Strengthening the practice of epidemiology in the European Community.

At the request of the COMAC EPID committee of the Commission of the European Communities the author visited all the countries of the EEC except Luxembourg in 1983-84 in order to prepare a report on 'Upgrading in epidemiology'. The report was presented at a meeting organized by COMAC EPID in April 1984 and subsequently revised and finally presented in January 1985. This paper is an abbreviated version of the report and describes some main features and some of the obstacles in the organization of undergraduate and postgraduate education, and research in epidemiology in the EEC. The application of epidemiological knowledge at national, regional and local level and communications between epidemiologists are also discussed.