On the 20th of March 2019, the European Parliament Interest Group on Allergy and Asthma launched a ‘blueprint’ to encourage the future Parliament to adopt a renewed EU policy agenda on allergy and airways diseases. 

The Interest Group blueprint pinpoints the links between allergy and asthma and industry sectors such as transport, the environment, agriculture, food and consumer products. It reiterates the groups’ commitment to forward-looking EU policies in prevention, care and research for the benefit of people living with allergies and asthma in Europe; and sets the tone for potential work areas of the Interest Group after the EU elections in May.

The blueprint was launched during an event which allowed an interactive discussion with officials of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), European Commission Directorate General for Environment (DG ENV), World Health Organization (WHO) and the Finnish Permanent Representation, who reflected on the situation and way forward.
Closing the event, Interest Group member and co-host MEP Pavel Poc noted that getting used to living with chronic diseases is not the right approach. Protecting people against the root causes of the diseases should be the priority, both at EU and national levels. 

Read the press release here.