CPD Resources & Reference Frameworks
Key international standards, guidelines, and policy documents underpinning the CPD Europe accreditation framework.
The Policy Landscape for Healthcare CPD
The CPD Europe accreditation framework draws on a substantial body of international policy, research evidence, and professional standards. The resources below represent the principal reference documents our standards committee uses when developing and reviewing the CPD Europe Standards.
Sets the global agenda for health workforce investment, explicitly identifying continuing professional development as a priority for health system resilience. Calls for standardised CPD requirements for all health workers.
WHO’s OpenWHO ready4response courses received CPD accreditation in January 2022, confirming the global health system’s recognition that formal CPD accreditation adds value to online health education at the highest institutional level.
WHO’s most recent convening on innovative lifelong learning models for health professionals, affirming the continued priority of structured, accredited CPD across all healthcare cadres and regions.
The UEMS EACCME standards for in-person CME events set the European reference criteria for independence, educational quality, and credit allocation. The 2023 revision strengthened independence requirements and introduced enhanced disclosure obligations.
As online and blended CPD has grown, EACCME’s criteria for e-learning accreditation — covering module design, interactivity, assessment, and learner tracking — provide the European standard for digital healthcare education.
EACCME’s mutual recognition framework enables credits awarded by national accreditation bodies to be accepted across EU Member States. CPD Europe credits are structured for direct compatibility with EACCME equivalence declarations.
The RALE 2015 is UNESCO’s global framework for adult learning and education, emphasising recognition, validation, and accreditation of non-formal and formal learning. It calls on states to establish quality assurance mechanisms for continuing education across all sectors.
UNESCO’s most recent global push for integrated lifelong learning frameworks in higher education institutions, affirming that professional continuing education requires the same quality assurance rigour applied to initial qualifications.
ILO Recommendation 195 calls on member states to invest in continuous training, recognise and certify workplace learning, and develop portable qualifications frameworks. It frames CPD as both a worker right and an employer obligation — directly applicable to healthcare organisations as major employers.
The directive amending Directive 2005/36/EC explicitly requires Member States to encourage continuing professional development for regulated healthcare professionals and to ensure that professionals’ knowledge, skills, and competences are kept up to date. CPD Europe accreditation supports compliance with these obligations.
The WMA Statement affirms that CPD is a physician’s ethical obligation and that accrediting bodies must ensure independence from commercial influence, the primacy of educational objectives, and relevance to patient care. These principles form the ethical foundation of the CPD Europe Standards.
CPD Europe Standards Document
The full CPD Europe Standards are available to prospective applicants on request. Contact our team to receive the current version of the Standards and the accreditation application pack.
Independence notice: CPD Europe is an independent accreditation body operating under Accréditation Sans Frontières (Paris). References to international organisations (WMA, UEMS, WHO, UNESCO, ILO, EU institutions) indicate standards alignment only — they do not imply formal affiliation, partnership, or endorsement by those organisations. CPD Europe accreditation is distinct from and does not substitute for EACCME, UEMS, or national regulatory body recognition.
Accreditable Activity Types
CPD Europe accredits all major formats of continuing healthcare professional development. Each type must meet the core CPD Europe Standards, with format-specific evidence requirements detailed in the Accreditation Criteria.
Self-paced modules, video series, blended learning pathways, LMS-hosted programmes. 1 credit per 60 minutes of structured learning time.
Annual medical congresses, specialty conferences, scientific symposia, hybrid multi-day events. Accredited as a single submission covering all educational sessions.
Live skill-building sessions, clinical technique workshops, grand rounds, master classes, hands-on procedural training with learning objectives.
Live-streamed educational events with real-time interaction, online grand rounds, virtual symposia with attendance verification.
Structured reading programmes, CME articles with self-assessment tests, evidence-based review series. Requires verifiable self-assessment component.
Medical education podcasts with clearly stated learning objectives, structured content, and a verifiable self-assessment or reflection component.
Full evidence requirements for each activity type are detailed in the Accreditation Criteria. Contact our team with questions about a specific format.
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