Sittings · Document

Adopted text 2026-02-12

World Cancer Day

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Parliament's resolution on World Cancer Day marks the day and calls for renewed commitment to Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, dedicated EU health funding, and action on inequalities, gender differences, paediatric and rare cancers, access to care, prevention, and survivors' rights.

Key points

  1. Marks World Cancer Day on 4 February, expressing solidarity with patients, survivors, families, healthcare workers and researchers.
  2. Calls on the Commission and Member States to fully implement Europe's Beating Cancer Plan through 2028-2034, with adequate funding, annual reporting and transparency.
  3. Regrets lack of dedicated health funding in the 2028-2034 MFF; calls for a specific EU health programme with a dedicated envelope.
  4. Calls for recognising health and cancer care as social investment objectives, including support for oncology infrastructure.
  5. Stresses integrating gender differences into cancer research and care; calls for targeted strategies for equitable access.
  6. Calls for strengthened EU cooperation and funding in paediatric oncology, including research, data sharing, clinical trials, and cross-border referral.
  7. Calls for promotion of geriatric oncology with special consideration and funding.
  8. Calls for high-quality infrastructure for treatment delivery based on European guidelines.
  9. Calls for stronger mechanisms for cross-border access to specialised cancer care and clinical trials, especially for rare cancers.
  10. Calls for fair, timely and affordable access to cancer drugs; supports voluntary joint procurement, price transparency, and addressing delays.
  11. Calls on the Commission to support implementation of screening and vaccine-preventable cancer recommendations.
  12. Calls for alignment of Beating Cancer Plan with other EU actions; stresses prevention measures and tackling disinformation; calls for right to be forgotten for survivors.

Who is affected

  • Cancer patients, survivors, families, healthcare workers and researchers across Europe.
  • Children, adolescents and young adult cancer survivors and their families.
  • Older patients with cancer.
  • Cancer survivors seeking financial services such as mortgages, loans and insurance.

Figures and deadlines

  • 2,7 million people diagnosed with cancer every year in the EU; 1,3 million die.
  • Cancer-related health spending doubled since 1995 to EUR 120 billion in 2023, 6,9 % of total health expenditure.
  • By 2050, a 59 % rise in per-capita cancer spending in real terms in the EU-27 is expected.
  • At least 40 % of all cancer cases could be prevented through primary prevention.
  • 2,3 million women die prematurely from cancer each year; 1,5 million preventable, 800 000 avertable with optimal care.

Legal basis: Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

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