The European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) was established on 12 December 1988, with 42 founding members and following important initiatives by Professor Vittorio Ventafridda and the Floriani Foundation. The aim of the EAPC is to promote palliative care in Europe and to act as a focus for all of those who work, or have an interest, in the field of palliative care at the scientific, clinical and social levels.

Since 1990 the Head Office of EAPC has been based at the Division of Rehabilitation and Palliative Care within the National Cancer Institute in Milan. In 1998 the EAPC was awarded the status of NGO – Non Governmental Organisation of the Council of Europe, and was transformed to “Onlus” (Non profit organisation with social utility).

By 2012, the EAPC had individual members from 47 nations across the world, and collective members from 47 National Associations in 29 European Countries, representing a movement of many thousands of health and social care workers and volunteers contributing to palliative care.

Distribution of EAPC collective members Associations on the European territory.