The momentum for national brain strategies is stronger than ever. On 18 March 2025, the European Brain Council (EBC) held its annual Brain Awareness Week event, titled “Brain Health Plans Summit: Towards the Establishment of National Brain Plans in Europe and Beyond”. Hosted by MEP Aurelijus Veryga (ECR, LT), Deputy Coordinator of the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee, the high-level event brought key stakeholders together from across the European Union and beyond to discuss best practices, challenges, and opportunities in advancing national brain plans.

With brain disorders being the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death in the world, the need for coordinated national and international action has never been more pressing. While countries such as Switzerland, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Finland have already implemented national brain strategies, many others have set concrete short-term goals or are in the process of crafting their respective plans. The discussions that took place during the Brain Health Plans Summit underscored the importance of treating brain health as a policy priority rather than a fragmented collection of neurological and mental health challenges and sectoral approaches.

Best Practices Outside of the European Union

Emmanuel Chen (Singapore Memory Aging and Cognition Centre), Jennie Young (Canadian Brain Research Strategy), Henrik Peersen (Norwegian Brain Council) and Claudio Bassetti took the floor as representatives of countries which have successfully advanced the prioritization of brain health at national level, to share their experiences in overcoming obstacles, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and securing commitment from policymakers. Alfred Njamnshi (BRAIN Initiative) illustrated Cameroon’s leadership in prioritising brain health across all policy areas and demonstrating the economic imperative of investing in brain health to support sustainable growth and innovation through a presentation of the Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy and Brain Capital.

Case Study of the Nordics, Spain and Poland

Spain’s ongoing efforts to develop a national brain health strategy were discussed by Mara Dierssen (Spanish Brain Council) and Elvira Vacas Montero (Spanish Epilepsy Federation, International Bureau for Epilepsy European Region), offering insights into the challenges of integrating brain health into national policy while associating people living with a brain condition. Poland’s early steps in leveraging its EU Presidency to establish its own national strategy underscored the importance of political leadership in driving change. Izabella Dessoulavy-Gladysz (Mental Power Foundation), Cezary Mazurek (Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center) & Kondrad Rejdak (Medical University of Lublin) also insisted on the crucial role of data and research infrastructures, and the need to include clinical expertise in community-driven initiatives. The session on the Nordic experiences provided a powerful case study of how regional cooperation can enhance national efforts, through showcasing examples of national strategies already in place shared by Henrik Peersen, Mika Martikainen (Finnish Brain Council) and Morten Lorenzen (Danish Brain Council).

Towards an EU Coordination Plan for the Brain

A fireside chat between MEP Tomislav Sokol (EPP, CR) and Elena Moro (European Academy of Neurology) explored the case for an EU Coordination Plan for the Brain, emphasizing the need for an integrated, EU-wide approach to research, policy, and funding to address the growing burden of brain disorders and work towards brain-healthy societies. The panel concluded on a call to better streamline and align national regulations and policies, as an essential step towards an ambitious EU Health Union.

A Call for Continued Action

The event clearly demonstrated that, while significant progress has been made in the past years, sustained collaboration and further commitments are needed to advance national and international brain strategies. By fostering cross-border alliances and aligning efforts under a cohesive and ambitious EU Coordination Plan for the Brain, stakeholders can drive meaningful policy change, ensure adequate investment in research and innovation, and ultimately improve the lives of the millions of Europeans living with a brain disorder.

The outcomes of this event will serve as a key building block for the upcoming strategic discussions such as the World Health Assembly, the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the 4th High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases, the G7 and G20 meetings. By maintaining this momentum and engaging with policymakers across the policy landscape, EBC, its member organizations and the broader brain community will continue to push for impactful and tangible change in the way brain health, research and innovation are prioritized on national and global policy agendas.

This event was kindly supported by Angelini Pharma, Lundbeck and Roche.

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Programme

14:00 – 14:05

Word of Welcome by Convening MEP

14:05 – 14:15

Brain Health on the Rise: WHO Action Plans

14:15 – 15:00

15:00 – 15:10

15:10 – 15:25

Open Discussion #1

15:25 – 15:45

15:45 – 16:00

Break

16:00 – 16:30

16:30 – 17:00

17:00 – 17:10

17:10 – 17:40

17:40 – 17:55

Open Discussion #2

17:55 – 18:10

18:10 – 18:15

“If you look at the cost [of brain disorders] to the health services, it is estimated to cost €800 billion a year. It’s the equivalent of cardiovascular, cancer, and diabetes all put together.” – MEP Colm Markey

Host Member of the European Parliament, MEP Colm Markey (EPP, IE) kicked off EBC’s Brain Awareness Week 2024 event, No Health Without Brain Health, by welcoming the audience to the European Parliament and reminding the audience of how crucial tackling the growing burden of brain conditions and prioritising brain health and research in Europe currently is. These conditions, when paralleled with an ageing European population and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, urgently require increased support at policy level – in terms of public health and research investment— both at the EU and global levels. Prof. Suzanne L. Dickson, EBC President, followed by announcing the ongoing #NoHealthWithoutBrainHealth campaign, which launched ahead of the event, and will run through the European Elections in June 2024 and into the new mandate, calling for an increased recognition and prioritisation of brain health, research and innovation in the European Union. “We not only need to do more, we need to do better,” Prof. Dickson stated, sharing with the audience some of the key policy asks from EBC’s 2024 Elections Manifesto, particularly reiterating strong calls from the brain community for a European Parliament Intergroup on Brain Health & Research.

