The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, convening in Barcelona, Catalonia on 19^th and 20^th November 2009:

Whereas:

-         An ageing European population combined with a growing number of possibilities for new, highly specialised health care treatment are putting national health care systems under pressure – financially as well as regards manpower and specialised competencies;

-         National health care systems experience difficulties in covering all rare diseases as well as complicated, expensive and highly specialised health care treatment;

-         A combined European effort in the field of rare diseases and complicated, expensive and highly specialised health care treatment will be a solution for future health care treatment with a clearly European added value for patients as well as society as a whole.

Recalls:

-         National competence in the field of health care as well as Article 152 of the treaties stating the European Communities’ competence in supplementary actions for the benefit of public health.

Calls on:

-         The European Commission to propose a financing arrangement of a limited number of major European hospitals to deal with research and development of treatment into rare diseases and highly specialised health care in order to pool and enhance European expertise on specific health care issues.