OpenLobby.EU
Explore

International Diabetes Federation European Region

IDF Europe

The International Diabetes Federation European Region is an umbrella organization representing diabetes associations and stakeholders across Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with András Tivadar Kulja (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Nov 2025 · Diabetes

Meeting with Sebastian Everding (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Nov 2025 · EU Cardiovascular Health Plan

IDF Europe demands stricter safety oversight for medical devices

6 Oct 2025
Topic — The European Commission is evaluating and revising rules for medical devices and diagnostics.
Message — The organization recommends strengthening oversight by expanding the EMA's role in evaluating clinical evidence. They also propose an Innovation Pathway to speed up the approval of breakthrough technologies. Finally, they call for mandatory disclosure of performance data to increase transparency.12
Why — Enhanced transparency and faster innovation would improve treatment outcomes and safety for patients.3
Impact — Medical device manufacturers could face higher compliance costs and competitive risks from transparency.4
Read full response

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2025 · Diabetes

Response to EU cardiovascular health plan

15 Sept 2025

The International Diabetes Federation Europe (IDFE), an umbrella organisation of 73 national diabetes associations across 45 countries in Europe, representing both people living with diabetes (PwD) and healthcare professionals (HCPs), welcomes the European Commissions commitment to tackling the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We endorse the Commissions emphasis on closing research and innovation gaps, addressing health inequalities, and ensuring the inclusion of marginalised and vulnerable groups. These are critical priorities if Europe is to respond effectively to the scale of the challenge and deliver meaningful change in population health. The numbers speak for themselves. In the EU, 33m people live with diabetes, 62m with CVD and 55m with chronic kidney disease (CKD). More than half of EU adults live with overweight or obesity. These conditions are biologically and clinically intertwined: one in three PwD develops CVD, more than one-third develops CKD, and CVD itself worsens kidney function while CKD accelerates cardiovascular decline. PwD who experience acute coronary syndromes face particularly high risks of recurrent cardiovascular events and premature death. The economic impact is just as striking. Diabetes expenditure in the EU reached 119 bn in 2024, 75% of which was attributable to preventable complications. It is clear that Europe will not deliver better cardiovascular outcomes without making diabetes prevention and robust diabetes management core pillars of the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan (EU CVH Plan). CVD, diabetes, obesity and CKD form a single cardio-renal-metabolic nexus, and siloed approaches cannot address this complexity. What is needed is a decisive shift to a life-course, health-in-all-policies framework that tackles the primordial and primary drivers of ill-health, embeds early and integrated detection and screening strategies, and guarantees timely, person-centred, treat-to-target care for all conditions. This must include education, digital inclusion, mental health support and reliable access to effective medicines and technologies, ensuring that no one is excluded from prevention or care. Achieving this transformation requires binding commitments, not aspirations. The EU CVH Plan must set measurable, time-bound targets with equity breakdowns and track progress through an annual public dashboard. Data infrastructures should be EHDS-ready by design, building on interoperable standards, federated analytics and robust privacy safeguards. An EU Cardiovascular & Diabetes Research Mission, supported by a European Cardiovascular and Diabetes Health Observatory, should close evidence gaps, accelerate discovery and scale proven interventions. At the same time, an EU Innovation Accelerator should ensure that safe, effective digital and AI-enabled tools are rapidly integrated into care approaches. Implementation must be anchored in strong governance and sustainable funding. This means ring-fencing multi-year budgets under EU4Health and the next Multiannual Financial Framework, leveraging instruments such as the European Semester and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and mandating national, culturally adapted action plans. It also requires the systematic participation of NGOs, community partners, and people with lived experience in shaping, delivering and evaluating the Plan. Only with their engagement can prevention and care pathways reflect real-world needs and deliver equitable outcomes. If the EU commits to this vision (clear targets, interoperable data, empowered people and secured funding), it can cut avoidable deaths and complications, reduce health inequalities, strengthen the competitiveness of its healthcare systems, and ensure that no one is left behind. This consultation response should be read alongside the attached IDFE position paper, which provides in-depth evidence and concrete policy proposals to reinforce and guide the EU CVH Plan at both European and Member State levels.
Read full response

Meeting with Nina Carberry (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Jul 2025 · Health Policy

