European Society of Intensive Care Medicine statement: intensive care medicine in Europe--structure, organisation and training guidelines of the Multidisciplinary Joint Committee of Intensive Care Medicine (MJCICM) of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS).

This article describes the structures and institutions in the European Union by which professional training and qualification in medical specialities will be harmonised. All main medical specialities are represented in the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) by speciality sections. For intensive care medicine, as a multidisciplinary speciality, a new structure of a Multidisciplinary Joint Committee of Intensive Care Medicine (MJCICM) within the UEMS was established in 1999. In this MJCICM the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care are represented by delegates without voting capacity in a Standing Advisory Board. Statements and recommendations which the MJCICM has worked out until now are presented: Definitions of intensive care medicine, structural conditions for education and training, continuing medical education, criteria for accreditation of intensive care medicine training centres, common core curriculum for optional specialist training in intensive care medicine, as well as an intensive care units accreditation visiting programme and standards for medical treatment and nursing care.