Press Release: Commission calls for a European focus on rare diseases

On 11 November, 2008, the European Commission adopted a Communication and a proposal for a Council Recommendation on rare diseases setting out an overall Community strategy to support Member States in diagnosing, treating and caring for the 36 million EU citizens with rare diseases. The limited number of patients affected and the fragmentation of knowledge about them across the European Union, makes rare diseases a prime example of where working at European level is necessary and beneficial.

European Commission: MEMO/08/689: Questions and Answers on the EU Approach to Tackling Rare Diseases http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/689&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---