23 Jun 2022
Vets from across Europe and North America attended the two-day assembly, which had been delayed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Allister Webb
Job Title
The latest Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) General Assembly has been held in London following a two-year delay due to COVID.
Around 200 guests from across Europe and North America attended the event at Church House, Westminster, which was jointly hosted by the BVA and RCVS.
Guests included a delegation from the Association of Veterinarians of Ukraine, who reported on the impact of the Russian invasion on their work and animal welfare.
The conference was preceded by a reception at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord Sandy Trees, and also included a dinner at the Institute of Directors.
There were also two new position papers adopted during the two-day programme on animal welfare labelling and transport.
RCVS president Kate Richards said: “Our commitment to working with our European friends and partners has never been stronger, and what was clear from the course of the meeting is that we share many of the same challenges – for example, around workforce, mental health and cost of living – but also the same opportunities, and that we can and should continue to work closely together to find solutions.
“It was particularly touching to hear from our colleagues in Ukraine who are dealing with unimaginable situations of death, destruction and displacement, and I was proud that we were able to show them solidarity and goodwill from the rest of the European veterinary profession.”
BVA president Justine Shotton added: “Events like the FVE General Assembly offer a welcome chance to network with the global veterinary community, celebrate achievements and recognise the common ground we share on many current issues. The BVA was delighted to play its part and we look forward to supporting the next event in Malta [in November].”
FVE president Rens van Dobbenburgh said: “This was our first FVE General Assembly outside Brussels since COVID. The event was extremely well organised by our colleagues from the RCVS and BVA. All of us were impressed by the exquisite locations where we had our meetings, our opening reception and the gala dinner.”
