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In Europe, as in the rest of the world, diabetes is increasing rapidly. The International Diabetes Federation -European Region, FEND and other diabetes stakeholders are seeking to influence national governments and the European Union to action which would help in the prevention, diagnosis and control of diabetes. M Hall*• Pharmacological intervention (which may be required for those who cannot achieve or maintain the necessary targets).To achieve such changes, we need to persuade the decision makers, national and European politicians and officials that action is needed. Diabetes requires highlighting as a priority on the EU health agenda. Whilst the EU cannot determine European laws on these issues it is able to set guidelines in the form of recommendations. These would be a powerful encouragement to individual member states to meet basic criteria for the prevention, diagnosis and management of diabetes. How are we doing so far?In the early part of 2004, at the instigation of IDF -Europe, Ireland was able to get diabetes on the agenda of the regular EU meeting of health ministers. The Irish Government felt sufficiently concerned about diabetes to present the Health Council on 2 June 2004 with the statement that: 'The fast rise in diabetes prevalence in Europe needs to be recognised as a European public health concern beyond merely awareness raising … Indeed, a European strategy for diabetes … could make an important contribution to the reduction of public health expenditures in all 25 EU member states. ' In order to promote the implementation of national plans in a timely fashion, raise public awareness to these important issues and assist in the recognition of the importance of proper diabetes nurse and physician training programmes, IDF -Europe, FEND and other diabetes stakeholders called for an EU Council Recommendation to place diabetes as a priority disease. At the General Assembly of the IDF -Europe, the 'Otocec Declaration' 3 was launched, highlighting these issues and sending a clear signal to European leaders that diabetes associations across Europe fully support the creation of an EU Diabetes Strategy. (To see the Declaration, go to the IDF -Europe website: http://www.idf.org.) An EU Council RecommendationAn EU Council Recommendation would encourage member states to:• Place diabetes as a priority disease in their national health policy.• Implement national plans in a timely fashion.• Raise public awareness of diabetes prevention and management of risks and complications through public campaigns.• Identify European best practice for prevention, screening and disease management.• Accept the importance of proper diabetes nurse and physician training programmes.• Consider setting up screening programmes for early detection of the disease for all at-risk citizens.• Establish disease control policy, based on the management of blood glucose levels at an early stage. What can diabetes nurses do to help?If this campaigning is to be successful it needs everyone's help. Diabetes nurses are very influenti...

EURADIA, the European Research Area in Diabetes, is a consortium of non-profit organisations and leading pharmaceutical companies for the promotion and encouragement of diabetes research in Europe.