About EULAR Advocacy
EULAR’s Advocacy efforts are focused on bringing the needs of the rheumatology community to the attention of European political stakeholders at the European Union and national levels. EULAR Advocacy is working to ensure that health, employment and research policy, legislation and regulation, and programmes, are focused on improving the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of RMDs and reducing the burden of RMDs on individuals and society.
EULAR Advocacy Activities
EULAR Advocacy is devoted to developing and promoting activities and events that work towards building awareness and pursuing recognition from EU policy makers all in the quest for improving the lives of people living with RMDs.
Approximately one fourth of the EU population suffer from a RMD at some point in their lives, and the exclusion of people with RMDs from the workplace affects their finances, self-esteem, and mental health. It has a major economic and societal cost.
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession has compounded this challenge, and represents a significant new threat to the workplace participation of people living with RMDs. The EULAR Brussels Forum was held in October 2020 to mark World Arthritis Day and build awareness of the impact of the pandemic on people with an RMD.
EULAR Advocacy Partnerships
EULAR is committed to partner with organisations and scientific medical societies at a EU and national towards improving research funding, social policy legislation and quality of care; assisting advocacy actions on the national and international levels around rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).
Related Information
EULAR Advocacy Newsletter
EULAR is committed to bringing rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) onto the EU's agenda. Sign up to the EULAR Advocacy newsletter to keep up with the changes that our organisation is working towards in the area of policy and legislation to help achieve better social and economic outcomes for the many millions of people affected by these chronic and debilitating diseases across Europe.
EULAR Advocacy Activities and Materials
In order to persuade governmental and EU key decision-makers supporting the European rheumatology community, EULAR Advocacy develops evidence-based materials about RMDs and communicates its position on key policies and legislation being discussed.
EULAR Policy Statements
As part of its advocacy activities, EULAR produces and adopts a number of documents and declarations that are used to express EULAR’s position and/or demands on different policy issues.
EU Parliament Interest Group on RMDs
The European Parliament Interest Group on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs) was created in 2009 on the occasion of World Arthritis Day (12 October) and was re-established during the current parliamentary term (2014-2019).
Links to other organisations
Partnerships that help to increase the knowledge of the organisations involved and the impact they can have on the political stage.
RMD Definition
EULAR description on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (RMDs)