Belgrade Symposium 2025
3rd International Symposium on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long COVID and Post-Infection Syndromes, held on 14 November 2025 at the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases "Dedinje" in Belgrade, Serbia.
Organised by EMERG member Professor Branislav Milovanović, President of the Section for the Autonomic Nervous System of the Serbian Medical Society, the meeting took place under the patronage of the Ministry of Health of Serbia with the support of professional and patient organisations across the region.
The symposium speakers included:
- Milovan Bojić, Director of Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases-Dedinje
- Bela Balint, Minister of Science of the Republic of Serbia
- Dr Jelica Jovanović, Director of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanović Batut” (Batut Institute)
- Milan Nedeljkovic, President of Serbian Medical Society
- Ivana Nedeljković, President of Cardiology Society of Serbia
- Vladislav Vukomanović, Director of Institute for mother and child
- Ilija Brčeski, Representative of European Academy of Science and Arts
In addition the following representatives from EMEA were speaking for patients at the Symposium -
- Richard Simpson, EMEA and Invest in ME Research UK
- Gracemarie Bricalli, EMEA chair/president and Verein ME/CFS Schweiz
- Ina Ignjatović, EMEA and President of Serbian Society of ME/CFS patients
- Sanda Špac, EMEA and President of Croatian Society of ME/CFS patients
- Barbara Gros, EMEA and President of Slovenian Society of ME/CFS patients
Speaking on behalf of EMERG and Young EMERG were:
- Simon Carding, UK (EMERG Co-Chair)
- Branislav Milovanović, Serbia
- Ewa Untersmayr-Elsenhuber, Austria
- Timon Zupanc, Slovenia (Young EMERG)
The symposium gathered clinicians, researchers and advocates from across Europe to discuss the shared mechanisms of ME/CFS, Long COVID and other post-infection syndromes, and to explore new approaches to care and biomedical research. There was also an opportunity for people to follow the Symposium and ask questions online.
Continuing Advocacy
Building on EMEA’s advocacy at the 2025 WHO Europe Regional Meeting , the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and the 2024 European Parliament Meeting, EMEA reaffirmed the Alliance’s call for early diagnosis, believing patients, patient-centred support including accommodation for their specific needs, and increased funding for biomedical research. The Belgrade symposium represents an effective model of bringing education directly to medical professionals at their institutes. It once again demonstrated how collaboration across borders can turn understanding into action — and how compassion must guide every step forward.
A recording of the event is available here:
Presentations/Information from EMEA members
The Potential of European Collaboration
Richard Simpson
EMEA Board member/Invest in ME Research, UK
The Need for European Collaboration in ME Research Utilising Existing Networks for Accelerated Progress
European ME Alliance leadership and advocacy
Gracemarie Bricalli
EMEA Chair/President, Verein ME/CFS Schweiz
Denying the existence of ME and its disabling symptoms: The impact on patients and what clinicians can do.
A form of harm rarely acknowledged in medicine — the harm caused by human actions.
Opening a Dialogue for People with ME
Ina Ignjatović
EMEA Serbia, President of Serbian Society of ME/CFS patients
A disease that is not visible - that society does not see, does not understand, and is often misinterpreted. How to change society to make patients visible.
Challenges of ME/CFS, Dysautonomia and Fibromyalgia Care in Croatia
Sanda Špac
EMEA Croatia, President of Croatian Society of ME/CFS patients
This presentation highlights the profound challenges faced by ME/CFS, dysautonomia, and fibromyalgia patients in Croatia, including lack of specialised clinics, delayed diagnosis, absent multidisciplinary care, inadequate social support, and persistent medical stigma. It celebrates emerging regional cooperation with Serbia and Slovenia through joint webinars and calls for unified guidelines, research, and specialised centres to ensure patients receive dignified treatment and understanding across borders.
Misdiagnosis of ME/CFS and PEM: Looking Beyond the Label
Barbara Gros
EMEA Slovenia, President of Slovenian Society of ME/CFS patients
M This presentation reveals how ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and burnout are frequently conflated in Slovenia, leading to misdiagnosis, dismissal of physical symptoms as psychological, and inadequate treatment protocols. It stresses the critical role of Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) as a hallmark symptom often linked to serious undiagnosed conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autoimmune diseases, and genetic disorders, urging deeper medical investigation beyond surface explanations to identify treatable underlying illnesses and prevent patient harm.
