“The European Union needs a European Action Plan on Rare Diseases that complements existing legislation, promotes investment, and enhances cooperation at EU and national levels”, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) said today, a few days after the conference “Towards an EU action plan on rare diseases” held in Warsaw. To improve the lives of patients with rare diseases, it is crucial to increase cooperation and knowledge sharing – according to the EESC – to make progress towards a unified European response to rare diseases. The EESC therefore urges the European Commission and Member States to “prioritise creating and implementing an EU-wide Action Plan that addresses the diverse needs of patients and healthcare providers”. Rare diseases affect more than 36 million people across Europe – the EESC reports –, yet access to timely diagnosis, treatment, and coordinated care remains uneven across Member States. “National rare disease plans play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, but greater European cooperation is essential”, particularly “between European Reference Networks (ERNs) and national healthcare systems”. “Access to effective treatments remains challenging due to regulatory, economic, and research-related hurdles that delay innovation and availability” of such treatments, the EESC laments. However, positive advances have been made in genomics, screening programmes and data-sharing initiatives (such as the European Health Data Space), which offer new opportunities to reduce diagnostic delays and improve patient outcomes.