What are the objectives?

The stated objectives of the FERS are to coordinate the common activities of national respiratory societies and to improve the standards of care of lung health and disease in Europe. These objectives will be achieved by raising awareness of respiratory diseases and obtaining increased funding for patient care and research by coordinating approaches to the European Union (EU) and national governments. Furthermore, the FERS will coordinate measures to improve medical education and accreditation in the specialty. Almost all of the European national societies have joined the FERS and strongly support these objectives.

7th Research Framework Programme (FP7)

An important early initiative has been to synchronise the efforts of national societies in seeking the specific inclusion of respiratory diseases as a major theme in the next Framework Research Programme of the EU (i.e. the FP7), which will operate from 2007 to 2013, and was decided in the EU parliament in October 2005. An intensive lobbying campaign has been mounted to gain the support of national governments, members of the European Parliament and relevant officials in the European Commission.

Respiratory diseases were not included in the first proposals for FP7, therefore lobbying efforts were undertaken with support at the national level. National society representatives were strongly encouraged to contact their National Ministries Research and health civil servants. Two position papers were prepared, the objectives of which were:

1. To have respiratory diseases included in the group of major diseases in the next framework programme of research.
2. To contribute to European research policy and raise awareness of respiratory science.

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