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Please note that registration is free but mandatory, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registrations might be closed at any time if the maximum capacity is reached.

18 March 2026 | European Parliament, Brussels | Council recommendation on the value of immunisation against respiratory infections: a step towards an EU Respiratory Health Plan?
Hosted by Cypriot MEP Michalis Hadjipantela (EPP Group), the event will bring together experts and representatives of EU institutions who are interested in the Council's recommendation regarding the value of immunisation against respiratory infections. Confirmed speakers and participants include members of the European Parliament's Committee on Public Health (SANT), representatives of the Steering Group on Prevention of Respiratory Infections and the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI), universities, members of the Adult Immunisation Board and the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA), the coordinator of theEU4Health project co-OPERATOR, public affairs consultancies, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and leaders of patient advocacy groups from eight member states. Read introductory articles here & here. Read more

19 March 2026 | Brussels (Belgium) | EU policy lab on the challenges of vaccine promotion
The co-OPERATOR project, funded under the EU4Health programme, aims to improve communication and knowledge skills to address systemic barriers and facilitators to effectively communicate vaccination messages to populations. In this context, a Policy Lab aims to translate evidence from the co-OPERATOR project into actionable vaccination policies to address COVID-19 and flu vaccine hesitancy in the EU. Following the Policy Lab organised in April 2025, a second closed-door Policy Lab will be organised on 19 March 2026, involving key stakeholders such as health professionals, leaders of civil society organisations and patient advocacy groups from various Member States.
The work stream within the project that focuses on translating research evidence into policy recommendations is led by the Cyprus University of Technology and supported by the Active Citizenship Network and Maastricht University. To find out more about the co-OPERATOR project, click here. Read the introductory article here

Industry embraces FACILITATE’s framework to return individual clinical trial data
People who take part in a clinical trial often have to undergo many tests and visits, and it involves a significant effort on their part. But at the end, they are left with little information and individual data on whether the trial was successful or not, or how they contributed to the trial results. The FACILITATE project, supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative, a partnership between the European Union and the European pharmaceutical industry - with Cittadinanzattiva involved through its EU branch Active Citizenship Network (ACN) - has developed a White Paper setting out a framework that encourages sponsors to take a proactive approach: a return of individual participant data “by design”. The framework is already moving into practice, with GSK and Sanofi piloting the approach in clinical trials.
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) portal has just published an article titled “Industry embraces return of patient data framework for clinical trials”, highlighting the value and innovativeness of FACILITATE’s outputs. Read more.  

Advancing Adult HPV Vaccination: A Life-Course Priority
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common infections worldwide and a major cause of cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. While vaccination programmes have primarily targeted adolescent girls, many adults remain unprotected, particularly those who missed earlier immunization opportunities. Recognising this gap, ACN's scientific partner, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), convened a global Engagement Forum that led to aCall to Action promoting a life-course approach to HPV prevention, which is also endorsed by ACN. Expanding vaccination to adults, alongside gender-neutral strategies, is essential to closing immunity gaps, advancing equity and accelerating progress towards eliminating HPV-related cancers worldwide. Click here to download the document.

Towards an EU Strategy for Women’s Health
On 3 February, the EU Strategy for Women’s Health was officially launched at the EU Parliament. This landmark initiative, led by the European Institute for Women’s Health, aims to address long-standing inequalities in healthcare across Europe. The launch event brought together policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates and community leaders to emphasise the urgent need for a more inclusive and gender-responsive approach to health policy.
Endorsed by Active Citizenship Network, the Strategy sets out a comprehensive framework to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research of conditions that disproportionately affect women and girls, ensuring that women’s voices and lived experiences are central to decision-making. Read more

Special session on European Consumer Day and our commitment to the topic.

Consumer Regeneration (Co.Re): a tool for consumer rights education in schools
How can consumer rights education in schools be improved? Through the EU-funded Co.Re – Consumer Regeneration EU-funded project, Cittadinanzattiva is piloting an educational programme involving 16 Italian schools and over 600 students. The initiative promotes awareness of consumer rights, safe purchasing and protection tools through interactive workshops and teaching materials for educators, while engaging students in creating a Young Consumer Manifesto. Read more

CIRCONOMY: unlocking the potential of circularity with smart indicators
Cittadinanzattiva is pleased to announce that the 'CIRCONOMY' proposal has been selected for funding as part of the 'HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-CIRCBIO-06: Indicators for the transition to a sustainable and circular economy' call under the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme. As a consortium member, we will be involved in a three-year project aiming to develop, test and validate a harmonised, adaptable framework of micro-level circularity indicators aligned with the EU Taxonomy and other relevant sustainability frameworks. Read more about our commitment to the circular economy. (IT)

Advancing the use of biological waste and residues as renewable feedstock across Europe
After more than three ambitious and rewarding years, the Horizon Europe project BioReCer has reached its final and successful conclusion. The project delivered a strong set of tangible results that advance the use of biological waste and residues as renewable feedstock across Europe. Click here to know how BioReCer contributed to shaping the EU bioeconomy.

Official agreement with the Associação de Consumidores de Portugal
Active Citizenship Network is delighted to announce the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding with Associação de Consumidores de Portugal– ACOP, based in Coimbra. ACOP is a non-governmental organization that provides legal information to its members and to anyone seeking advice, and that resolves disputes in the area of consumer law outside of court. Read more

Leveraging Civil Society and Community Leadership to Support Public Vaccination Policies: Collection of Grassroots Mobilisation Initiatives across Europe
What do a Quality Charter and a website have in common? Or an Observatory with civic consultations? How should an information campaign be structured for chronic patients as opposed to young students? What particular considerations should we bear in mind when addressing the elderly as opposed to disadvantaged, isolated and hard-to-reach populations? The answers to these questions and others relating to vaccination policies can be found in the experiences collected by Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship and published in a handbook highlighting the active role of civil society in supporting public policy on vaccination. Read more and download the recently published article from SunText Review of Case Reports & Images.

