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#EAPM - Time to sign up for the Congress that reports on congresses…

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It’s already October and the congress season is well under way. On top of that, the next European Parliament elections are due at the end of May - which is pretty soon in relative terms as the months fly by, writes European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) Executive Director Denis Horgan.

Meanwhile, the debate on the European Commission’s proposals on EU-wide action on health technology assessment (HTA) will reach at least one peak this week when the Strasbourg plenary votes on the amendments to the draft regulation put forward by parliament’s ENVI committee. Even if ENVI carries the vote in the full parliament on Wednesday (3 October), there still looks to be much wrangling ahead in the Council, given that several member states have been very vocal in their opposition to suggested mandatory aspects of the proposal.

Clearly, it is an important time to hold a meeting of minds in the sphere of health care in general and personalised medicine in particular, so if you haven’t yet registered for EAPM’s 2nd annual Congress in Milan, now is the time to do so, here. 

The late November (26-28) event will see a heavy emphasis placed on developments emerging from prior congresses in the autumn, the need to reach out to MEPs old and potentially new, and that ongoing assessment debate.

It will also take into account developments in artificial intelligence, such as was discussed by the Competitiveness Council last week in a policy debate on Rethinking European industry: Artificial intelligence and robotics.

The current presidency of the EU, Austria, said its vision is based on three pillars: boosting the EU's technological and industrial capacity and AI uptake across the economy, preparing for socioeconomic changes, and ensuring an appropriate ethical and legal framework.

Innovation is a competitive edge that the EU has, but Europe needs to strengthen cooperation between academia and industry, and reduce the administrative burden for business. Meanwhile, there is a need to improve access to data, develop an ethical and regulatory framework for investment in AI and robotics, and focus on new skill sets.

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Discussion and presentations at Congress on these and many other topics will allow stakeholders to air their views prior to delivering key aspects to decision makers at European, national and regional levels. This will effectively allow for a bridge to representatives in various policy areas.

EAPM is confident in this regard, as the ‘Forward as one: Integrating Innovation into Europe’s Healthcare Systems’ Congress will, like the first edition in Belfast last year, and six Presidency conferences since 2013, pull together leading experts in the fast-moving healthcare arena.

And, as it in 2017 in Northern Ireland, the event aims to bring together key audiences who contribute to the vast programme content and vital knowledge exchange. The content of most of the multi-tracks for this key event is virtually finalized now, and you can view the current programme here.

The gathering in Milan will amount to an ideal ‘one-stop shop’ with the aim of bringing innovation into the EU’s healthcare systems, while the choice of late November dovetails with the aforementioned run-in to the 2019 EU parliamentary elections and the swearing in of an new Commission not long after that.

The over-arching goal of Congress is to identify and precisely define the critical barriers that limit personalised medicine uptake, while also developing realistic, workable solutions that will enhance patient access to targeted treatment across Europe.     Innovation and the incentives for it are vital to health and wealth in the current EU-28 (and will be even more important after the UK leaves). It also encourages investment from outside of the EU, clearly good for business and jobs.  It is undeniable that innovation needs to soar to new heights, and be implemented and integrated, for the benefit of EU citizens. We are sure that the Milan Congress will move Europe forward in this regard.

For this important event, the Alliance is delighted to be working in partnership with the Regional Council of Lombardy, which will provide the ideal space to allow for a meeting of minds and expertise and represent a vital opportunity for top-level discussion and the formulation of real action plans.

We urge all stakeholders to register in good time. Here’s that link again.

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