This year, the Rare Disease Day will coincide with the final steps of two documents of primary importance for the rare disease community at large: the debate at the European Parliament on the Commission Communication on Rare Diseases and the adoption by the EU Council of a Recommendation on Rare Diseases.  Both these documents represent the outcome of a long-standing process which has been accelerating in the last year, and in which European patients, represented by Eurordis, have played a decisive role.

European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, has accepted to be the patroness of this year's European events.

"Expertise on rare diseases is fragmented across the EU. Even the very existence of some of these diseases is not fully recognised,"said Vassiliou. "This is an area where the added value of working together at European level is clear and concrete, and can make the difference between marginalisation and proper treatment for millions of people across Europe”.