Vaccines 3.0 and the “100 Days Mission”: Europe’s New Health Sovereignty
The cornerstone of the new pandemic preparedness strategy is the “100 Days Mission”, a global goal supported by the G7, G20 and World Health Organization. But why exactly 100 days? Read the newly published interview by ACN media partner Trend Sanità to find out more. (EN – IT)

19 March 2026 | Brussels (Belgium) | EU Policy & Advocacy Workshop: Protecting the value of prevention across Europe: focus on RSV & Maternal Vaccination
Organised by Active Citizenship Network, this initiative is open to leaders of civil society organisations (CSOs) and patient advocacy groups (PAGs) involved in vaccination policy from different member states. Leaders from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Spain have already confirmed their participation. Independent experts from the European Confederation of Primary Care Pediatricians and the Global Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants will provide updated information on maternal vaccination and the impact of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Read more. Here is an introductory article.

24 March 2026 | Brussels (Belgium) | Strengthening European identity in turbulent times: Citizenship, Belonging, and the Future of Knowledge in the EU
The State of the Union Citizens’ Rights Conference is the European Citizen Action Service’s (ECAS) annual flagship event in the area of EU rights. ECAS is an ACN partner in EU-funded projects on citizenship. The conference aims to review recent developments in European citizenship and provide a platform for civil society, decision-makers and academics to discuss ways to improve the implementation of EU rights and innovate EU citizenship. The 2026 edition will address two critical issues for European citizens at the core of today's European policy landscape: the increasing challenges of acquiring nationality within EU Member States and the future of knowledge freedom within the European Union. Read more

31 March 2026 | Brussels (Belgium) | Continuing to protect Europe against COVID-19 
The Director of Active Citizenship Nerwork has been invited to join the closed-door hybrid roundtable, providing insights on citizen and patient perspectives around COVID-19 vaccination decisions.  Led by members of the CTI- COVID Transition Initiative, this roundtable will seek input from public health experts, patient representatives, healthcare professionals and policymakers. Read more about Active Citizenship Network's commitment to this topic.

22 April 2026 | 11:30 – 17:30 CET | Online via Zoom | Intergenerational collaborations for cultures of peace
What does genuine collaboration look like when the conditions are hardest?  The Collective Leadership Institute  - official partner of Active Citizenship Network - hosts its 5th Transformation Literacy Conference: "Intergenerational Collaborations for Cultures of Peace" — bringing together peacebuilders from across the globe, from policy rooms to conflict zones. The spaces for dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect are shrinking — while polarisation and conflict grow louder across all parts of society. Against this backdrop, SDG 16 — Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions — feels more urgent than ever. And yet, peace is not built in one place or by one kind of person. Free, online, open to all. Register here

7-10 May 2026 | Minorca Island (Spain) | World Pain Forum & Sine Dolore World Park
Organised by theSine Dolore European Pain Foundation, historical partner of Active Citizenship Network, this forum has been conceived since its inception as a space for debate, exchange and learning. Professionals from around the world analyse and share medical advances in pain treatment, an invisible disease that, according to WHO data, affects 20% of the population. Read more and watch the video presentation.

12 May 2026 | European Parliament, Brussels: 20th EUROPEAN PATIENTS’ RIGHTS DAY
The 2026 European Patients’ Rights Day will be hosted by the Italian MEP Brando Benifei (S&D), who’s also the co-chair of the MEPs Interest Group "European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare", once again underlining the long-lasting partnership and attention to citizens' health matters.
The conference, which marks the 20th anniversary of the initiative promoted by Cittadinanzattiva/Active Citizenship Network since 2007, is titled “Empowered citizens, personalised care: a new era for prevention in Europe”. The event aims to foster recognition of personalised prevention as a human right, which is directly linked to the “Right to Preventive Measures”, the first principle stated in the European Charter of Patients’ Rights. Currently, EU member states dedicate 97% of their healthcare budgets to treatment, while spending an average of just 2.8% on preventive care. In a scenario of tighter budget constraints, the value of prevention becomes immeasurable. By reducing disease prevalence and avoiding costly treatments, prevention plays a crucial role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare, social care, and welfare systems. Read more

18-21 May 2026 | Frick (Switzerland) | OH-FINE general assembly 
As a consortium member of the EU-funded OH-FINE project, we are committed to developing evidence-based solutions that support farmers in adopting sustainable practices while enhancing biodiversity, soil health and farm resilience. Following the recent meeting in Spain, the next meeting hosted by FiBL-Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Switzerland will also provide an opportunity to discuss the OH-FINE representative's participation in BIOFACH 2026 in Nuremberg.
Read more.

22-24 October 2026 | Boston, Massachusetts (USA) | Global Conference on Public Health & Epidemiology
The Director of Active Citizenship Network has been invited to speak at the Global Conference on Public Health & Epidemiology (PHE 2026), a hybrid event scheduled to take place in the USA in October. The title of his presentation is “Grassroots Mobilisation across Europe: Leveraging Civil Society and Community Leadership to Bridge Gaps in Vaccine Coverage”. ACN handbook on this topic will be presented, along with “Vaccines and Vaccinations for Adults: A European Textbook ”, which provides a comprehensive reference on adult vaccines and immunisation practices tailored to the European context. Read more