Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen

I am very happy to be given this opportunity to speak here today on the basis of my report on Multiple Sclerosis for Committee on Petitions.

This report is our committee's response to a petition that was received in August 2001 from UK-citizen Louise McVay. She wanted to bring to our attention that persons who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis are being treated quite differently in different EU countries. She pointed out that access to essential medicines for treating the disease was unequally distributed geographically even within certain countries.

Being a living example of the best possible influence of the medicine in question –beta interferon -I am more than grateful to Louise for her courage and determination to start her personal campaign for equal rights of all MS-sufferers in the EU to have access to most effective available treatments.

MS is but one of the diseases and illnesses that can change a young and agile person temporarily or permanently disabled. One could even say old age comes prematurely – the disease slows the pace and burdens the mind making years longer.

One of the things I have done to clarify what treatment and support member states provide, has been to send a letter to the Ministers of health of the member states. Of course I have also used information provided by MS societies and their European Platform organisation.

Our Committee on petitions decided to draw up a report basically because we were not quite satisfied with the idea that not much could be done on a European level, but the comments by the Commission representative at our last meeting were very encouraging concerning the unionwide exchange of research and network of information on rehabilitation.

What I have done - with great help from the secretariat David Lowe and the legal adviser of the Greens Kjell Sevon - is to look first at what should be done to improve the conditions under which persons affected with MS can lead as full and productive life as possible and reduce, in longer term, the costs to society.

And this includes both in the terms of financing care, and in the terms of loss of human resources.

Another point I have concentrated on is that what means could be available for us to do so. And taking into account that, in the field of public health, EUs actions are meant to supplement the policies of member states, rather than being a substitute for member states, which, of course continue to bear the main responsibility for providing European citizens with health care.

As one of the 400 000 EU-citizens with MS I believe I have to emphasise the fact that Multiple Sclerosis is a complex issue. Those of us who know just one person affected by MS know more of the disease- but the capricious nature of the disease is thoroughly known only by the MS-person. The various needs of different groups of patients make the medication and rehabilitation a complicated matter.

When I was diagnosed with MS 10 years ago I definitely had no idea I would be speaking about it here today. MS has given me hard times and finally after starting the medication betainteferon a year ago - a good new start and strength for a new career .

We all know that a society and environment that is good for the disabled is also accessible to mothers with children and the aged citizens at all ages.

Accessibility should be the basic and selfevident characteristic of the build environment of our daily lives. The responses from the governments, health authorities and where applicable EU institutions and international bodies, must relate to the individual needs of all EU citizens.

At every level priority must be given to the integrity of the person

and the choices that we as individuals must make about our lives.

One crucial point is the need to give due consideration to the constructive role that the persons s individuals can play in developing coherent solutions - if they are given the opportunity.

Memberstates of the EU have a clear responsibility and an obligation towards their citizens' health requirements and well-being. In general this responsibility is properly fulfilled by the provision of health care to the greatest number of persons possible, and Europe is in fact rather unique for having adopted such an inclusive approach to health care generally compared to other continents.