The Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) welcomes the inclusion of chronic pain in the European Parliaments’ Report on the EU strategy of persons with disabilities post-2024.
The amendments, submitted by the Committee on Public Health (SANT) and suggested by SIP, ensured that chronic pain was referenced in several instances:
Recognition of the Burden of Pain
Amendment 24 introduces chronic pain as the most prevalent health condition in Europe and a leading cause of disability, highlighting its multiple impacts and close link to mental health issues.
Recital G e (new): “(…) whereas chronic pain is the most prevalent health condition in Europe, affecting approximately 150 million people (representing about 20 % of the European population), and is a leading cause of disability; whereas it severely impacts quality of life, limits participation in work and education, and is linked to mental health issues; (…)”
Chronic Pain as a Severe Neurological Disorder
Amendment 27 urges the European Commission and the Member States to take the necessary steps to harmonise and expedite the recognition of severe neurological disorders and severe neurodivergent cases that encompass a wide range of conditions affecting the brain (e.g., chronic pain), and ensure access to numerous services dealing with those.
Paragraph 1 b (new): “[The European Parliament] Urges the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary steps to harmonise and expedite the recognition of severe neurological disorders and severe neurodivergent cases that encompass a wide range of conditions affecting the brain, nerves and spinal cord, such as autism and other spectrum disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dementia and chronic pain, ensuring access to social protection mechanisms, assistive technologies, personal assistance and palliative care, where appropriate and without administrative delays; (…)”
Mental Health and Chronic Pain
Amendment 29 stresses that untreated mental health conditions, often co-occurring with chronic pain, may negatively impact individuals’ capacity to work and their well-being.
Paragraph 4: “[The European Parliament] (…) emphasises that untreated mental health conditions, which often co-occur with chronic pain and other chronic illnesses that cause disabilities, may negatively impact individuals’ capacity to work and their well-being; (…)”