Flagship initiatives

In 2020/2021 the European Commission (EC) launched two flagship initiatives to tackle cancer and the burden it places on Europe:

DG SANTE’s Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, #EUCancerPlan, addressing (1) cancer prevention, (2) improving early detection of cancer, (3) ensuring equal access to high standards in cancer diagnosis and treatment, (4) improving quality of life for cancer patients and survivors, (5) reducing cancer inequalities across the EU, and (6) putting childhood cancers under the spotlight, and including ten flagship initiatives.
 

Flagship initiatives of the Plan:

• Knowledge Centre on Cancer Cancer
• Diagnostic and Treatment for All
• European Cancer Imaging Initiative
• European Initiative to Understand Cancer
• Eliminate cancers caused by Human papillomavirus
• Better life for cancer patients initiative
• EU Cancer Screening Scheme
• Cancer Inequalities Registry
• EU network of National Comprehensive Cancer Centres
• Helping Children with Cancer Initiative

DG RTD’s Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer, focusing on (1) understanding of Cancer, (2) prevention and early detection, (3) diagnosis and treatment, and (4) quality of life for patients, survivors & their families, and transversal priorities.
 

Transversal priorities of the Mission on Cancer

• Citizen and stakeholder engagement
• Access to knowledge, prevention and early detection, diagnosis and treatment, quality of life
• Childhood cancer
• Innovation
• Personalised medicine

Other initiatives

The Expert Group on Public Health advises the Commission on public health and health systems, in relation to non-communicable, as well as communicable diseases. The Commission chairs the Expert Group on Public Health, the members are the representatives of the Member States’ health ministries, as indicated in the Commission Decision setting up this expert group. To support the work of the expert group to address specific topics, temporary sub-groups are created, including those on cancer and non-communicable diseases. Under the sub-group on cancer, Thematic Working Group on Cancer Inequalities Registry supports the Commissions work on cancer inequalities.

The MEPs Against Cancer MEPs Against Cancer (MAC)  Interest Group was founded in 2005 and is dedicated to cancer policy at the European Parliament. MAC members work together in order to improve cancer control and prevention in Europe.

A special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) was established in 2020, tasked with evaluating opportunities for the EU to take concrete action, identifying legislation and other measures that can help prevent and fight cancer and looking into the best ways to support research.

On 16 February 2022, the Parliament adopted its final recommendations for a comprehensive and coordinated EU strategy to fight cancer, focusing on Cancer prevention, Equal access to cancer care across borders, and A European approach addressing medicine shortages.

The #EUCanBeatCancer is a campaign launched by European People's Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament. It wishes to promote cooperation between research centres in Europe, pooling of data and resources, increase investment in cancer research and ensure the same quality of care to all EU citizens.