Bilbao Conference on Rare Diseases and the European Reference Networks
September 2023
10-11 October | Euskalduna Conference Centre, Bilbao, Spain
The conference on Rare Diseases and European Reference Networks will be organised under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council and in cooperation with the authorities of the Basque Country.
The event will take place on 10-11 October 2023 in the Euskalduna Conference Centre in Bilbao, Spain, with the second day being the main conference that will focus broadly on rare disease policies and European Reference Networks.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Yann Le Cam, will be among the colleagues from EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe speaking at the conference, which will also feature contributions from:
- Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
- José Manuel Miñones Conde, Minister for Health of Spain
- Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee
- Emilia M. Málaga Pérez, President of the Basque Economic and Social Council
- Juan Mari Aburto, Mayor of Bilbao
- Gotzone Sagardui, Minister of Health of the Basque Government
- Sandra Gallina, Director General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
The conference will review the state of play and address some of the main challenges facing the EU policy framework on rare diseases and European Reference Networks.
Member States and civil society alike are keen to see progress in this field: accordingly, the conference will respond to calls for action from the Czech Presidency of the Council and to the previous political priority of the Trio, as well as to calls from patients’ associations very active on the ground.
Registrations for in-person attendance at the conference are open until 28 September, and live streaming in English and Spanish is foreseen for both of the days of the event