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Jul 2025 · Diabetes

Meeting with Andreas Glück (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Jun 2025 · Medical Devices

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

12 May 2025 · Priorities and activities of the diabetes community

Meeting with Adam Jarubas (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

10 Mar 2025 · Cukrzyca w kontekście planowanej Europejskiej strategii schorzeń sercowo naczyniowych

Meeting with Elena Nevado Del Campo (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Feb 2025 · Diabetes

Meeting with Christel Schaldemose (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Nov 2024 · Diabetes

Meeting with Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Oct 2024 · EU Health Policy

Meeting with Tomislav Sokol (Member of the European Parliament) and Gilead Sciences

22 Oct 2024 · Health policy

Meeting with Catarina Martins (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Oct 2024 · Diabetes

Meeting with Yvan Verougstraete (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Sept 2024 · Prise de contact

Meeting with András Tivadar Kulja (Member of the European Parliament)

19 Sept 2024 · Diabetes inEurope

Meeting with Pascal Arimont (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Sept 2024 · Complications and comorbidities in people living with diabetes

Meeting with Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Sept 2024 · EU health policy

Meeting with Alessandra Moretti (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Sept 2024 · Policy issues for new mandate

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2024 · Priorities for the diabetes community

Meeting with Stelios Kympouropoulos (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2024 · discussion on diabetes

Meeting with Tilly Metz (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2024 · diabetes

Meeting with Francisco Guerreiro (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Mar 2024 · Plant based diets and diabetes

Meeting with Catherine Amalric (Member of the European Parliament) and European Brain Council and

18 Mar 2024 · Renew Europe Workshop on Healthcare in Europe and the patient-centric approach

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

15 Sept 2023 · Directive on Medicinal products for human use

Response to Revision of the Directive on Driving Licences

31 May 2023

IDF Europe is an umbrella organization representing 73 national diabetes organisations in 46 countries across Europe. IDF Europe represents both people living with diabetes (PwD) and healthcare professionals. Driving licences are an essential part of our social and professional lives. However, the rules and procedures relating to driving licences do not affect PwD in the same way as other citizens. Under Directive 2006/126/EC, PwD must undergo a medical examination to obtain or renew their driving licence for the most commonly used categories of vehicle. As a result, their licence is only issued on a temporary basis. The directive currently sets a maximum period of five years for the validity of driving licences for PwD. IDF Europe supports the Commission's proposal to extend the period of validity of driving licences from five to 10 years. Indeed, life with diabetes in 2023 cannot be compared to what it was ten years ago. Recent advances in medicines and medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors have made it possible to prevent hypoglycaemia and alert drivers well in advance of potential hypoglycaemic episodes. The fear of hypoglycaemia while driving must now be put into perspective in the light of the massive advances that have been made in the management of diabetes. Maintaining the requirement for a medical examination every five years would mean imposing an administrative, financial and mental burden that is unjustified considering the current management progress. IDF Europe also supports the opinion of the Fédération Française des Diabétiques (French Federation of Diabetics) that the principle of "authorised medical advice" instituted by the directive for "Group 1" drivers should be clarified by means of guidelines regarding the cost, organisation and processes surrounding the medical examination. These clarifications will ensure that drivers living with diabetes do not have to bear a disproportionate administrative and financial burden as a result of these rules. Additionally, these guidelines will ensure a degree of uniformity in practices concerning this medical examination between Member States. The freedom of interpretation left to the Member States in transposing this directive must not be prejudicial to drivers living with diabetes, depending on the Member State in which they reside. In fact, depending on the Member State, these examinations are not always compulsory, and when they are, they are not subject to the same processes, cost of the visit covered by the Member State, ease of obtaining an appointment, etc.). In order to ensure both road safety and appropriate medical follow-up, we support the notion that the medical examination should be carried out by a healthcare professional authorised to declare a driver fit. In short, IDF Europe advocates for a revision of the driving license directive that takes into consideration the recent advances in diabetes management that allow PwD to drive safely, without fear of harming themselves and/or others.
Read full response

Meeting with Erik Poulsen (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

26 May 2023 · NCD

Meeting with Tilly Metz (Member of the European Parliament)

2 May 2023 · Diabetes in the EU

Meeting with César Luena (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Mar 2023 · Diabetes

