CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities) was established in 1996 with the aims of promoting research in systematic biology and palaeobiology as well as access to the information and expertise of its member institutions, by improving the efficiency of their taxonomic facilities through co-operation. In support of its aims, CETAF acts as a forum for the exchange of information and policies, working towards co-ordinated activities. The objectives for co-operation include, i.a., the following areas:

• Promotion of training for systematists, both at the academic and at the technical levels.
• Digitisation of collections and associated information, in line with agreed priorities.
• Development of information services for scientific, commercial and public use.
• Improvement of curation and conservation of collections.
• Improvement of access to collections for visiting researchers and other workers through common procedures and assistance routines at each of the members' facilities.
• Co-ordination of those scientific policies and other initiatives that will benefit from a common approach.

CETAF membership is open to large taxonomic institutions (natural history museums and botanic gardens) in Europe that have significant collections and research capability, and that share the commitments and objectives of CETAF.

CETAF members are at present (January 2000):

• Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Berlin-Dahlem
• Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Baarn
• Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt
• Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
• Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris
• Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid
• Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
• Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
• Museum and Institute for Zoology PAN, Warsaw
• National Botanic Garden, Belgium
• Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna
• Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm
• Real Jardín Botánico, Madrid
• Rijksherbarium/Hortus Botanicus, Leiden
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
• Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren
• The Natural History Museum, London
• Zoological Museum, Amsterdam.
• Zoological Museum, Copenhagen