Main Events of the Past Year

 

December 2009

• EBC staff were active in the European Parliament, attending the launch of the Action for Stroke Prevention (Strike Out Stroke), the European MS Platform’s Information Hour, as well as meeting some MEPs.
• The EBC participated in the preparatory meeting for Joint Action on Alzheimer’s Disease organised by DG SANCO in Luxembourg.

 

November 2009

• A kick off meeting of the Swedish Action Group took place in Stockholm on November 4th.

 

October 2009

• Merck Serono has joined the industry partners.
• Meeting of industry partners on 27th October was attended by representatives of 14 companies.
• New data on brain research funding in FP7 show greatly increased investment compared with FP6.

 

August - September 2009

• A first meeting was held in Tartu to launch an Estonian National Action Group.
• The President of the EBC, Julien Mendlewicz , and EBC staff met the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, to discuss the European Year of the Brain and the priorities of the future Polish EU Presidency.
• The National Action Groups and Brain Councils met to agree on future action and agreed to form a Network of NAGs and NBCs.  The delegates elected two representatives as Observers to the EBC Board.

 

July 2009

• Officers of the EBC met the new Health Director in DG Research, Dr Ruxandra Draghia-Akli.
• The resubmission of the PARADISE Framework 7 grant was accepted by the Commission.
• The Spanish National Brain Council was formally created.
• The EBC letterhead had been modified.

 

June 2009

• Johnson & Johnson agreed to join the industrial partners of the EBC.
• Planning meeting took place for updating of the Consensus Document for Brain Research in Europe.
• EBC participated in first meeting to create an Expert Platform on Depression.
• Tadeusz Hawrot joined the EBC as Project Manager at the beginning of June.

 

May 2009

• A meeting was held with the Mrs Milagros Candela, the Counsellor for Research of the Spanish Permanent Representation in Brussels.
• EBC representatives met with Commissioner Janez Potocnik, members of his Cabinet and Dr Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, the Health Director in DG Research.
• The EBC met EFPIA representatives to discuss progress on the pharmaceutical package and the revision of the animals directive.

 

April 2009

• The European Societies of Neuropsychology (ESN) and the European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI) were admitted as Observers to the EBC Board.
• Johnson & Johnson has become an industrial partner of the EBC.
• A meeting was held with the Minister for Education and Research of the Swedish Permanent Representation to the EU.

 

March 2009

• EBC officers and staff participated in meetings of the European Regions Research and Innovation Network, the Brains 4 Brain 3rd European Workshop , the Italian Brain Council, the DG SANCO Panel of European Experts on Alzheimer’s Disease and the European Parliamentary Meeting “From Stem Cells to Neuroethics” organised by the STOA Committee.

 

February 2009

• The 2nd Brain Policy Forum “A Focus on Depression & the European Society” was held on February 25/26th.
• First meeting of the French National Action Group was held in Paris on February 20th.
• The 2nd Annual Meeting of the National Action Groups and National Brain Councils on February 26th was attended by delegates from 12 countries.
• EBC presented the patient perspective at the ITRE Public Hearing on Mental Health at the European Parliament.
• A Thank You Dinner for John Bowis, MEP was jointly organised by EBC and EFNA.
• Philip Busquin and John Bowis, MEPs were made Honorary Members of EBC.

 

January 2009

• EBC Board Meeting held on 9th January.
• EBC Industrial partners meeting held at Lilly in Brussels.
• Medtronic hosted meeting to plan Share of Patient Voice and European Year of the Brain Campaign.