On 6 February 2009, the European Parliament adopted Written Declaration 80/2008 on the priorities in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, in which MEPs call on the European Commission and the Member States to recognise Alzheimer’s disease as a European public health priority and to develop a European Action Plan. According to this important call, the European Union should promote pan-European research and collaborate in order to improve early diagnosis and the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers. Furthermore, the Declaration explicitly recognises the important role of Alzheimer associations and asks for their activities to be supported.

The Written Declaration was launched by MEPs Françoise Grossetête (France), John Bowis (United Kingdom), Katalin Levai (Hungary), Jan Tadeusz Masiel (Poland) and Antonios Trakatellis (Greece) and gathered the support of 465 Members of the European Parliament from all 27 countries of the European Union and all political groups. Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Françoise Grossetête stated, “As Chairperson of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance, I am greatly encouraged that my colleagues in the European Parliament share my conviction that the European Union cannot ignore the lives of the 6.1 million Europeans who currently have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Our Alliance was created with the aim of making dementia a European priority and I am truly delighted that our campaign has resulted in this great success. I am convinced that this initiative will result in greater European collaboration on Alzheimer’s disease and concrete measures which will improve the quality of life of people with dementia and carers alike”.

Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe welcomed the European Parliament initiative and stated, “Alzheimer Europe would like to thank the authors of the Written Declaration for their incredible support in passing this important initiative and in convincing their colleagues that the time for European action on dementia is now. The European Parliament has clearly demonstrated that Alzheimer’s disease does not recognise any geographical borders or political differences. To have support from all 27 European countries and all political groups in the European Parliament for our campaign has been truly awe-inspiring. We promise to give our continued support to the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Member States for the development of a European Action Plan”.

The following Members of the European Parliament signed Written Declaration 80/2008:

Austria

1. Berger Maria
2. Ettl Harald
3. Karas Othmar
4. Pirker Hubert
5. Prets Christa
6. Resetarits Karin
7. Rübig Paul
8. Schierhuber Agnes
9. Swoboda Hannes

Belgium

1. Belet Ivo
2. Brepoels Frieda
3. Busquin Philippe
4. Claeys Philip
5. Corda Giovanna
6. Dehaene Jean-Luc
7. Deprez Gérard
8. De Vits Mia
9. El Khadraoui Saïd
10. Grosch Mathieu
11. Langendries Raymond
12. Neyts-Uyttebroeck Annemie
13. Ries Frédérique
14. Staes Bart
15. Sterckx Dirk
16. Thyssen Marianne
17. Van Lancker Anne

Bulgaria

1. Baeva Mariela Velichkova
2. Binev Slavi
3. Hyusmenova Filiz Hakaeva
4. Jeleva Rumiana
5. Kazak Metin
6. Kirilov Evgeni
7. Lyubcheva Marusya Ivanova
8. Mladenov Nickolay
9. Panayotov Vladko Todorov
10. Paparizov Atanas
11. Raeva Bilyana Ilieva
12. Stavreva Petya
13. Stoyanov Dimitar
14. Urutchev Vladimir
15. Vigenin Kristian
16. Zdravkova Dushana

Cyprus

1. Adamou Adamos
2. Demetriou Panayiotis
3. Kasoulides Ioannis
4. Matsakis Mario
5. Matsis Yiannakis
6. Triantaphyllides Kyriacos

Czech Republic

1. Cabrnoch Milan
2. Flasarová Vera
3. Hybasjová Jana
4. Kohlíček Jaromír
5. Maštálka Jiří
6. Ransdorf Miloslav
7. Remek Vladimír
8. Roithova Zuzana
9. Rouček Libor
10. Škottová Nina
11. Stroz Daniel
12. Vlasák Oldřich
13. Zahradil Jan
14. Zatloukai Tomas
15. Zelezny Vladimir
16. Zvěřina Jaroslav

Denmark

1. Auken Margrete
2. Busk Niels
3. Camre Mogens
4. Christensen Ole
5. Jensen Anne E.
6. Lebech Johannes
7. Rasmussen Poul Nyrup
8. Riis-Jørgensen Karin
9. Sondergaard Soren Bo
10. Thomsen Britta

