The Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO) was established on the basis of section 14 of the Medical Research Involving Subjects Act (WMO). The CCMO was created on the 6th of April 1999 and is based in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The CCMO executes the WMO and the Embryo’s Act. Research that falls under the WMO or the Embryo’s Act must be reviewed by an independent committee of experts. Research is not allowed to start without a positive decision of this committee.
Mission statement
The CCMO protects subjects taking part in medical research by reviewing the research on the basis of the statutory provisions laid down for them and taking into account the interests of medical progress.
Organisation
The CCMO consists of members and deputy members representing the various disciplines as stipulated in the WMO. The secretariat of the CCMO supports the committee in its legal tasks and is managed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The secretariat consists of the following departments: Legal Affairs and Supervision, Europe, the National Clinical Trial Office and Operational Management. The National Clinical Trial Office supports the committee and 11 accredited medical research ethics committees (MRECs) in reviewing research with a medicinal product. The other departments support the committee in its other legal tasks.
Rules and regulation
The organisation and operation of the CCMO is laid down in her rules and regulations. These regulations, including the complaints procedure, have been approved by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). With regards to the organisation’s operation, the CCMO has authorised its chair and/or executive director for certain (aspects of its) jurisdictions. These are laid down in standing orders which have also been approved by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (the standing orders are only available in Dutch).