The EURORDIS Specific Grant Agreement 2018 is the first SGA within the overarching Framework Partnership Agreement 2018-2021. EURORDIS main strategic objectives are to consolidate the Rare Disease patient’s
community and strengthen the rare disease patients’ voice; to actively engage rare disease patient representatives into the effective implementation and monitoring of relevant legislation/strategies; to build capacities and empower rare disease patients advocates, members and volunteers; to sustain human, financial and organisational resources. All activities within the SGA 2018 work to this effect.


TB Europe Coalition (TBEC) is the only regional civil society network working exclusively on TB in the WHO Europe region and, with 171 members in 35 WHO Europe countries, is uniquely positioned to increase the political will needed to end the TB epidemic across the region by strengthening the coordinated response of civil society.
According to the latest figures released by the WHO in the Global Tuberculosis Report 2017, TB continues to be the world’s leading infectious killer, resulting in 10.4 million new infections globally - 600, 000 of which were drug resistant. Unfortunately, the WHO Europe region continues to lead in two key areas of concern - drug resistant TB and TB/HIV co-infection. Nevertheless, TB has maintained a low profile on the regional - and global - political agenda, failing to receive the attention and resources it deserves. 2018 provides unprecedented political opportunities to advance the fight against the epidemic, such as the first ever UN High Level Meeting on Tuberculosis, which could trigger a dramatic shift in the global and European response. A strong, engaged and coordinated civil society will be key to guarantee these opportunities are not missed.
TBEC has identified health system financing, people-centred TB policy, and TB R&D as the key thematic priorities in the region for the next three years.
TBEC has identified four key objectives for 2018 work plan: 1) well-structured TBEC governance and accountability mechanisms; 2) robust processes for communication and external outreach, including one-to-one engagement; 3) strong partnerships with key decision makers, influencers and civil society in interdependent policy areas, in particular TBEC priority thematic areas; and 4) identification of skill gaps and knowledge needs amongst TBEC members, specifically with focus on best practices, as well as opportunities for training programme in 2019.



The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2018 in respect of the following strategic objectives:
1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national cancer plans.
In concrete terms, these objectives will be achieved by: the organisation of a policy dialogue during the European Week against Cancer (EWAC), and development of toolkit to facilitate the roll-out of this format across the EU during EWAC; increasing ECL actions on organised cancer screening by publishing a lay version of the recent EU cancer screening report, and developing training for cancer leagues in this area; promotion of the ECAC by networking cancer leagues, and enhancing the role of the ECL Youth Ambassadors in these efforts; publication of guidelines by the Patient Support Working Group and Access to Medicines Task Force of ECL; and ongoing secretariat function of the successful MEPs against Cancer group of the European Parliament. In addition, ECL will host two trainees from the EU Solidarity Corps, and develop a process to encourage the wider participation of cancer leagues in this initiative.
This proposal has relevance to the annual work programme through its focus on health determinants and health promotion, boosting cancer control, and equitable access to healthcare.