Testimonies on Lived Experiences and Policy Asks from the Patient Community

Astri Arnesen, President of the European Federation of Neurological Associations, then took the floor to share her lived experience of brain disorders, echoing policy asks from the European patient community. Existing silos across the European Union should be built down, to foster cooperation between all relevant stakeholders, ensure they have access to relevant data and be able to make a real impact for patients. “Please stop overprotecting us. […] Patients dedicate time and efforts to provide information, to provide the data. We want it to be used.”

Péter Kéri, President of GAMIAN-Europe, underlined the stigma surrounding mental health disorders by sharing his own story: “I was lost. I spent years trying to hide my illness. My family wanted me to hide my illness”. Policymaking will not be able to effectively address the burden of brain disorders without actively listening and considering the voices of patients. The need to share knowledge between professional, policymakers and patients, coupled with increased support and funding is the only way to tackle the disparities and inequalities that persist for patients across Europe.

Addressing the Burden and the Challenges of Brain Disorders

“When we look into the future, to 2030, we can see that brain health disorders will be responsible for over 11 million deaths. If we look at disability, this represents 240 million years lived with disabilities. This is the reason why we are here today: to put brain health at the top of the agenda.”

Looking ahead towards a new roadmap in brain and mental Health, Elena Alvarez-Barón, Global Medical Affairs Director Specialty Care at Angelini Pharma, reminded the audience of the importance to foster collaboration while making brain health a priority. To ensure care pathways are harmonised across Europe, research must be adequately funded and supported, and healthcare systems must be thoroughly compared and analysed to highlight examples of good practices. Co-presenter, Elisa Milani, Senior Consultant for Healthcare Area at The European House – Ambrosetti, then presented the Headway Initiative, a concrete example highlighting state of the art practices in the management of brain disorders. This demonstrates how crucial having proper data available is for policymakers to make informed decisions when tackling the burden of neurological and mental disorders.

“We have heard a lot about numbers. Just remember that behind every single one of these numbers, there is a person that suffers. And I think we have an almost ethical obligation to do everything we can, with the competences we come with, to help these patients.”

Next, Morten Grunnet, Vice President and Head of Neuroscience at Lundbeck, spoke on the latest Science and Innovation in the Brain Space, asserting that individual data is of no interest to the industry: the main goal is to detect patterns in the development of brain disorders. While the human brain is a relatively new field of research, several breakthroughs are happening in the field, highlighting the European Union’s position at the forefront of brain research. This position can only be kept if research infrastructures are properly maintained. “From a scientific perspective, we have a very good and competitive environment in Europe right now. It’s an opportunity, and almost a need, that we keep this competitive environment…we have to secure that innovation stays in Europe.”

Catherine Berens, Deputy Head of Unit, DG Research and Innovation, People Directorate – D1 ‘Combatting Diseases, European Commission, provided insight on the State of Brain Research in Europe, detailing the various initiatives funded by the European Union to promote and foster brain health, research and innovation. Over the next few years, the main goal will be to structure the European brain research ecosystem around umbrella initiatives, such as the CSA BrainHealth (in which EBC is a partner) –paving the way towards a European Brain Health Partnership in 2026. While the need for increased research and investment is real, prevention must not be left aside, as it also plays a crucial role in tackling the burden of brain conditions.

“We have come to a point where time is really ripe to go to the next level and bring these initiatives together […] under the same umbrella to further strengthen the European brain area and boost European competitiveness in that field.”.

Panel Discussion: Policy Asks from the Brain Community in View of the EU Elections

Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council, opened the panel of EBC Members representing the leading European scientific and clinical organisations, inviting them to relay key policy asks from the brain community ahead of the 2024 European Elections.

“Brain health does not start in adulthood. Brain health starts even before pregnancy,” Prof. Kevin Rostasy, President of the European Paediatric Neurology Society initiated the discussion by highlighting the importance of considering brain health across the entire lifespan, taking into account the effects of multiple environmental determinants. Prof. Martien Kas, President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, acknowledged the increased efforts of the European Union in funding research projects, but however recalled that a significant number of very promising ones still remain underfunded or without any funding at all.

“Time has come to bring the right treatment to the right patient at the right moment in time. What this requires is a fundamental understanding of the brain, in health and diseased.” – Martien Kas.

Prof. Livia De Picker, Board Member and Chair of the Publication Committee of the European Psychiatric Association, then discussed the necessity for brain health to really be understood as encompassing both neurological and mental health. “Given the complexity that we are facing, we really cannot afford to compete against each other. We really need to collaborate between neurologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and other allied specialities, to solve the challenges that we are facing.”

Dr Tomás Ryan, representing the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, emphasized the lack of funding in Europe for basic brain research: This lack of competitiveness is one of the reasons behind the current brain drain, which further undermines the European research and innovation ecosystem. “There is no brain health without brain understanding, and therefore we cannot have investment without investigation into how the brain works.” Michael Crean, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Advocacy of the European Academy of Neurology, urged for coordination and support at the EU level for national brain health plans, in order to avoid fragmentation and siloing of knowledge across Europe.

Concluding Remarks by Host MEP, Colm Markey (EPP, IE) and EBC President, Prof. Suzanne Dickson

MEP Colm Markey reflected on the various presentations and policy asks voiced during the event and reiterated his support for the cause of brain health, acknowledging the potentials for the creation and need for a Parliamentary committee or intergroup on brain health in the European Parliament during the next mandate, and the need to break past the traditional silos of neurological health, mental health, and address brain health as one. Prof. Suzanne L. Dickson thanked the audience for gathering in Brussels for this event and shared a message of hope for the years to come considering the significance of the discussions held throughout the event for the future of brain health and brain science in Europe.