Public Workshop on

Allergies in a ChangingEnvironment in Europe

21 March 201212:00 - 14:00

Brussels, Belgium

Aerobiology and Pollution Interest Group

Public Workshop onALLERGIES IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT IN EUROPE

Allergies are the most prevalent chronic diseases in Europe with a frequency > 20%. Allergic diseases to airborne allergens have been steadily increasing over the past few decades and an end to this increase is not in sight. Especially the younger generations show a higher incidence of allergic diseases. Thus, by the year 2040, 40% of the population will present an allergic predisposition in Europe.

The reasons for this steady increase are unclear. The Interest Group Aerobiology and Air Pollution of the EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) is organising a workshop to inform stakeholders about the ongoing and future developments in allergy research in Europe to increase the public awareness for this ongoing epidemic.

This workshop will give up-to-date information about:

ќ�Current status of allergic diseases in Europe ќ�Drivers of this allergic epidemic, including neophytes like Ambrosia artimisiifoliaќ�Ongoing EU-funded projects on allergic diseases, like HIALINE, MedALL and othersќ Highlight novel developments in allergy therapiesќ�$?@IODAT�N>D@IOD �̠>�<M@<N�OC<O�I@@?�<??DODJI<G� 0�<OO@IODJIќ�Round table public discussion

Renowned speakers, researchers and opinion leaders in research on allergic diseases will take part in this meeting.

Location EU-Parliament, Brussels - Luxembourg Entrance, Altiero Spinelli Building Room: JAN 6Q1Date Wednesday, 21 March 2012, from 12:00 to 14:00Participants � 0�(@H=@MN�JA�+<MGD<H@IO� 0�N>D@IOD �̠>�J �̇�>@MN�EJPMI<GDNON representatives of patient organisations and other interested stakeholders

We invite you to participate in this workshop and be a part of an event that will cover a very important topic for the future research on allergies. Food and drinks will be provided.

On behalf of the Organising Committee,

Prof. Dr. J. Buters

EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is an association of clinicians, researchers and allied health professionals dedicated to improving the health of people < �̟@>O@?� =T� <GG@MBD>� ?DN@<N@N�� 2DOC� JQ@M� ����� DI?DQD?P<G� H@H=@MN� <I?� ��� PMJK@<I�National Societies, EAACI is the primary source of expertise in Europe for all aspects of allergy.

For more information, please visit www.eaaci.net

AGENDA

12:00 Welcome 15 min.

Sponsor: Richard Seeber, Austria

EAACI: Antonella Muraro, Italy

Organiser: Jeroen Buters, Germany

12:15 Current status of allergic diseases in Europe 15 min. Jean Bousquet, France

12:30 Drivers of the allergic epidemic 15 min. Peter Burney, UK

12:45 Ongoing EU-funded projects on allergic diseases 15 min. Jeroen Buters, Germany

13:00 Novel developments in the treatment of allergies 15 min. Antonella Muraro, Italy

13:15 Changing land use and allergies 15 min. Carmen Galan, Spain

13:30 Round table public discussion 30 min. Moderation: Jeroen Buters, Germany, and Lorenzo Cecchi, Italy All speakers, sponsor, EAACI and Isabella Annesi-Maesano, France

14:00 . ƻ̇ƻBH@KƻDMCƻNEƻVNQJRGNO

ABOUT THE SPEAKERSDr. Richard Seeber Member of the European Parliament, delegate of the Austrian party ÖVP. EPP co-ordinator of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

Prof. Dr. Jean Bousquet MD, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology (Montpellier University) and Inserm 1018. Prof. Bousquet is specialist in translational and clinical allergology and co-ordinator of the FP7 project MedALL.

Prof. Dr. Peter Burney MD, Professor of Respiratory Epidemiology and Public Health at the National Heart and Lung Institute, UK, and leader of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. His research focus is on the epidemiology of allergy, asthma and COPD.

