European Declaration for Microbiology

The full text of this declaration can be downloaded here as PDF or as text (PDF, DOC). Member Societies were consulted in developing the text and a signing ceremony was held at the 1^st FEMS Congress. (PDF).

FEMS believes that this declaration should specifically stimulate the following twelve issues:

1. To ensure that Microbiology serves the welfare of mankind, allows sustainable development for all people, ensures the protection and preservation of nature and helps achieve world peace.
2. To enhance the public awareness of the benefits of microbes to the world and mankind, and the understanding that the dangers posed by microbes are few and vastly outweighed by their benefits.
3. To ensure the access of all Europeans to accurate information about microbiology, including the availability of pertinent literature, and its benefits and threats to humans and our natural environment.
4. To support the understanding and preservation of microbial biodiversity, by research and the maintenance of a network of microbial culture collections.
5. To condemn the deliberate use of microbes to the disadvantage of humans (biological warfare and bioterrorism).
6. To ensure that the teaching of microbiology should be part of all European educational systems, and be fully integrated into scientific and social education, at all levels.
7. To encourage microbiologists to communicate with the public about their work and the importance of microbes.
8. To encourage the highest standards of safety in all microbiological processes, products and procedures.
9. To ensure that technological advances arising from microbiological research are thoroughly tested before exploitation.
10. To make certain that microbial genomic data are to be considered the heritage of all humanity and are available to all mankind.
11. To nurture European microbiology by increasing mobility of researchers within Europe, and retaining the best microbiologists in Europe, by providing frameworks to ensure that strong microbiological research takes place in Europe in universities, hospitals, government and industrial laboratories.
12. To support the potential growth areas of microbiology such as biotechnology, food microbiology, rapid diagnostics and environmental protection.