30 YEARS OF ALZHEIMER EUROPE
Looking back at 30 Years of Alzheimer Europe shaping dementia policy in Europe On 3 September 1990, representatives of six national associations came together for the first time in Leuven, Belgium, marking the beginning of Alzheimer Europe (AE) as the Europe-wide organisation for dementia. In this article, we look at some of the major firsts that Alzheimer Europe has pioneered to help shape the policy agenda at a European level over the past 30 years. “Because we are all satisfied that we will benefit from European co-operation, and together can put more pressure on the European Council, Commission, Parliament and other national and supranational organisations, we have decided to form a European Alzheimer organisation”.
With this statement, Franz Baro (Belgium), Michael Coote (Ireland), Tomasz Gabryelewicz (Poland), Henk ter Haar (Netherland), Maria Jacobs (Belgium), Leila Mustanoja (Finland), Jo van der Poel (Netherlands), Micheline Selmes (Spain) and Miet Wouters (Belgium), set the foundations for the establishment of Alzheimer Europe.
AGM and Executive Committee On 19–20 January in Noordbergum, Netherlands, the creation of Alzheimer Europe is confirmed and the founding members are the Alzheimer associations from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK (Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland).
Below, we take a look, in chronological order, at some of the “firsts” in Alzheimer Europe’s history, which have helped set the basis of the work of the organisation and helped to shape dementia policy at a European level.
1991 An Executive Committee is elected, con- September. Alzheimer associations from sisting of Michael Coote (Ireland) as Denmark, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland Chairperson, Henk ter Haar (Netherlands) join the growing family of AE members. as Treasurer and Franz Baro (Belgium). The first Statutes of the organisation are approved at the Annual General Meeting of the organisation in Amsterdam on 22
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