We are excited to announce that the European ME Coalition (EMEC) is joining our Alliance. This effective organisation has wielded the European Union’s petitions system to build awareness of ME in this important international setting.

Founded in 2018 by a group of patients and carers, they have engaged thousands as they work their way into the halls of power.

In 2019 their co-founder Evelien Van Den Brink gave a speech to the European Union Parliament. This led to the first ever resolution on ME being adopted in 2020, with 98% of members of parliament voting in favour. The resolution “calls on the Commission to commission a study assessing the overall social and economic costs attributable to ME/CFS within the EU.” It also requests funding to ensure “appropriate and improved medical education and training for health and social care professionals working with ME/CFS patients.”

Since then their work has continued – they have kept the pressure on the European Commission to ensure that the resolution leads to action, and they have supported the formation of a new Parliamentary Interest Group on ME/CFS.

We look forward to standing united behind EMEC as their work with the European Commission continues, and hope that together we can add pressure to the calls for research funding now.

You can find EMEC on twitter, or check out their website.

We are looking for more national ME organisations to join the World ME Alliance – find out more here.