In 2012, Rare Disease Day will put the spotlight on "Solidarity" a value that characterises the rare disease patient movement across diseases and national boundaries.  The theme also serves to focus on the importance and the need for collaboration and mutual support in an area where patients are rare, expertise is scarce and people affected face similar challenges.

At the European level, Rare Disease Day will seek to highlight rare diseases as a model of EU solidarity in today’s crisis-stricken Europe. In line with this initiative, EURORDIS is organising a symposium with the European Commission, in Brussels on February 29, to showcase the successes achieved over the last decade and to discuss the way forward. The European Symposium 'Rare Diseases a model of EU Solidarity', will take place at the Residence Palace in the International Press Centre in Brussels.

Attendants will include patients and patient representatives, researchers, health professionals, members of the EU Committee of Experts on Rare Diseases, European Parliamentarians, high-level officials of the European Medicines Agency and the European Commission, as well as representatives of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. The meeting aims at demonstrating the value of the EU-wide approach in the area of rare diseases – show it has a positive impact on the health of all EU citizens and can generate a good return to investment, in addition to being a model that is being emulated outside of the EU.

The programme includes keynote political speeches and presentations, made by scientists and patient representatives, of examples of rare disease reference networks that rely on intense collaboration at the European level and are successful. On the occasion of Rare Disease Day, join a multi-stakeholder audience to raise the visibility of rare diseases as a EU public health priority. Please click here to download the draft programme and registration form. Places are limited so please register as soon as possible via email at: anja.helm@eurordis.org