The symposium aims at supporting the discussion regarding the future pain care lobby at EU level and demonstrates initial results on the strategic implementation and national collaborative approaches.Chair: Hans G. Kress, President EFICModeration: Gina Plunkett, Representative of the PAtient Alliance Europe, Chair Chronic Pain Ireland"Societal Impact of Pain 2011; objectives and results"Kris Vissers, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands"The Societal Impact of Pain in Europe - A Road Map for Action"Status report on the national implementation of seven strategic dimensions for the imporvement of pain careRolf-Detlef Treede, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, GermanyExamples from Portugal of the implementation of pain medicine in national health care systemsBeatriz Craveiro Lopes, EFIC Councillor, Portugal"Strategy for the improvement of pain management in the Galician Health Care System"General Department of Quality PRograms and Health Care Safetey, Galician Ministry of Health, Spain"Europain" - Understanding Chronic Pain and Improving its Research in Europe" Elisabetta Vaudano, Principal Scientific Manager, Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI)