European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group

The European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group (see list of members below) calls for the following specific actions to be taken. In order to prevent the unnecessary suffering and costs caused by osteoporotic fractures national health authorities and health insurance agencies must:

Improve the availability of bone densitometry resources and pay for bone density scans for people at risk of osteoporosis prior to the first fracture.
Pay for proven therapies for people at risk of osteoporosis prior to the first fracture
Financially support and participate in educational awareness campaigns in partnership with the IOF, IOF member societies and other concerned groups and professionals.

European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group Chairs,
From left: Mary Honeyball MEP, UK; Anja Weisgerber MEP, Germany

To help member states to develop best practices and to evaluate the results of their actions the European Commission must work in partnership with the IOF to:

Bring national and European policy makers together with osteoporosis experts and concerned groups to produce practical, cost effective strategies to prevent osteoporotic fractures. These strategies must include measurable, realistic, time-based targets for reducing osteoporotic fractures.
Create a co-ordinated data collection system to monitor osteoporotic fractures

Download the invitation leaflet to MEPs (PDF, 925.2 KB)

Members of the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group

(as of October 2009)

Co-Chairs: Mary Honeyball MEP, UK and Anja Weisgerber MEP, Germany

Pilar Ayuso Gonzalez MEP, Spain
Edit Bauer MEP, Slovakia
Frederika Brepoels MEP, Belgium
Milan Cabrnoch MEP, Czech Republic
David Casa MEP, Malta
Gabriela Cretu MEP, Romania
Proinsias De Rossa MEP, Ireland
Ilda Figueiredo MEP, Portugal
Nathalie Griesbeck MEP, France
Françoise Grossetête MEP, France
Mary Honeyball MEP, UK
Richard Howitt MEP, UK
Filiz Hyusmenova MEP, Bulgaria
Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou MEP, Greece

Astrid Lulling MEP, Luxembourg
Elizabeth Lynne MEP, UK
Arlene McCarthy MEP, UK
Claude Moraes MEP, UK
Angelika Niebler MEP, Germany
Siiri Oviir MEP, Estonia
Sirpa Pietikainen MEP, Finland
Frédérique Ries MEP, Belgium
Catherine Stihler MEP, UK
Britta Thomsen MEP, Denmark
Derek Vaughan MEP, UK
Diana Wallis MEP, UK
Anja Weisgerber MEP, Germany
Anna Záborská MEP, Slovakia