Our new visiting address:

Haagse Schouwweg 6
2332 KG Leiden
The Netherlands

Our new telephone number:

+31 71 5795 800

Our mailing address remains unchanged:

P.O. Box 2304
2301 CH Leiden
The Netherlands

After almost five years of discussion, adaptations and preparations, the new Eurotransplant governance structure will come into effect in January 2020.

Responsible stewardship of a foundation requires a periodically review of the governance structure: to ascertain that it still meets current obligations and best practices in non-profit governance. In 2015, the Board of Eurotransplant initiated a review of its corporate and governance structure in close cooperation with representatives of the different Eurotransplant member states. The Board’s goal is to create a governance structure and process that is responsive to Eurotransplant’s members wants and needs, serves centers and health care professionals efficiently and meets current and future challenges.

Based on this consultation the Board has developed the following new governance structure for Eurotransplant:

• A Board of Management, consisting of a General Director and a Medical Director. Almost all management tasks and responsibilities will be contributed to the Board of Management. This Board is responsible for realizing the objectives as defined in Eurotransplant’s vision and mission, for the strategy with its associated risk profile and for the social aspects of running a business that are relevant to the foundation. The new structure thus allows an efficient, effective and transparent communication and decision-making process which will be beneficial to the internal organization.
• A Supervisory Board that will supervise the Board of Management. The Supervisory Board is responsible for the appointed of the members of the Board of Management, evaluates their functioning and decides on their competence to lead the Leiden Office. The function of the Supervisory Board consists partly of supervision beforehand, namely the granting of approval, and partly afterwards. These competences have been further specified in the new Articles of Association.
• Two Councils will be set up which have an advisory role towards the Board of Management. In the Council of Administration, representatives of the National Competent Authorities will be involved in advising on matters of finance and ICT.
• The Council of Medicine and Science will consist of representatives of the national transplant societies, an ethicist and representatives from the transplant programs (members A who will be elected by the Assembly as laid down in the Articles of Association). The Council of Medicine and Science prepares and advices on recommendations regarding allocation and allocation development.

Certain issues, such as the accession of new member states, the annual budget and changes to the Articles of Association, require approval of the ministries of Health of the Eurotransplant member states.

The provisional monthly statistics of November have been published.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing away of Eurotransplant’s vice president and long-time board member Prof. Dr. Xavier Rogiers. Xavier died last Wednesday night, November 20, surrounded by his family. After being diagnosed with malignancy last summer, and having undergone intensive treatment, we all hoped that he was on the way to good recovery. But alas, it was not to be.

To do justice to the many-sided person and the impressive career of Xavier Rogiers would take many a page. But summing up some of the highlights may give a good impression of his numerous achievements. Born and raised in the West-Flemish town of Ieper, he had his medical education in Leuven (Belgium). His training in surgery and obstetrics culminated in a doctorate degree with magna cum laude distinction (1982). Additional surgical fellowships in hepatobiliary and transplant surgery brought him to Paris, Glasgow, London and Chicago, to name but a few places. During these years Xavier showed himself to be a true pioneer in the development of hepatobiliary surgery and in particular liver transplantation. He made important contributions to living-donor liver transplantation, and split-liver transplantation. After his fellowship in Chicago (1989-1990), he came to the prominent liver transplant center of Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany), where he became medical director of the Transplant Center and was appointed professor ordinarius at the Hamburg University (2001). In 2006 Xavier Rogiers returned to his native Belgium to hold the chair of Transplantation Surgery at the University of Ghent and become Head of the Transplant Center at the University Medical Center (UZ Gent). In that busy and responsible position, he still found time to contribute to the first full facial transplant (2012), and the first uterus transplant (2018) in Belgium. Besides his passion for cutting-edge transplant surgery and research, Xavier throughout his career demonstrated a dedication to education and also played a prominent role in international professional cooperation, as is witnessed by his leadership in ELITA, ESOT and ESA, as well as the European Regional Association of the International Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA).

In his capacity as board member and vice president of Eurotransplant, Xavier made invaluable contributions to setting quality standards in liver and intestinal transplantation and allocation (ELIAC), developing the all-important data registry, and lately, having intense debate and negotiation on the new Eurotransplant governance structure. His presence in these meetings, quiet but always attentive, with a focus on constructive debate and realistic solutions, earned him the admiration and support of many, both in and outside Eurotransplant. We will remember him as a good friend, a wise advisor, a tireless supporter of cooperation, earnest and unpretentious in character and with a big heart and humanity towards all who had the privilege to work with him.

With Xavier’s demise we have lost a dear friend: he will be sorely missed by many.   

Bruno Meiser, President Eurotransplant                                                    
Peter Branger, General Director

The provisional monthly statistics of October have been published.