On 18 July 2024, President Ursula Von der Leyen published the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission’s term 2024-2029 which can be found here.
Please find EFIC’s response from 22 July 2024 below:
Dear President Von der Leyen,
I hope this letter finds you well.
On behalf of the European Pain Federation EFIC, congratulations on your recent re-election as President of the European Commission for another term. I write to you today in response to the recently published Political Guidelines for the 2024-2029 term. EFIC is delighted to see such an ambitious plan, notably in the area of health. We are particularly interested on the emphasis made with regards to the health sector, more specifically, on the shortages of medical devices and medicines, with antibiotics, insulin, painkillers, and other products which are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.
EFIC recognises the problem of medicines shortages, most critically during the period of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The interruption to manufacturing and trade, coupled with the increased need caused by the COVID-19 virus, highlighted the importance of access to basic medicines such as analgesics. EFIC is the foremost scientific authority on pain management in Europe. Treatment of pain management can vary from the everyday care of pain associated with common illnesses and other co-morbidities, to the multimodal management of complex chronic pain conditions. Keeping sight of access to the best possible treatment is of the utmost importance –and a European trademark–; we are therefore happy to learn your willingness to improve access to the most advanced treatments. Access to advanced approaches for chronic pain, including non-pharmacological, is still unequal within Europe, and will greatly benefit from institutional support at the highest level.
Pain control is a multifaceted matter and needs a broader dialogue involving healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patient advocacy groups. This will significantly contribute to a more effective pain management strategy across Europe, and to subsequent benefits for mental health –also one of the priorities within the Political Guidelines. EFIC is here to support the European Commission in achieving this goal.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to understanding more about the scope and plans of the European Commission on this critically important issue, and how we can collectively advance such an important aspect of public health policy.
With best regards,
Luis Garcia-Larrea – President of the European Pain Federation EFIC
