Our lungs are in your hands

Strasbourg, 10 December 2013: At the morning a five meter big, inflatable lung was stationed in front of the entrance of the European Parliament accompanied by a banner saying “Our lungs are in your hands”. The action was organized by the European Environment Bureau, the “Soot free for the climate” - campaign and the “Clean Air”-project.

During the 2013 European “Year of Air”, the European Commission committed to launch a package of new measures aimed at improving air quality. The European “Year of Air” was officially closed at 10 December 2013 at a conference hosted by the Commissioner for the Environment in Strasbourg but still we haven’t seen a sign of the new package whose adoption was delayed week after week. Therefore Members of the European Parliament in cooperation with NGOs started an action asking for the Commission to propose its package to the European Parliament as soon as possible and to make sure that it will be ambitious enough.  

European Parliament Written Declaration on recognising the burden of allergic disease

Dear Respiratory Friends now you can sign European Parliament Written Declaration on Recognizing the Burden of Allergic Disease!

 

Allergic diseases affect over 150 million Europeans, of whom some are affected by severe, debilitating diseases, but these are neglected as a public health concern.
Members of the European Parliament now have an opportunity to call on the European Commission and EU Member States to take action by signing a Written Declaration on Recognising the Burden of Allergic Disease, which opened for signatures in October 21st and will remain open until January 21, 2014.

1. More than 150 million EU citizens suffer from chronic allergic diseases, half of whom are undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and shortage of medical specialists;

2. More than 100 million Europeans suffer from allergic rhinitis and 70 million from asthma,the most common non-communicable diseases in children and the main cause of children’s emergency room visits and hospital admissions;

3. More than 17 million Europeans suffer from food allergies or severe allergies implying a risk of acute attacks or anaphylaxis with life-threatening potential;

4. Allergies are an underestimated cause of unhealthy ageing and have a severe impact on social, professional and educational performance, especially in children, causing socioeconomic inequalities;

5. The Commission is therefore called upon to encourage cooperation and coordinationbetween Member States to promote: national allergyprogrammes to reduce the disease burden and health inequalities; training in allergies and multidisciplinary care plans to

improve disease management; use of preventive and tolerance-inducing approaches toallergy treatment; and scientific research into direct and indirect allergy risk factors,including pollution;

6. This declaration, together with the names of the signatories, is forwarded to the Commission.