Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi meets representatives from the cancer community to discuss Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

The European Cancer Organisation details a unique success story

Yesterday, on the occasion of World Cancer Day, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, met leaders of the European Cancer Organisation, including its president, Prof. Csaba Dégi, and its newly appointed CEO, Elisabetta Zanon, to discuss the state of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and what lies ahead.

During the meeting, the cancer community representatives presented a one-page fact sheet to the Commissioner highlighting many key achievements of the plan and why the plan should be continued and updated in the next EU financial period.

Among the many accomplishments of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan so far:

• World leading legislation in cancer prevention, including ambitious limits on air pollution; an update of the Council Recommendation on smoke- and aerosol-free environments; and fresh legal protections for European workers from a range of carcinogens, including asbestos, crylonitrile, nickel compounds, and benzene.

• Unprecedented efforts to eliminate HPV cancers. Spurred by Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, all EU countries are now politically committed to gender-neutral vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) and the six types of cancers it causes: cervical, vaginal, vulval, penile, anal, and head and neck cancers.

• Expanded EU cancer screening to now include early detection strategies for lung, prostate, and gastric cancers.

• Growing national adoption of ‘The Right to Be Forgotten’i for cancer survivors. Nine countries now offer legal binding protection, and six countries follow non-binding guidelines.

Just two countries provided such protection in 2019.

More initiatives on the horizon, including:

– a new edition of the European Code Against Cancer;

– a review of tobacco legislation for a tobacco-free generation by 2040;

– a new EU network of comprehensive cancer centres; and much more.

The European cancer community is asking that Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan be updated to include strong linkage with any forthcoming cardiovascular health plan and reflect the many developments since it was first conceived in 2019, including:

• Linkage with any forthcoming cardiovascular health plan
• Addressing long-standing health and oncology workforce shortage

ECO President Csaba Dégi said:

“It is now undeniable: Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is working. Just look at the many lifesaving initiatives it has already spawned. I am personally grateful to the new Health Commissioner for his generous support and collaboration. Together with Europe’s cancer community, there is so much more we can do to ensure EU citizens have the cancer care they all deserve.”

A copy of the one-page fact sheet is provided in accompaniment to this message.

To arrange a telephone interview with ECO leaders, please contact: Alvaro Jimber, Communication Officer at [email protected]

About the European Cancer Organisation (ECO)

The European Cancer Organisation is the largest multi-professional cancer organisation in Europe. It helps reduce the burden of cancer, improve outcomes, and enhance the quality of care for patients. As the not-for-profit federation of member organisations, it convenes cancer professionals and patients to agree on policy, advocate for change, and speak up for the European cancer community. More information is available here.

The right to be forgotten refers to the rights of cancer survivors to resume a “normal lifestyle” without encountering discrimination based on their past cancer diagnosis, after they have been declared cured