MASLD-EGIR Study Group Meeting

2nd Announcement: Joint MASLD-EGIR Study Group Meeting, Lille, France - December 4, 2024

The guidelines

The Study Groups of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes endorsed by the Executive Committee of EASD on 14 January 2013.

The Study Groups of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes contribute substantially to European diabetes research. Numerous fields of research are covered by the activities of the Study Groups. Whereas the Annual Meeting of the Association provides an outstanding forum for new results of diabetes research of all fields, the Study Groups concentrate on a specific area of research and provide a forum for young and senior scientists to further improve research in this area and induce interaction and collaboration between researchers in this filed.

The initiative to organize a Study Group has to come from members of the Association, proposing the purpose and a potential board of the Study Group. This project is evaluated by the Executive Committee and the Council and announced in the General Assembly. Over 12 months the projected Study Group has to hold a meeting, develop proper bye-laws and publish an article in the News Section of Diabetologia, inviting members of EASD to contribute. In the following Annual Meeting, the Executive Committee, the Council and the General Assembly have to endorse the Study Group officially.

At its meeting on 14 January the Executive Committee discussed all matters relating to EASD Study Groups and reconfirmed or decided the following:

• It was unanimously decided that EASD would not support Study Groups financially.
• It was unanimously decided that the Study Groups are not entitled to represent EASD in any official statement or activity. In case a Sturdy Group is asking to represent EASD, prior permission from the EASD Executive Committee is necessary.
• Statements or guidelines on research or care should not be issued by EASD Study Groups without prior submission of the planned statement or guideline to the EASD Panel for Overseeing Guidelines and Statements (POGS) whose recommendation is forwarded to the Executive Committee. Without such permission from the Executive Committee of EASD no official statement or guideline of an EASD Study Group should be published.
• It was unanimously decided that the chairpersons of Study Groups must be members of EASD. Other members of the Executive Committee of Study Groups do not have to be members of EASD, in order to increase communication with other fields of research.
• EASD received a request to administer the accounts of a Study Group. It was unanimously decided that the EASD office should not administer the accounts of Study Groups centrally ; the Study Groups may create an independent, legal, non-profit entity. The EASD office offers advice on how and where such legal entities may be established.

The Study Groups are independent entities and not legally part of EASD.
EASD is not responsible for the accounts of the Study Groups and does not support them financially.
Nevertheless, EASD provides all support and advice concerning the organization of the Study Groups and actively promotes their meetings.
From 2018 to 2021, NAFLD was officially listed among the EASD Study Groups.

The Executive Committee expressed its gratitude to all members of the EASD Study Groups which continued to be cornerstones of the Association.