Estonia

1. Mikka Marianne
2. Oviir Siiri

Finland

1. Itälä Ville
2. Lax Henrik
3. Myller Riitta
4. Paasilinna Reino
5. Pietikäinen Sirpa
6. Seppänen Esko
7. Takkula Hannu

France

1. Arif Kader
2. Audy Jean-Pierre
3. Beaupuy Jean Marie
4. Bennahmias Jean-Luc
5. Bono Guy
6. Cavada Jean-Marie
7. Cornillet Thierry
8. Daul Joseph
9. De Sarnez Marielle
10. Descamps Marie-Hélène
11. De Veyrac Christine
12. Douay Brigitte
13. Fontaine Nicole
14. Fouré Brigitte
15. Fourtou Janelly
16. Gaubert Patrick
17. Gauzès Jean-Paul
18. Gibault Claire
19. Gollnisch Bruno
20. Griesbeck Nathalie
21. Grossetête Françoise
22. Guellec Ambroise
23. Jouye de Grandmaison Madeleine
24. Lamassoure Alain
25. Lang Carl
26. Laperrouze Anne
27. Lefrançois Roselyne
28. Lehideux Bernard
29. Le Rachinel Fernand
30. Lienemann Marie Noëlle
31. Lipietz Alain
32. Louis Patrick
33. Martinez Jean-Claude
34. Mathieu Véronique
35. Morillon Philippe
36. Morin Elisabeth
37. Onesta Gérard
38. Saïfi Tokia
39. Savary Gilles
40. Schenardi Lydia
41. Sudre Margie
42. Teychenné Michel
43. Toubon Jacques
44. Trautmann Catherine
45. Vatanen Ari
46. Vergnaud Bernadette
47. Vlasto Dominique
48. Weber Henri
49. Wurtz Henri

Germany

1. Beer Angelika
2. Brie André
3. Bullmann Udo
4. Cramer Michael
5. Gröner Lissy
6. Hoppenstedt Karsten Friedrich
7. Horacek Milan
8. Kallenbach Gisela
9. Kaufmann Sylvia-Yvonne
10. Klass Christa
11. Lauk Kurt Joachim
12. Niebler Angelika
13. Özdemir Cem
14. Posdorf Horst
15. Posselt Bernd
16. Roth-Behrendt Dagmar
17. Rühle Heide
18. Schmidt Frithjof
19. Sommer Renate
20. Wagenknecht Sahra
21. Zimmer Gabriele

Greece

1. Angelakas Emmanouil
2. Arnaoutakis Stavros
3. Batzeli Katerina
4. Botopoulos Costas
5. Dimitrakopoulos Giorgos
6. Droutsas Konstantinos
7. Georgiou Georgios
8. Gklavakis Ioannis
9. Koppa Maria Eleni
10. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou Rodi
11. Lambrinidis Stavros
12. Matsouka Maria
13. Mavrommatis Manolis
14. Pafilis Athanasios
15. Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou Marie
16. Papadimoulis Dimitrios
17. Papastamkos Georgios
18. Podimata Anni
19. Schinas Margaritis
20. Toussas Georgios
21. Trakatellis Antonios
22. Tzampazi Evangelia
23. Vakalis Nikolaos
24. Varvitsiotis Ioannis

Hungary

1. Becsey Zsolt Laszlo
2. Dobolyi Alexandra
3. Gal Kinga
4. Gurmai Zita
5. Hanargozó Gábor
6. Hegyi Gyula
7. Herczog Edit
8. Jaroka Livia
9. Kósáné Kovács Magda
10. Lévai Katalin
11. Mohacsi Viktoria
12. Olajos Peter
13. Öry Csaba
14. Schmitt Pal
15. Schöpflin György
16. Szájer József
17. Szent-Ivanyi Istvan
18. Tabajdi Csaba Sandor

Ireland

1. Aylward Liam
2. Burke Colm
3. Crowley Brian
4. de Rossa Proinsias
5. Doyle Avril
6. Harkin Marian
7. McGuinness Mairead
8. Mitchell Gay
9. Ó Neachtain Seán
10. Ryan Eoin
11. Sinnott Kathy

