The Vascular Liver Diseases conference in Tallinn, Estonia addresses a spectrum of conditions including hepatitis, cirrhosis, steatohepatitis, cancer and more. Understanding the mechanisms involved will allow us to develop much needed treatments for chronic liver disease. The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) believes this is an opportune time to review exciting recent developments in the field and to this end an outstanding programme with leading international authorities in the field has been assembled. An important element of the meeting will be discussions and interactions between delegates and speakers which we hope will lead to collaborations and the dissemination of ideas and knowledge.