The mission statement of the association is to advance education in the field of cardiac, thoracic and vascular interventions; and promote research into cardiovascular and thoracic physiology, pathology and therapy, with the aim to correlate and disseminate the results for the public benefit.

Within the EACTS there is a large number of committees working on various issues in order to improve cardio-thoracic surgery.

Since its foundation in 1986 more than 3500 members have been admitted, and the interest in applying for membership has grown considerably during the last few years.

[citation needed] The EACTS publishes two journals focused on high-quality research and cardio thoracic surgery education and one website featuring video based cardio-thoracic tutorials these are: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EJCTS), Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ICVTS), and Multimedia Manual of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (MMCTS) [citation needed] The Quality Improvement Programme was launched in 2012 to facilitate continuing improvement of clinical outcomes in adult cardiac surgery through improving education, and various research initiatives.

[citation needed] The organisation has collaborated with the European Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, Oxford University, and other organizations to produce clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements related to the treatment of cardiovascular disease.