Luxembourg, 8 February 2022 – Today, Alzheimer Europe signed a Grant Agreement with the European Commission under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, which will allow the organisation to continue its work making dementia a policy priority in Europe.
Alzheimer Europe expresses its gratitude to the European Commission for recognising that dementia is the leading cause for disability and dependency in older adults in Europe and for providing vital financial support for the organisation’s 2022 activities.
The signing of the agreement marks a slight shift in the future focus of Alzheimer Europe’s policy work since the organisation had previously received operating grant funding from the EU’s health programme. Building on its previous work promoting a rights-based approach and advocating for the rights of people with dementia and their carers, Alzheimer Europe will now be in a position to place an even greater focus on the citizenship and equal participation of people with dementia in society.
Alzheimer Europe will undertake a number of different strands of work throughout 2022, including:
- Promoting and defending the rights of people with dementia as full EU citizens, giving them a voice in EU and national policies by involving the European Working Group of People with Dementia in all operating grant activities and meetings, as well as publishing a guide on dementia-inclusive language
- Promoting the compliance of national dementia policies and strategies in the field of employment and social protection, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ESRPD), by mapping and analysing national policies, identifying good practices and publishing these in the Dementia in Europe Yearbook 2022
- Improving the capacity of national member organisations to contribute to national and EU disability policies by organising capacity building webinars and workshops
- Ensuring that dementia is recognised as a leading cause of disability and dependency by actively contributing to EU policy making and supporting the implementation of the ESRPD and European Semester process
- Raising awareness of the ESRPD by effectively communicating EU policies and operating grant results and achievements to its members and the general public.
Alzheimer Europe Executive Director, Jean Georges stated: “The signing of the Grant Agreement with the European Commission is an important step in securing funding for Alzheimer Europe’s work in the coming years. Dementia and related cognitive impairments are not always recognised as disabilities, despite the significant impact they have on the day-to-day lives of individuals, their families and carers. Thanks to this vital support by the European Commission, we will be able to continue our work focused on citizenship and rights and identify measures which will improve the lives of people with dementia, their families and carers.”