A conference on rare diseases emphasised the importance of diagnosis in ending inequalities. MEPs want to keep cloned meat off the menu.

The News: Rare diseases - Cloned animals

MEPs and Member States  have until 31 March to agree

on the new foods that  could find their way to our plates.

30 million Europeans  could suffer from a rare disease.

But 9 out of 10 patients don’t have  access to appropriate treatment.

And also in this edition,  the rest of today’s news in brief.

When is a cow not a cow?  When it’s a clone, it seems.

Most MEPs want to ensure that cloned  animals, their offspring and products

are excluded from proposed  legislation on 'novel foods'

and subject instead to a total ban,  on safety and animal welfare grounds.

There is a lot of pain for  cloned animals to be produced,

and I think we should  ask ourselves the question:

'Is it necessary for food production  that we use this technique?'

The Commission wants a moratorium  on cloning for food and on imports,

Artificial insemination  has changed breeding techniques -

one bull in the US  sired a million calves that way.

Some fear cloning will further reduce  the range of breeding stock.

I believe we face  a huge challenge at global level,

to feed the planet  when the population is exploding,

if they respect ethical standards  and the security of our food supply.

The European Food Safety Agency’s  Scientific Committee

highlighted problems with cloned animals,  but not with their progeny.

Cloning speeds up selective breeding  and scientists foresee long-term benefits.

When we can improve animals to reduce  the use of antibiotics, for example,

because we have animals that  are more resistant to something,

EP and Council are trying to reach  an agreement by the end of March,

or there will be no legislation on cloning  or novel foods for the time being.

A conference titled ‘Rare but equal’ was  held on International Rare Disease Day,

but it's the inequalities  that are striking.

it can take up to 30 years  to get a diagnosis.

Even after that 1 in 10  have no access to specialised drugs

which can then take 20%  of the family’s budget.

I'm mother to a little boy  who will turn 10 this summer, in August.

He has a rare genetic disease  called Trisomy 11.

We were very lucky as the European  Chromosome 11 Network already existed.

Not everyone is lucky  to have such a support network.

MEP Antoniya Parvanova  has been active on this issue.

As a medical doctor  I was aware of some problems.

There was no awareness even at EU level  of the problems to be covered

by the patients rights directive  and cross-border healthcare.

Cross-border healthcare could help  patients with rare conditions,

However, with so few patients,  it’s not profitable for drug companies

as researcher turned MEP  Marisa Matias laments.

Priorities cannot only be decided at the  level of the things affecting the majority.

When we talk about public funds, it's  even more important to deal with those

which can never be  covered by private funds.

Investment in rare diseases  could mean living an equal life.

The Romanian  Organisation for PKU noted

that pre-natal screening and  treatment could halt mental disability.

Who will finance the major networks  Europe will need by 2020?

There's not enough private funding, but  Commissioner Rehn proposed a solution:

European loans, secured or granted  by the European Investment Bank.

The EU is preparing for  a post-Gaddafi era,

confirmed Catherine Ashton  at the UN Human Rights Council.

In addition to sanctions against  Gaddafi and his relatives,

Europe is preparing for the end of his  regime. The head of EU diplomacy said

the EU is establishing contacts  with Libyan transitional authorities.

Used in over 6000 products  as a sugar substitute,

aspartame does not pose a health risk,  says the European Food Safety Authority.

But two recent studies claimed otherwise.

On 16 March MEPs  will reopen the debate