We, at the European ME Coalition (EMEC), call on the candidates in the European elections to commit their support for people suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) by endorsing our pledge.
The 2024 European elections take place from 6 to 9 June. You can ask your national candidates to sign the pledge and support ME/CFS patients across Europe by using the template letter below.
The template letter is also available in the following languages.
Template letter
Dear [Name],
I would like to draw your attention to a subject close to my heart.
An estimated 2 million individuals across Europe suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a chronic disease that is similar to Long Covid and severely underestimated. ME/CFS can affect any person at any age and causes extreme exhaustion, cognitive dysfunction and multiple other symptoms. Many ME/CFS patients remain ill for decades and an estimated 25 percent of ME/CFS patients are house- or bedbound at some point in their illness.
I am [My family was] was also affected by ME/CFS and it changed my life [our lives] profoundly.
[… OPTIONAL: add a very brief section about yourself and how ME/CFS has impacted your life or the life of your loved ones]
There are no approved-treatments for ME/CFS and very few doctors have the necessary expertise in the condition.
In 2020, the European parliament adopted a resolution on ME/CFS (Resolution 2020/2580(RSP)) in which it described ME/CFS as a ‘hidden health problem in the EU’. The resolution called for several measures including awareness campaigns and more biomedical research on the condition.
Unfortunately, the European Commission has hardly acted upon these goals in the past 4 years. Therefore I would like to ask you to commit to holding the European Commission accountable to the commitments laid out in Resolution 2020/2580(RSP). You can do this by supporting ‘The ME/CFS pledge’ organized by the European ME Coalition which has already been signed by multiple MEPs and candidates in upcoming elections.
I very much hope that we can count on your support.
Best wishes,
[Your name]
ME/CFS Pledge
Upon my election to the European Parliament, I pledge to support people affected by ME/CFS by ensuring that the EU/European Commission follows the commitments laid out in Resolution 2020/2580(RSP). This includes taking action to:
- Raise awareness and advocate for better recognition of ME/CFS as a legitimate health condition and the need for EU-level actions commensurate with its high human and socio-economic burden.
- Ensure the European Commission allocates additional funding and promotes cooperation for biomedical research into ME/CFS at the EU level, prioritizing calls in this (specific) area through initiatives such as Horizon Europe.
- Promote EU-level measures and funding for awareness campaigns about ME/CFS, medical education and training for health and social care professionals, and the exchange of ME/CFS-related best practices across member states.
See the full list of signees of the ME/CFS pledge here.
If you get in touch with your MEP(s) and they would like to sign they can email us directly at europeanmecoalition@outlook.com or you can simply forward their confirmation email to us.
Together we can help raise awareness of ME/CFS at the European level. Thank you for helping out!