Register here (free but mandatory)

Deadline for registration: 17 March 2025

Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network, in collaboration with F.A.I.S.-Federation of Incontinent and Ostomised Associations, is glad to invite you to a policy dialogue event that will be held at the EU Parliament in Brussels on 26 March.
The aim of the conference is to identify the commitment of the EU institutions on access to care and the improvement of the quality life of people with intimate health conditions in Europe, with a specific focus on the needs of ostomy patients. A set of civic recommendations - drafted with the direct involvement of PAGs from different Member States - will be presented to all key stakeholders and a social media communication campaign will be launched, with the ultimate goal of making visible the invisible for ostomised people. To know more, click here. For any questions, feel free to contact us.

Share your civic activism experiences in support of the vaccination policy
Active Citizenship Network invites all Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGs) to contribute by sharing their civic activism experiences in support of vaccination policy. As part of the #VaccinAction2025 initiative, we are collecting examples of how organizations have kept vaccination awareness high throughout the life-course, through evidence-based campaigns, projects and activities aimed at empowering citizens and improving health literacy on prevention. Your inputs will help create a comprehensive handbook - which will enhance all your logos - and present different national experiences, offering insights, good practices and innovative strategies to improve vaccination policies. We look forward to your valuable contributions! Please complete the online form by 25 April 2025. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. To know more about our long-term commitment to vaccination policies, please click here.
 

Policy and Disease Management in the COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Era: Global Stakeholder Policy Roundtable
Active Citizenship Network recently participated in a roundtable discussion with global stakeholders representing advocacy organisations in Europe, Canada and Japan. The collaborative event marked the publication of a new policy paper aimed at identifying best practices for a sustainable public health management of COVID 19 in a post-pandemic phase and supporting patients at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those with chronic conditions and compromised immune systems, as we navigate this new phase. Key policy recommendations to improve public health strategies were discussed during the roundtable. These included establishing national immunisation programmes aligned to at-risk groups to ensure timely and equitable access, especially for vulnerable communities. In addition, the discussions emphasized the importance of improving communication between public health authorities, healthcare providers, and patients to raise awareness and support the continued need for prevention, mitigation and treatment of COVID-19. Read more and download the key takeaways factsheet.

OH-FINE at work in Spain
In Madrid, the facilities of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas hosted European experts and researchers from 18 scientific and agricultural organisations to launch the development of the EU-funded “OH-FINE project”.
Coordinated by the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), Cittadinanzattiva is the only one Italian organization officially involved, representing the point of view of citizens and consumers in the consortium. To learn more and download Cittadinanzattiva’s presentation made at the kick off meeting, click here.

Citizens’ Engagement Platform
This is the dedicated space to engage and debate on EU policies that affect us all. Citizens’ feedback is a vital part of the EU policy-making process. Everyone's voice matters and the EU Institutions are keen to hear from all of us. Thanks to real-time translation, citizens can participate in any of the EU's 24 official languages and engage with other fellow citizens. Let's build Europe together! Read more, download the factsheet and watch the video.

Official agreement with the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Active Citizenship Network is delighted to announce the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding with the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. EFLM connects the National Societies of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine and creates a platform for all European “Specialists in Laboratory Medicine”. EFLM provides European leadership in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine to national professional societies, the diagnostic industry and governmental and non-governmental organisations in order to serve the public interest in healthcare. Read more about ACN's new partner.

Signed an official agreement with the Asociación Española de Afectados por la Poliposis Adenomatosa Familiar
Active Citizenship Network is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Spanish Association of Patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (AEAPAF), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting patients and families affected by familial adenomatous polyposis. Its mission is to enhance patient care, promote research and advocate for better policies that ensure access to early diagnosis, effective treatments and comprehensive multidisciplinary care. In with the recent agreement, AEAPAF will participate in the policy dialogue initiative promoted by ACN at the EU Parliament on ostomy on 26 March 2025. Read more about ACN's new partner.

Media partnership with Vaccines Today
Active Citizenship Network is glad to join the Vaccines Today’s “supporters” group and Vaccines Today is pleased to become an official media partner of ACN. This non-commercial relationship testifies how both entities are connected to (and support) the pro-vaccine ecosystem. Read more about ACN's new partner.

13 March 2025 I Katowice (Poland) I "Patients' rights in Europe: common experiences and challenges"
Patients’ rights are the cornerstone of modern healthcare systems across the European Union, and the Polish Presidency of the EU Council of the European Union aims to institutionalize these principles at European level and incorporate them into the acquis communautaire. The conference - as part of the Health Challenges Congress (13-14 March 2025) – is open, by invitation, to the leaders of the PAGs from Member States – including Active Citizenship Network as panellist. It aims to develop a unified message and rationale on the importance of establishing a European Charter of Patients' Rights, starting from the pivotal document of patient rights advocacy: the European Charter of Patients' Rights, developed in 2002 through collaboration between civil and patient organizations from different Member States, promoted by Active Citizenship Network and presented in Brussels on 15 November 2002. Read more about the value of the European Charter of Patients' Rights.

7-11 April 2025 I Global Public Health Week
The Global Public Health Week (GPHW) is an annual event organized by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), an official partner of Active Citizenship Network. It brings together institutions, communities and public health leaders worldwide to recognize the critical contributions of public health and its workforce in building healthier societies.
If you would like to participate, WFPHA invites every individual, association and institution to organize an online or on-site event related to public health in the language they prefer. Submit your event using this form. Please note that the deadline for submitting events is Friday 14 March 2025. Read more

8 April 2025 I Digital Solutions for a Bio-Based Future: Empowering Industry and Consumers
Digital solutions are set to boost the European bioeconomy by providing critical information on feedstock tracking, sustainability, and certification for bio-based products. To showcase these advances, a free webinar hosted by Horizon Europe projects 3-CO and BioReCer (in which Cittadinanzattiva is a partner) will introduce several innovative digital tools. Scheduled for 8 April 2025, from 13:00 to 14:00 CET, the event offers an excellent opportunity to understand the future of digital technologies in the bioeconomy. Four tools developed by EU-funded projects will be presented and made available to users soon. These projects are: 3-CO, BioReCer, Bioradar, and the BiobasedCert Cluster (HARMONITOR, Sustcert4Biobased, Star4bbs). Read more on the webinar and for the free registration, click here.  

15 May 2025 I European Parliament, Brussels (Belgium): XIX celebration of the European Patients’ Rights Day
Many people have probably never really thought about what happens to their health data and how it could be used for the common good. It can be difficult to understand how a person's data can impact public health. However, health data sharing is an intricate process, rapidly evolving thanks to technological progress, that holds great promise for the future of healthcare. Strengthening the role of patients and their associations is crucial to the success of this transformation, as they play a key role in raising awareness of the importance of health data.
The European Patients' Rights Day 2025 will focus on a number of critical topics related to health data sharing, its benefits and challenges. The conference titled “Exploring the benefits of health data sharing for patients, healthcare systems and medical research at EU level” will be held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 May from 14:30 to 16:30 CEST. Read more. Further information will follow in due course. For any questions, feel free to contact us.

10-12 June 2025 I Brussels (Belgium) and online: The European Sustainable Energy Week
Cittadinanzattiva applied, together with the European Association for the Consumption-Based Billing of Energy Costs (EVVE) and PU Europe for organizing a Policy Conference session in the context of the 19th edition of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) . Since its launch in 2007 by the European Commission, EUSEW has grown to become a key platform for dialogue and collaboration on EU energy policies and initiatives.  Read about Cittadinanzattiva’s commitment to energy issues.