A total of 76 abstracts focussing on IBD epidemiology were accepted for presentation at the 16^th Congress of ECCO. Among the ten best abstracts, one was presented in the scientific programme and nine in digital oral presentation (DOP) sessions. The remaining 66 abstracts were presented as posters.

Pascal Juillerat  © ECCO

Dear ECCO Members,

I truly hope that you and your loved ones are faring well and that you enjoyed well-deserved rest during the summer.

I also hope that you all enjoyed the exciting scientific and educational programmes at ECCO’21 Congress in July. All of the presentations of both programmes are available on demand on the virtual congress platform until October 31, 2021. This was the first time that ECCO held its Congress virtually – the preparations kept everyone at ECCO very occupied with the organisation having been just as tough and demanding as for a physical congress. By no means did this signify that the production of our e-Learning material had been hampered – on the contrary, we have prepared plenty of new material for you to check out, and made significant improvements to the IBD Curriculum!

To make it easier to navigate and learn from, the IBD Curriculum now directly links to material in the e-library. This provides a more wholesome and hands-on overview for those seeking to develop their expertise in IBD.!

Marietta Iacucci © ECCO

In 2021 the ECCO Endoscopy Workshop reached its 7^th edition, and it has now become a mainstay of the educational activities of ECCO. This year it moved online as a fully virtual meeting and was organised by the Education Committee (EduCom).

Participating speakers and chairs: Ralf Bisschops, Belgium; Bu'Hussain Hayee, UK; Rosanna Cannatelli, Italy; Marietta Iacucci, UK, Pierre Ellul, Malta

Christian Maaser © ECCO

The hands-on imaging workshops have become one of the most rapidly booked ECCO Workshops in recent years as they are known to offer excellent interactivity. Participants have the opportunity to explore the potential of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) through the use of hands-on simulators and in some years even by imaging patients. In addition, there is always very interactive discussion in small groups with radiologists who are internationally well known for their expertise in abdominal imaging.

Kostas Karmiris © ECCO

The 19^th IBD Intensive Course for Trainees was held virtually on July 2, one week before the ECCO Congress, as part of the educational programme.

This oldest and most established course took place once again this year, although in a virtual design, and was attended by a total of 100 physicians from 33 countries from Europe and elsewhere. The course offered a comprehensive update on IBD and provided pivotal insights into the medical management for IBD patients in an interactive manner.

The ECCO Postgraduate Course (PGC) in IBD is underway! While the 1^st ECCO PGC was by necessity virtual, there is no doubt that we made history. Two hundred and forty participants registered from within and beyond Europe in order to gain intensive education in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD).

Susanna Jäghult  © ECCO

The 15^th N-ECCO Network Meeting made history this year in being the first network meeting to be delivered virtually. Both the programme and its delivery were a great success. A total of 159 nurses joined the sessions and the virtual format made it easier for participants to ask questions.

Ana Ibarra © ECCO

Who would have thought that ECCO could so smoothly organise such a big conference online? This is the first year that the N-ECCO School has been held as a virtual conference. In reality, this meant less networking among participants but at the same time it provided an incredible opportunity for many more nurses and dietitians from different countries to attend this wonderful course, which provides so much information. In addition, access is being provided to all the presentations at a later date.

Lihi Godny  © ECCO

As a part of the 16th Congress of ECCO, the 6^th D-ECCO (Dietitians of ECCO) Workshop was conducted virtually, with 84 participants. The workshop was divided into three sessions: (1) Science, diet and IBD; (2) Practical clinical nutrition in IBD; and (3) Panel discussion and interactive session.

Gert De Hertogh © ECCO

The past 2 years, 2020 and 2021, have been challenging for everybody, but with the help of the ever-enthusiastic ECCO Organisation and their co-workers, the H-ECCO Committee was able to organise a well-attended masterclass at the recent virtual congress in July.

We divided the masterclass into four sessions: Basics of IBD, Scoring Schemes and Standards, Neoplasia and New Concepts in IBD.