STRASBURGO (FRANCIA) (ITALPRESS) – Euro MPs call on the EU to renew its political commitment, funding and coordination to ensure full implementation of the European Cancer Fighting Plan. Parliament adopted with 427 votes in favour, 15 against and 93 abstentions, a resolution with a series of proposals to strengthen the fight against cancer on World Day against cancer.
To ensure predictable continuity and investment in key EU initiatives, such as the European Cancer Fighting Plan, MEPs call for an EU health programme dedicated to the long-term budget 2028-2034. They also call on the Commission and Member States to recognise oncological health and care as viable social investment objectives through national and regional partnership plans (NRP), including long-term oncological infrastructure support, such as vaccination and screening programmes, labour force development and solid oncological data collection systems.
To strengthen prevention, Parliament proposes to take measures to reduce exposure to risk factors (such as tobacco products, excessive consumption of alcohol, environmental contaminants, atmospheric pollutants, harmful substances and materials such as PFAS and endocrine interfering), as well as to promote the “One Health” approach and an agenda focused on exposoma, are complementary to efforts to prevent other non-transmissible diseases;
Parliament reiterates the request to ensure fair, timely and cost-efficient access to oncologic medicines and innovative therapies across the EU. The Commission, in cooperation with EU countries, should facilitate joint voluntary contracts, promote price transparency and support faster access to the market for life-saving cancer treatments. MEPs also want to facilitate cross-border access to specialized oncological care and clinical trials, especially for rare and complex tumors.
The EU and the Member States must do more to protect cancer survivors from financial discrimination, effectively promoting the “right to oblivion”, say deputies in the resolution. They call for a harmonised framework to ensure that survivors access to financial services, including loans, loans and insurance.
Cancer is currently the second cause of mortality in the EU, after cardiovascular diseases. In 2024, about 2.7 million people received a diagnosis of cancer in the EU and about 1.27 million died. The European Parliament’s Public Health Commission is preparing an implementation report to assess progress in EU initiatives.
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(ITALPRESS).
