of public advocacy at ESGE include educating the public, providing information and resources to patients and caregivers, interacting with other organizations in gastrointestinal endoscopy and digestive health, and providing advice and insight to policy makers about rules, laws and regulations in collaboration with other ESGE committees / working groups and the UEG (United European Gastroenterology). The PAC is also tasked with proper implementation of ESGE guidance documents, discussing reimbursement issues in endoscopy towards authorities, and support of funding opportunities for research in endoscopy in Europe. ([Fig. 1Fig. 1])

Fig. 1 Fig. 1 ESGE Executive representatives at EU parliament.

Since its inauguration 4 years ago, the ESGE PAC has grown into a vital and strategic ESGE committee which actively engages with stakeholders and partners and promotes the importance of digestive endoscopy in Europe, advocating on behalf of patients, doctors and caregivers, and identifies areas of challenge and improvement in a wide range of areas in digestive endoscopy and digestive health in Europe.

Publication History

Article published online:
29 May 2024

• References

• 1 Accessed January 02, 2024 at: https://www.esge.com/about-us/esge-committees
• 2 Bretthauer M, Mori Y, Zessner-Spitzenberg J. et al. Gastrointestinal endoscopy devices and the European Union Medical Device Regulation: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Position Statement. Endoscopy 2023; 55: 578-581