Italy

1. Agnoletto Vittorio
2. Albertini Gabriele
3. Antoniozzi Alfredo
4. Bartolozzi Paolo
5. Basile Domenico Antonio
6. Battilocchio Alessandro
7. Bonsignore Vito
8. Borghezio Mario
9. Boso Erminio Enzo
10. Braghetto Iles
11. Calia Maddalena
12. Cappato Marco
13. Carollo Giorgio
14. Chiesa Giulietto
15. Ciani Fabio
16. Cocilovo Luigi
17. Fatuzzo Carlo
18. Foglietta Alessandro
19. Frassoni Monica
20. Gardini Elisabetta
21. Gawronski Jas
22. Giuntini Monica
23. Kusstatscher Sepp
24. Losco Andrea
25. Lo Curto Eleonora
26. Marini Catisucia
27. Mauro Mario
28. Morgantini Luisa
29. Musacchio Roberto
30. Muscardini Cristiana
31. Napoletano Pasqualina
32. Patriciello Aldo
33. Pitella Gianni
34. Prodi Vittorio
35. Rivera Giovanni
36. Rizzo Marco
37. Robusti Giovanni
38. Romagnoli Luca
39. Susta Gianluca
40. Tatarella Salvatore
41. Toia Patrizia
42. Veneto Armando
43. Veraldi Donato Tommaso
44. Zani Mauro
45. Zappalà Stefano

Latvia

1. Andrejevs Georgs
2. Krasts Guntars
3. Kristovskis Ģirts Valdis
4. Piks Rihards
5. Zdanoka Tatiana

Lithuania

1. Andrikiene Laima Liucija
2. Budreikaitė Danutė
3. Dičkutė Jolanta
4. Maldeikis Eugenijus
5. Paleckis Justas Vincas
6. Sakalas Aloyzas

Luxembourg

1. Goebbels Robert
2. Hennicot-Schoepges Erna
3. Lulling Astrid
4. Spautz Jean
5. Turmes Claude

Malta

1. Attard-Montalto John
2. Bedingfield Glen
3. Busuttil Simon
4. Casa David

Netherlands

1. Belder Bastiaan
2. Blokland Johannes
3. Bozkurt Emine
4. Buitenweg Kathalijne Maria
5. Corbey Dorette
6. Cremers Jan
7. Doorn Bert
8. Hennis-Plasschaert Jeanine
9. Jacobs Lily
10. de Lange Esther
11. Liotard Kartika Tamara
12. Manders Toine
13. Martens Maris
14. van Nistelrooij Lambert
15. Oomen-Ruijten Ria
16. Wortmann-Kool Corien

Poland

1. Chmielewski Zdzisklaw Kazimierz
2. Chruszcz Sylwester
3. Czarnecki Marek Aleksander
4. Czarnecki Ryszard
5. Foltyn-Kubicka Hanna
6. Geringer de Oedenberg Lidia Hoanna
7. Grabowski Dariusz Maciej
8. Golik Bogdan
9. Handzlik Małgorzata
10. Janowski Mieczysław Edmund
11. Kaczmarek Filip
12. Krupa Urszula
13. Kuc Wiesław Stefan
14. Kuzmiuk Zbigniew Krzysztof
15. Liberadki Boguslaw
16. Libicki Marcin
17. Masiel Jan Tadeusz
18. Olbrycht Jan
19. Pek Bogdan
20. Pinior Jozef
21. Podkański Zdzisław Zbigniew
22. Protasiewicz Jacek
23. Rogalski Boguslaw
24. Rutowicz Leopold Józef
25. Saryusz-Wolski Jacek
26. Siekerski Czeslaw Adam
27. Staniszewska Grażyna
28. Szejna Andrzej Jan
29. Tomaszewska Ewa
30. Tomczak Witold
31. Wielowieyski Andrzej
32. Wojciechowski Bernard
33. Wojciechowski Janusz
34. Zapalowski Andrzej Tomasz
35. Zaleski Zbigniew
36. Zwiefka Tadeusz

Portugal

1. Capoulas Santos Luis Manuel
2. Casaca Paulo
3. Coelho, Carlos
4. Esteves Maria da Assunção
5. Estrela Edite
6. Fernandes Emanuel Jardim
7. Ferreira Elisa
8. Figueiredo Ilda
9. França Armando
10. Freitas Duarte
11. Gomes Ana Maria
12. Guerreiro Pedro
13. Madeira Jamila
14. Marques Sérgio
15. Pinheiro João de Deus
16. Portas Miguel
17. Queiró Luis
18. Ribeiro e Castro José
19. Santos Manuel António dos
20. Silva Peneda José Albino

