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With the plans for Europe to unite in 1992 and pressure mounting from different sides against complementary medicine, it was felt necessary by reflexologists in Europe to have 'one voice' to protect their future.
Work was started to make reflexology available to everyone and also to make reflexology recognised as an official therapy by the European governments.
In Newcastle, U.K. in 1994 the first European Conference of Reflexology was organised to discuss various subjects and the result was a unanimous vote to continue a biennial conference.
During the same time the European Commission asked Paul Lannoye to prepare a report on the state of complementary medicine in Europe. In this report reflexology was not mentioned. After a meeting in Brussels in 1995 or organisations and schools of reflexology in RiEN, a submission was prepared for Paul Lannoye with the following points:
- Reflexology is a harmless and non-invasive method
- Reflexology is a non-medical approach; it helps to release toxins from the body and improves circulation. It may help many health problems to decrease
- Reflexologists do not diagnose or prescribe any pharmaceutical or other products
- Reflexologists do not promise to cure illness
This submission resulted in mentioning reflexology as a therapy in the updates of Lannoye's report. For more information on Lannoye's report, click here.
Reflexology in Europe Network represents over 20.000 reflexologists in 20 countries across Europe.
In order to stimulate official recognition of reflexology as a therapy and as a profession:
- Participation was sought in meetings in Brussels of the Working Group on Complementary & Natural Medicine, part of the Health Inter Group of the European Parliament
- In December 2004, the European Forum for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (EFCAM), part of European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), promoting integrated healthcare in Europe was created and RiEN-membership was established. Quarterly meetings are held in Brussels where RiEN is represented.
