THE GREENS/EFA IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
PRESS INVITATION * Strasbourg, 17 December 2003

Discrimination against multiple sclerosis sufferers:
Press conference and reception on multiple sclerosis petitions committee report

What: Press conference and reception on Aaltonen report on discrimination
against multiple sclerosis sufferers
When: Wednesday 17 December, 18.00
Where: 5th Floor Salon (Canal zone), Louise Weiss building, Strasbourg
Participants:
Uma Aaltonen, Finnish MEP and Rapporteur on MS report
Nino Gemelli, Chairman of Parliament's Petitions Committee
Louise McVay, Submitter of petition to Parliament
Background: The European Parliament's Petitions Committee adopted an
own-initiative report by Uma Aaltonen on a petition submitted to the Parliament
by Louise McVay, a multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer, on the effects of
discriminatory treatment afforded to sufferers like her within the EU. The
report pointed out that over the last 20 years considerable progress had been
made in understanding MS and in ways of detecting it early and improving the
quality of life of sufferers, provided that they had access financially and
technically to the necessary treatment. In practice, however, this was not
always the case. The treatment available to sufferers could vary depending on
their Member State and even within Member States. MEPs deplored this situation
and said that a "principal objective" of the health authorities in the
EU should be to guarantee equal access to therapies and treatments.