Prof. Dr. Jeroen Buters Toxicologist and molecular biologist from the Center of Allergy and Environment, Technische Universität München. His research focus is on the role of biological and chemical aerosols on allergies (www.hialine.eu).

Prof. Dr. Antonella Muraro MD, Allergist with a research focus on food allergies from the University of Padua and Treasurer of EAACI.

Prof. Dr. Carmen Galan Aerobiologist and Vice-Chancellor from the University of Cordoba, co-ordinator of the Spanish Aerobiology Network and member of the group of „Observatory on Health and Climate Change“. Prof. Galan has a research focus on olive pollen.

Prof. Dr. Isabella Annesi-Maesano MD, DSc, PhD, Epidemiologist from INSERM, Paris. Her research focus is on the etiology of asthma and allergy. Prof. Annesi-Maesano is the head of the EAACI Interest Group on Aerobiology and Air Pollution.

Dr. med. Lorenzo Cecchi MD, Allergist and aerobiologist from the University of Florence. His research focus is on environmental allergology.

Prof. Dr. J. ButersEAACI-IG Aerobiology & Pollution SecretaryTechnische Universität München, Germanybuters@lrz.tum.de

EAACI HeadquartersGenferstrasse 21

8002 Zurich, SwitzerlandTel: 0041 44 205 55 33Fax: 0041 44 205 55 39

info@eaaci.orgwww.eaaci.net

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European ParliamentLuxembourg Entrance, Altiero Spinelli Building, Room: JAN 6Q1

Brussels-Luxembourg Station

Bussels-Schuman Station

Grand Place

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To register for this free workshop, please go to: www.hialine.eu/members/registry.php

Allergies in a Changing Environment in Europe

21 March 2012, Brussels, EU-Parliament

The EAACI Interest Group „Aerobiology and Air Pollution” organised a 2 hours workshop in the EU-Parliament in Brussels. The aim was to make politicians aware of the ongoing epidemic in allergic disease (Prof. Dr. Isabella Annesi-Maesano, France, and Peter Burney, UK), that current therapies are still insufficient (Prof. Dr. Antonella Muraro, Italy), that changed land use in the EU can lead to more allergic sensitizations (Prof. Dr. Carmen Galan, Spain), and that allergies are an environmental, multifactorial disease that need a concerted research approach (Prof. Dr. Jeroen Buters, Germany). We tried to identify where the EU currently spends it research money on allergic diseases (Prof. Buters), and where more attention is needed (exposome). A 30 minutes panel discussion led by Dr. Lorenzo Cecchi (Italy) and supplemented with Prof. Mikhail Sofiev (Finland) gave stakeholders time to vent their interests. The key messages were:

1. Currently an epidemic in allergic disease going on and an end is not in sight 2. More research funding into the causes of this increase is needed

A Member of Parliament, Esther de Lange, sponsored and spoke at our meeting. About 46 participants were present, including WHO, FP7 and patient organisation stakeholders. Surprisingly was the vivid interest of patient organisations (Allergy UK, European Federation of Allergy, EFA, European Public Health Alliance, EPHA, and more). They would like to be heard by politicians and concluded that allergic patients are not satisfied with the current situation and ask for improvements (more funding for pollen monitoring and into the causes of the epidemic). Although we had hoped for more Members of Parliament and the Commissions, the workshop was a success. In the Parliament many parallel sessions are held, like on “The Effect of Climate Change on Illegal Immigration”, “Healthy Buildings”, “COPD” (all at the same time), and on this political market “Allergies” is just another stand. We need to do more to be heard. This EAACI workshop was the beginning of a series of workshops planned by the Academy. I thank all the participants for devoting time to this political activity. Prof. Dr. Jeroen Buters Interest Group Aerobiology and Air Pollution Secretary More information about the programme can be found on www.eaaci.net and/or www.hialine.eu. Under the EAACI Website you can also read the press release about this workshop.