Dr. Jane Renehan (Ireland) Chair - until June 2021
Dr. Edoardo Cavallé (Italy) Chair - since June 2021
In the course of 2021, the Working Group continued its activities on dental amalgam and engaged in the ongoing process on the review of the EU legislation on mercury: in March 2021, the CED contributed to the European Commission Impact Assessment on the Revision of Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury, and in December, members attended the first targeted stakeholder workshop on this issue.
The Working Group continued monitoring the implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices (MDR) on a national level. Other topics of interest were classification of cobalt and the revision of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP Regulation), specifically in relation to its interaction with product-specific legislation, as well as to its connection to the European Commission’s objective to establish a horizontal, legally binding mechanism to identify endocrine disruptors.
In 2022, the work will continue focusing on the ongoing process on the Revision of Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury, as well as on medical device legislation updates of relevance to dentistry.
Alexander Tolmeijer (Netherlands) Chair
In 2021, the Working Group continued its work on the eHealth Competency model followed by a set of necessary digital skills specific to dentists. The Working Group replied to two public consultations, on the European Health Data Space and on the proposed Regulation on Artificial Intelligence, and continued monitoring progress on these legislative developments.
In 2022, the Working Group will continue focusing on ongoing developments in eHealth legislation at the supranational level. Specific attention will be dedicated to the issue of eSkills, an important topic for addressing the challenges of digital transition in dentistry.
Prof. Dr. Paulo Melo (Portugal) Chair
In 2021, the Working Group updated its mandate and continued to be engaged with the update of the Annex V.3/5.3.1. of the Professional Qualifications Directive. A questionnaire on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) was conducted and the CED Resolution on CPD was updated based on the survey results.
The CED co-signed the statement produced by ADEE (Association for Dental Education in Europe) and FEDCAR (Federation of European Dental Competent Authorities and Regulators) on Dental Clinical Training during COVID-19. The work on “One Health” in education continued, the CED and other healthcare professionals’ and students’ associations organising a third debate on interprofessional education and training: promoting One Health in professional practice”.
In 2022, the work will continue focusing on the update of the Annex V, workforce challenges and the COVID-19 impact on dental education.
Dr. Henk Donker (Netherlands) Chair
Throughout 2021, the Working Group participated in different initiatives related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These included meetings of the AMR Stakeholder Network Group, the European Commission event on AMR in the “One Health” context, and a meeting with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The CED participated in the European Antimicrobial Awareness week in November (EAAD). AMR was also the topic of the fruitful collaboration between CED and the European Regional Organisation of the Fédération Dentaire Internationale (FDI ERO) which produced two leaflets on AMR, addressed to patients and dentists.
Vaccination was another topic of importance. The WG was active in the Coalition for Vaccination and endorsed its statement on Vaccination against the Flu. We followed the IMMUNION project through the CED representatives on the scientific board.
In 2022, the Working Group will continue following the topics of AMR, vaccination, cancer and non-communicable diseases, engaging with relevant stakeholders.
Prof. Dr. Ioannis Tzoutzas (Greece) Chair
In 2021, the Working Group continued focusing on the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic, by continuing the regular CED surveys on impact of COVID-19 on dentists and other members of the dental team, as well as on restrictions on access to dental practices. The results from the regular surveys were captured in the document One year of CED work on COVID-19.
The Working Group also explored the topic of environmental sustainability of dentistry, especially in relation to the EU Green Deal.
In 2022, the Working Group will continue focusing on issues of relevance to patient safety and the pandemic, as well as in relation to environmental and climate concerns for health.