On 5 and 6 May, members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) met in person in Brussels (Belgium), with 12 members travelling from across Europe accompanied by their supporters. The EWGPWD (2012) is composed entirely of people with dementia, nominated by their national Alzheimer associations who are member associations of Alzheimer Europe.
Over the two days, members engaged in a series of discussions on ongoing Alzheimer Europe activities and European dementia research initiatives. Topics included collaboration with the INTERDEM network and Alzheimer Europe’s involvement in the PREDICTOM project. Members also contributed to discussions on Alzheimer Europe’s Clinical Trials Watch, on the Dementia in Europe Yearbook 2026 and the EWGPWD discussed their involvement during the plenary session at the upcoming Alzheimer Europe Conference in Dublin. The sessions were dynamic and highly productive, with members sharing personal experiences, perspectives and priorities with the Alzheimer Europe Public Involvement team, reinforcing the importance of meaningful involvement of people with dementia in research and policy.
The consultations were facilitated by Dianne Gove (Director of Public Involvement and Ethics), Ana Diaz (Public Involvement Lead), Soraya Moradi-Bachiller (Public Involvement Officer), Sarah Campill (Public Involvement Officer) and Faye Forsyth (Public Involvement Officer). The Public Involvement team was joined for dedicated sessions by Cindy Birck (Project Officer), Owen Miller (Policy Officer) and Margarita Reyes (Communications Officer).
On 5 May, the EWGPWD attended a lunch debate at the European Parliament organised by Alzheimer Europe, entitled “Dementia as a Priority in EU Policies”. The event brought together around 90 participants, including policymakers, civil society representatives and researchers. Seven Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were in attendance: Hilde Vautmans (Belgium), Nina Carberry (Ireland), Maria Guzenina (Finland), Marit Maij (Netherlands), Nikos Papandreou (Greece), Maria Zacharia (Greece) and Tomáš Zdechovský (Czechia).
The debate highlighted the growing impact of dementia across Europe and the urgent need for coordinated EU action to improve diagnosis, care, research and support. Members of the EWGPWD and their supporters had the opportunity to connect directly with policymakers, including MEPs from their own countries, raising issues that reflect their lived experience and advocating for dementia to remain a European policy priority.
