Strasbourg, 22/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 21 May, the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, announced that the written declaration on rheumatic diseases put forward by Edite ESTRELA (PES, PT) Adamos ADAMOU (GUE/NGL, CY), Dorette CORBEY (PES, NL) had now received the sufficient number of signatures from MEPs for adoption by the European Parliament. This text instructs the Commission and Council to: attach more importance to rheumatic diseases in the new Community strategy on health, given their high social and economic costs; encourages Member States to establish and promote the implementation of national plans to fight rheumatic diseases; develop a Community strategy on rheumatic diseases and draw up a Council recommendation on the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases and to develop a strategy to improve access to information and medical treatment. Rheumatic diseases affect over 100 million people in Europe. These diseases represent the main cause of disability and premature retirement among workers. (O.J.)