Romania

1. Bodu Sebastian Valentin
2. Bulzesc Nicodim
3. Buşoi Cristian Silviu
4. Cretu Gabriela
5. Csibi Magor Imre
6. David Dragoş Florin
7. Dumitriu Constantin
8. Filip Petru
9. Manescu Ramona Nicole
10. Marinescu Marian-Jean
11. Matula Iosif
12. Oprea Dumitriu
13. Petre Maria
14. Sógor Csaba
15. Ticau Silvia-Adriana

Slovakia

1. Baco Peter
2. Bauer Edit
3. Belohorská Irena
4. Duka-Zólyomi Árpád
5. Gaľa Milan
6. Kozlik Segej
7. Šťastný Peter
8. Záborská Anna

Slovenia

1. Brejc Mihael
2. Drcar Murko Mojca
3. Jordan Cizelj Romana
4. Juri Aurelio
5. Kacin Jelko
6. Novak Ljudmila
7. Peterle Alojz

Spain

1. Ayuso Pilar
2. Barón Crespo Enrique
3. Cercas Alejandro
4. Díaz de Mera García Consuegra Agustín
5. Fraile Cantón Juan
6. Galeote Gerardo
7. Garcés Ramón Vicente Miguel
8. García-Margallo y Marfil José Manuel
9. Garriga Polledo Salvador
10. Grandes Pascual Luis de
11. Grau i Segú Martí
12. Guardans Cambó Ignasi
13. Gutiérrez-Cortines Cristina
14. Herranz García Esther
15. Herrero-Tejedor Luis
16. Iturgaiz-Angula Carlos José
17. López-Istúriz White Antonio
18. Luque Aguilar Florencio
19. Martínez Martínez Miguel Angel
20. Mendez de Vigo Íñigo
21. Menéndez del Valle Emilio
22. Miguélez Ramos Rosa
23. Moreno Sánchez Javier
24. Naranjo Escobar Juan Andrés
25. Ortuondo Larrea Josu
26. Pleguezuelos Aguilar Francisca
27. Pomés Ruiz José Javier
28. Riera Madurell Teresa
29. Romeva i Rueda Raül
30. Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra José Ignacio
31. Salinas García María Isabel
32. Sánchez Presedo Antolín
33. Sanz Palacio Salvador Domingo
34. Sornosa Martínez María
35. Varela Suanzes-Carpegna Daniel
36. Vidal-Quadras Alejo

Sweden

1. Ek Lena
2. Holm Jens
3. Schlyter Carl
4. Schmidt Olle
5. Segelström Inger
6. Svensson Eva-Britt
7. Wijkman Anders

United Kingdom

1. Ashworth Richard James
2. Atkins Robert
3. Attwooll Elspeth
4. Beazley Christopher
5. Bowis John
6. Bowles Sharon
7. Bushill-Matthews Philip
8. Callanan Martin
9. Chichester Giles
10. Corbett Richard
11. de Brún Bairbre
12. Deva Nirj
13. Dover Den
14. Duff Andrew
15. Elles James
16. Evans Jill
17. Evans Jonathan
18. Evans Robert
19. Ford Glyn
20. Hall Fiona
21. Harbour Malcolm
22. Honeyball Mary
23. Hudghton Ian
24. Hughes Stephen
25. Jackson Caroline
26. Kinnock Glenys
27. Kirkhope Timothy
28. Lambert Jean
29. Lucas Caroline
30. Ludford Sarah
31. Lynne Elizabeth
32. Martin David
33. McAvan Linda
34. McCarthy Arlene
35. Moraes Claude
36. Morgan Eluned
37. Newton Dunn Bill
38. Nicholson James
39. Purvis John
40. Simpson Brian
41. Stevenson Struan
42. Stihler Catherine
43. Sumberg David
44. Tannock Charles
45. Titley Gary
46. Van Orden Geoffrey
47. Wallis Diana
48. Watson Graham
49. Wilmott Glenis