Meeting with Franc Bogovič (Member of the European Parliament) and Eli Lilly and Company

12 Jan 2023 · Diabetes in the EU

Meeting with Stella Kyriakides (Commissioner) and

4 Nov 2022 · VTC meeting on the Healthier Together - EU Non-Communicable Diseases initiative and on the priorities for the diabetes community

Meeting with Sara Cerdas (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Sept 2022 · Diabetes Mellitus 2

Diabetes Federation urges patient-centric governance in health data space

28 Jul 2022
Topic — The consultation addresses the creation of a European Health Data Space for health data sharing.
Message — Patient groups should be represented in EHDS governance as full stakeholders. The federation requests clearer definitions for data use and easier consent withdrawal. They call for structural actions to bridge digital literacy gaps across Europe.123
Why — This would improve diabetes prevention and empower patients through better health information.45
Impact — Citizens in less digitally advanced nations risk exclusion from health technology innovation.67
Read full response

Meeting with Sara Cerdas (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Jul 2022 · Diabetes Mellitus 2

Response to Evaluation and revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation

27 Apr 2021

IDFE, a pan-European organisation representing people living with diabetes (PwD) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in 70 member associations across 44 countries in Europe, welcomes the opportunity to respond to the evaluation and revision of the general pharmaceutical legislation. We strongly support the objectives of reducing inequalities in access to affordable medicines for patients across and within the EU, which have become even more apparent during the COVID-19 crisis. For many PwD, access to care and medicines often only comes at a cost, or is a function of where they live. We also commend the goals of addressing unmet medical needs, which are present across many conditions, and enabling innovation. A pre-requisite to ensuring optimal health outcomes for PwD and many other conditions is indeed to guarantee uninterrupted access to the required, affordable medicines throughout their life course. Critical to the achievement of these goals will be to recognise the need and benefits of placing citizens at the centre of all decisions and to ensure comprehensive and meaningful engagement. People living with diabetes and other conditions have a key role to play not only in helping fast-track the adoption of medicines and technologies addressing unmet needs but also in identifying priority R&D areas and most importantly, in defining the criteria by which the value of a medicine or technology can be assessed, taking into account the outcomes that matter most to them. Where appropriate, greater usage of real-world evidence should be promoted. The concept of patient-centred, value- and outcomes-based decision-making must be embedded in HTA processes and in discussions surrounding pricing and reimbursement. Less duplication and more consistency of assessment are needed to ensure that approved medicines reach all EU citizens at the same time. Patients must also be engaged as equal partners in reaching a common understanding of unmet needs. The principles of ensuring equal and affordable access across all citizens should also underpin the simplification of legislation and the creation of regulatory attractiveness as well as the revision of the system of incentives. Marketing authorisation procedures should follow similar processes and scientific evidence across all MS, and all medicines benefiting from a central marketing authorisation, linked to a specific incentive or not, should be made available in all MS. A critical component to fostering innovation while promoting affordable access ultimately relies on greater collaboration, coordination and transparency (e.g., pricing decisions, benefits of medicines), between all stakeholders including patients, governments, healthcare systems, the private sector and others, and should also cover improvements in procurement mechanisms and the logistics chain. We agree with the need to promote greater competition especially relating to the introduction of generics and biosimilars, which can afford a significant financial benefit to patients and healthcare systems. In doing do, it will be important not to lose sight of the fact that product substitution must only take place with people and healthcare professionals’ informed consent, and with full and transparent access to all relevant data supporting mode of action, efficiency, dosages and other relevant data compared with the reference product. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the necessity of a strong, collaborative and united approach to health. We urge all stakeholders to contribute to a robust and ambitious pharmaceutical regulation framework that increases the value of cooperation, puts European citizens’ needs at the forefront, and guarantees truly equitable access to medicines and care across Europe. IDFE is committed to improving PwD's lives, and would welcome the opportunity of working closely with the EC and providing further input and feedback on the pharmaceutical legislation in subsequent consultations.
Read full response

Meeting with Margaritis Schinas (Vice-President) and

8 Apr 2021 · Health Union

Meeting with Vytenis Andriukaitis (Commissioner) and

15 May 2018 · HTA