Sittings · Document
On World Cancer Day
on behalf of The Left Group · Rapporteur: Catarina Martins, Anja Hazekamp, Giorgos Georgiou, Sebastian Everding, Valentina Palmisano, Dario Tamburrano, Hanna Gedin, Jonas Sjöstedt, Per Clausen, Estrella Galán, Irene Montero, Isabel Serra Sánchez, Leila Chaibi, Emma Fourreau, Rudi Kennes, Konstantinos Arvanitis, Damien Carême, Nikolas Farantouris, Elena Kountoura
Parliament marks World Cancer Day and calls for renewed commitment to Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, dedicated EU health funding, and action on cancer prevention, care, and survivors' rights.¶¶¶
Key points
- Calls on the Commission and Member States to fully implement Europe's Beating Cancer Plan through 2028-2034, with annual reporting and transparency.¶
- Regrets lack of dedicated health budget in 2028-2034 MFF; calls for a dedicated EU health programme with its own envelope.¶
- Urges recognition of health and cancer care as social investment, including in oncology infrastructure, workforce, and data systems.¶
- Stresses integrating gender differences into cancer research and care; calls for targeted strategies for equitable access.¶
- Calls for strengthened EU cooperation and funding in paediatric oncology, including research, data sharing, clinical trials, and cross-border referral.¶
- Promotes geriatric oncology as deserving special consideration and funding, with research for elderly patients.¶
- Calls for high-quality treatment infrastructure based on European guidelines and stronger cross-border access to specialised care and trials.¶¶
- Demands fair, timely, affordable access to cancer drugs; calls for voluntary joint procurement, price transparency, and addressing delays after EMA authorisation.¶
- Calls on the Commission to support Member States in achieving screening and vaccine-preventable cancer recommendations.¶
- Calls for alignment between Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and future EU disease actions, including rare diseases.¶
- Stresses prevention measures against risk factors like tobacco, alcohol, environmental contamination, and harmful substances, including PFAS and endocrine disruptors.¶
- Calls for tackling health disinformation and protecting cancer survivors from financial discrimination, including binding legislation on the Right to be Forgotten.¶¶
Who is affected
- Cancer patients, survivors, and their families across the EU, who would benefit from improved prevention, care, and financial protections.¶¶
- Healthcare workers and researchers, who are supported and called upon for cooperation.¶¶
- Member States and the Commission, which are called on to implement plans, fund programmes, and adopt legislation.¶¶¶
- Children and adolescents with cancer, who would gain from strengthened networks and access to treatments.¶
- Elderly patients, who would benefit from geriatric oncology development.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 2.7 million people diagnosed with cancer and 1.3 million deaths annually in the EU.¶
- Cancer health spending rose from EUR 54 billion in 1995 to EUR 120 billion in 2023, 6.9% of total health expenditure.¶
- By 2050, per-capita cancer spending expected to be 59% higher in EU-27.¶
- At least 40% of cancer cases could be prevented with primary prevention.¶
- 2.3 million women die prematurely from cancer each year; 1.5 million preventable, 800,000 averted with optimal care.¶
Legal basis: Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.