The WHO Europe and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) have published a new report on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), highlighting the urgent need to address health inequalities that apply to asthma and COPD patients’ prevention, care and research across the region. EFA has analysed the report's call for national targets to improve prevention, diagnosis, and care, while addressing health inequities, which is a welcome development. However, the report focuses on the healthcare system and does not fully address the role of individual patients and the organisations representing them as part of the solution, addressing these diseases, reducing their impact and prevalence.

For people who rely on medical oxygen, travelling can be challenging: unclear information and complicated procedures can make travel more difficult or overwhelming. EFA is working with our COPD Community on a new project ‘Travel as a COPD patient in Europe’ to support patients to travel more easily. The project includes the establishment of National Contact Points and a travel toolkit for patients containing all relevant information, from key contacts and planning checklists to relevant online resources.

The EU is designing its first Stockpiling Strategy to secure critical goods, including medicines, in times of crisis. EFA welcomes this step and urges the European Commission to put patients at the centre through prioritising access to medicines and vaccines, ensuring safe delivery, supporting fair EU-wide supply and strengthening supply chains to be resilient and climate-ready.

On June 3rd, the European Parliament’s Health Committee (SANT) held its first-ever debate on lung health and COPD. EFA Vice-President, Károly Illy, and Professor Didier Cataldo from the European Respiratory Society called for urgent EU action to improve COPD prevention, early diagnosis and care. With over 36 million Europeans affected, the discussion showed strong cross-party support for policies to help people with COPD access timely diagnosis, quality treatment and the support they need to #KeepBreathing.

Food labels, including Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL), play a crucial role in the safety of millions of people living with food allergies. However, PAL as it is currently defined and used often generates unnecessary confusion. This is why EFA Community is calling the Codex Alimentarius Commission to adopt clear, science-based, and harmonised PAL standards everywhere in Europe.