This consensus statement defines both the discipline of general practice / family medicine, and the professional tasks of the family doctor; it also describes the core competencies required of general practitioners. It delineates the essential elements of the academic discipline and provides an authoritative view on what family doctors in Europe should be providing in the way of services to patients, in order that patient care is of the highest quality and also cost effective. From the definitions within this paper the agendas for education, research, quality assurance can be derived, to ensure that family medicine will develop to meet the health care needs of the population in the 21st century.
(Revised 2011)