EMEA: PRESS RELEASE Q1 2021

Dutch Government Decision on Funding for ME/CFS Research


Press Release from the European ME Alliance - For Immediate Release
A New Beginning for Research into ME/CFS in Europe

26 March 2021

The European ME Alliance (EMEA) welcomes the recent news from the Netherlands that the Dutch Minister of Medical Care and Sport has adopted the most important recommendations from the ZonMw ME/CFS research agenda. This involves commissioning of a ten-year biomedical research programme funded with €28.5 million. The work performed by ZonMw and the working group that involved patient organisations (including EMEA members) provides a timely example of what can be achieved with vision and a willingness to address the actual needs of patients.

Chairman of EMEA, Richard Simpson, said – “This is a bold decision from the Dutch government and it is a decision that will not only affect people with ME and their families in the Netherlands. It will also give hope to the many millions of patients in Europe who have been waiting for years for adequate funding to be directed toward high-quality biomedical research into this disease.”

EMEA offers its full support for the Dutch ME/CFS research agenda and, working with our colleagues in the European ME Research group (EMERG) and European ME Clinicians Council (EMECC), we hope that we are able to assist in any way possible to ensure the success of this programme.

Congratulations to all involved for this forward-thinking and decisive plan for Europe.

The Chairman, Executive Board and Members of the European ME Alliance









About EMEA

The European ME Alliance (EMEA) provides a voice for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME or ME/CFS) in Europe and is the European partner for facilitating high-quality biomedical research into the disease. EMEA is a grouping of European patient organisations and charities who are involved in supporting patients suffering from ME/CFS and are campaigning for and funding biomedical research to provide treatments and cures.
The Alliance was formed in 2008 by national charities and organisations in Europe.
The Alliance now has representatives from Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK – with more planning on joining.
ME/CFS is a debilitating neurological illness classified as such by the World Health Organisation under ICD-10 G93.3.
Our aim is to achieve appropriate funding of biomedical research into ME/CFS to establish an understanding of the aetiology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of the disease. This should lead to the development of treatments and eventually cures for this devastating illness.

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Last Update: March 2021