Brussels, 23/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - The French initiative to bolster research on Alzheimer's disease, an Elysée priority, has not gone very far. Research ministers meeting on Friday 26 September at the Competitiveness Council, are due to adopt a raft of Council conclusions on “a common commitment from member states to fight neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's”. This text certainly recognises the pervasiveness of Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for 70% of all dementia cases in an ageing European society, but essentially, it aims to encourage the continuation of initiatives already taken as part of the 7th Community Framework Research Programme. Nonetheless, the Council is expected to recommend the launch of a European initiative bringing together member states, the Commission and other stakeholders seeking both to mobilise and maintain available researchers in Europe and to train a sufficient number of new specialists to reduce degenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's. We are, however, a long way off the French Presidency's original text, which called on the Commission to draw up a “strategic agenda” and propose an initiative based on Article 169 of the Treaty (cooperation between member states with Commission support). (O.J./transl.rh)