Members of the European Parliament have adopted a World Cancer Day resolution calling for dedicated EU health funding, better access to cancer medicines and stronger protections for survivors.
The resolution passed on Thursday by 427 votes to 15, with 93 abstentions, the parliamentary press service reported.
MEPs called for a dedicated EU health programme in the EU’s next seven-year budget for 2028 - 2034, to provide continuity and predictable investment in initiatives including Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is an EU-wide programme focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life.
They also urged the European Commission and EU countries to treat health and oncology care as “social investment” objectives in national and regional partnership plans, including support for vaccination and screening programmes, workforce development and oncology data systems.
Access to treatment and survivors’ rights
The Parliament repeated its call for fair, timely and affordable access to cancer medicines and innovative therapies across the EU.
It said the Commission and member states should facilitate voluntary joint procurement, promote price transparency and support faster market entry for life-saving cancer treatments.
MEPs also called for easier cross-border access to specialised cancer care and clinical trials, particularly for rare and complex cancers.
The resolution stated the EU and member states should do more to protect cancer survivors from financial discrimination by applying the “right to be forgotten” — a principle intended to prevent past cancer diagnoses being used against people when they apply for financial products — and urged a harmonised framework guaranteeing access to mortgages, loans and insurance.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the EU after cardiovascular diseases, with around 2.7 million people diagnosed and about 1.27 million deaths in 2024.
