THE EURESI PROJECT

The situation of clinical research in Europe must be improved substant ially according to statements of scientists, managers and politicians. The analysis of requirements is available; however, there are no indi cations that the conclusion of the analysis is being converted into ac tual facts, Government programs, although originally conceived to impr ove the situation of clinical research, are used to maintain the statu s quo. The European Research Network on Surgical Infections (EURESI) c oncept has been developed by scientists and clinicians from European i nstitutions and university hospitals to make the first. steps possible in a new cooperation in European research. With regard to the essenti als for clinical research, formulated according to a survey among rese arch-oriented pharmaceutical companies, EURESI was successful in the f ollowing objectives: 1) competence in clinical research, 2) capacity f or clinical studies, 3) internal quality control, 4) special know-how relevant to clinical studies, 5) performance according to a time plan, 6) interdisciplinianism, 7) contract partnership, 8) organization of research meetings. This special addendum includes presentations at the EURESI meeting in Heidelberg/Weinheim with special reference to the r equirements for clinical studies in intraabdominal infections to furth er stimulate contact with the network.