EU Cancer Plan: time to put money on the table

The EU's new Beating Cancer Plan is a success of the European People's Party, which campaigned for it in the 2019 European Election. Now, the EPP Group wants to make it a European success.

"We made a commitment to Europeans. We promised to pick up the fight against cancer to save lives. We kept our promise. Now it's time to put money on the table", said the EPP Group Chairman Manfred Weber MEP and Cindy Franssen MEP, the EPP Group's Spokeswoman for cancer-related issues, ahead of today's European Commission presentation of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, on World Cancer Day.

"Every year, 1.3 million people die of cancer and 2.7 million are diagnosed in the European Union. This is three times as many people we have lost to COVID-19. I am convinced that with the dedicated involvement of medical experts, researchers, patients and cancer survivors, we can and will save lives", Weber said.

For the EPP Group, one of the key points in the European Cancer Plan, next to prevention and treatments, is to reduce differences in cancer care across the Member States.

"There must be no first and second class citizens in Europe and chances of surviving cancer must not be based on postcodes. Nevertheless, cancer patients in Eastern Europe have a 30 percent less chance of recovering compared to patients in Western Europe. We have to work together to help every patient, no matter where he or she lives in Europe. This also means we will fight for fair access to financial services, such as mortgages, for all Europeans. Those who survive must not be punished twice", concluded Franssen.

The EPP Group will host a public event this afternoon at 15:10 hrs with researchers, politicians and footballers to mobilise political support for the plan. For more information, visit the event’s website.

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