Patients' role and the importance of a coordinated strategy for reducing  health inequalities throughout Europe  is placing EFCCA in a privileged position within the European arena. In fact, the recently approved European Commission Health Programme “Together for Health 2008-2013”,recognises and stresses the importance of giving voice and a better visibility to patients and their needs especially when organised in associations and / or structured organisations.

EFCCA is therefore not only a set of 25 national IBD patients' associations but an important and well-known interlocutor whose mission goes well beyond its support to National Associations in facilitating exchanges and cross-frontier activities.

EFCCA is a concrete and tangible example that European citizens with peculiar needs and claims can be effectively represented and have a proactive role in addressing policies and actions at a European level.

United we Stand is the catchphrase chosen by members for the forthcoming years, a sentence which well expresses EFCCA's strong wish to concretely improve its people's quality of life in the European Union.