European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia

The European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia (ECVA) was inaugurated on 1 January 1995 and was formally registered in the Netherlands on May 22, 1997 as a non-profit organisation. Application for de facto recognition was possible until 31 December 1997. During this period 44 de facto specialists were appointed. The first exam took place in 1997.
The College is, and has been, fully functional since the Election of the Board in 1999. In 2003 ECVA acquired full recognition-status by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) and has continued to grow since then. The name of the College was changed to the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) in 2007.

In order to become a “EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia”, veterinarians need to fulfil the following requirements: (1) have worked as a veterinarian in general practice for two years or have completed a rotating internship, which covers different specialities for at least one year, (2) have successfully completed a three year specialised postgraduate training programme in anaesthesia, analgesia and intensive care co-ordinated by an ECVAA Diplomate, (3) have published two peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognised scientific journals and submitted a case log and two case reports and (4) have successfully passed the written and practical/oral parts of the qualifying examinations. Diplomates of the European Colleges have to pass a re-validation process every five years to retain the European Specialist title. As of March 2020, there have been 227 members recognised ECVAA Diplomates. The current president is Matthew Gurney.

ECVAA and AVA (Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, of which all Diplomates of ECVAA are members) are the main scientific organisations consulted by EU and national authorities for their expert opinion on matters related to veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes etc. ECVAA contributes substantially to animal welfare, not only by alleviating pain and stress of the animals, but also by assisting Animal Welfare Associations in various ways. Diplomates have also been consulted to provide specialist opinion during the registration process of veterinary drugs in the National and European Medicines Agencies.

1995-1999 Polly Taylor
1999-2002 Frank Gasthuys
2002-2005 Dimitris Raptopoulos
2005-2008 Kathy Clarke
2008-2011 Yves Moens
2011-2014 Klaus Otto
2014-2017 Federico Corletto
2017-2020 Lynne Hughes
2020- Matthew Gurney

• ECVAA homepage
• AVA homepage
• EBVS homepage