Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF)

CETAF is the European network of biological and geological collections that, together, is the main voice in taxonomy and systematic biology in Europe. It's was founded by ten institutions of eight different countries in December 1st, 1996. Nowadays, it is composed by 74 institutions, that have around 1.500 million of specimens. This is more than the 80% of the described species in the planet.

To manage, study and make these collections available, the CETAF community has an extensive research experience, with more than 5.000 scientific in 22 countries. This resource without any precedent makes possible to promote the scientific investigation and the public participation around the world.

As an European network of biological and geological collections, it's strength lies in the collective. Every individual institutions contributes to a thriving community of experts, which it's collections constitutes one of the key medioambiental investigation infrastructures in Europe. In the center of it's work, there is the taxonomy: an essential science to the biodiversity comprehension of the world, study the evolution process, and rebuild the life history in the earth. The valuable collections and experience gathered through CETAF's membership over the past 20 years constitute a precious knowledge base upon which the DiSSCo research infrastructure is designed. More information of DiSSCo in: https://www.dissco.eu/.

The National Museum of Natural Science of Madrid is one of the founders members. Spain takes an active role in their initiatives and projects, working for a long time in assembles and periodical meetings of the organization.

More information in: https://cetaf.org/