In 2010, cardiologists in the European Union of Medical Specialists have founded European Cardiology Section Foundation (ECSF®), a non-profit, charitable foundation located in Cologne (D), which nowadays is an independent foundation to promote high quality health-care in Europe and worldwide.
In 2012, ECSF has started the Cologne Consensus Conference, which later has become the official meeting of the International Academy for CPD Accreditation, an informal association of accrediting bodies on the global level.