As a result of its recent EU advocacy activities, EASL was invited to attend the first meeting of the EU Chronic Disease Alliance, a new initiative driven by leading European health advocacy organisations aimed at driving EU policy action on Europe's major chronic diseases.

EASL Vice-Secretary, Prof. Mark Thursz, attended the first meeting on 10 November in Brussels organised by the European Commission and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The discussion focused on defining the key priorities for the alliance of patient and professional associations in order to become an effective vehicle for lobbying on chronic disease policies at EU level.

The Alliance is now preparing to develop a set of policy recommendations to address the four main health determinants which are common to the major non-communicable diseases: tobacco, alcohol, obesity and physical inactivity. The recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the incoming EU Commissioner for Health in the first quarter of 2010.