Members of the European Parliament are calling for a stronger EU health policy to fight cancer as incidence continues to rise. In a resolution adopted on 12 February 2026, they stress the need to create a dedicated programme in the next EU budget to ensure stable funding and the continued implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. They also highlight the need to improve and equalise access to cancer treatment for patients across all European countries.
“At this stage, the European Union’s actions are primarily preventive and informational—campaign-based efforts that raise awareness of the cancer threat and present EU-wide data. But the results are unsatisfactory when it comes to the growing number of diagnoses and deaths,” Waldemar Buda, a Member of the European Parliament from Poland’s Law and Justice party, told the Newseria news agency.
According to a report published in January by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), cancer is the second most common cause of death in the European Union, after cardiovascular diseases. In 2024, around 2.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 1.27 million died as a result. Projections indicate that by 2040 the number of new cases could rise by 19%, while deaths could increase by as much as 27%.
“A key point is this resolution, in which the European Parliament urges the European Commission to create financing that will help member states in the fight against cancer,” Buda said. “It would be a major step if the new financial perspective for 2028–2034 included funding for a strategy and support for member states to take a systemic approach to tackling cancer.” He added that he expects the Commission to focus on what he considers urgent public needs.
MEPs want a dedicated health programme in the EU’s next long-term budget. In their view, the Commission and member states should treat healthcare—especially oncology—as a priority area for social investment. Such investments could be implemented through national and regional partnership plans (NRPPs), including vaccination programmes, screening, development of medical staff, and efficient health data systems. Stable funding, they argue, is necessary to deliver the objectives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
“Five years ago something unprecedented happened—we adopted the first such holistic programme, a health strategy: Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan,” said Adam Jarubas, a Member of the European Parliament from the Polish People’s Party (PSL) and Chair of Parliament’s Public Health Committee (SANT). He noted that the initiative was strongly supported by Polish representatives and that it helped accelerate the development of EU-level health policymaking, including the institutional strengthening of health work in Parliament.
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is a European Commission initiative presented in February 2021. It focuses on four areas: improved prevention, better early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and improving quality of life for people living with cancer and cancer survivors.
Health policy remains primarily a national competence, Jarubas emphasised, but there is room for coordination at EU level—especially when pooling resources and funding. He pointed to EU4Health, the first EU fund dedicated specifically to health, adopted in the previous parliamentary term with a budget of €5 billion. He said there is hope for similar instruments in the next budget, while acknowledging that competition for funding will be intense, as new priorities—such as security and defence—are likely to vie for the same resources.
In the draft EU budget for 2028–2034, the European Commission proposes establishing a Competitiveness Fund worth more than €400 billion, with some support also intended for the health sector. The Horizon Europe programme, valued at €175 billion, is expected to be closely linked to this fund, with financing aimed at world-class innovation.
“We certainly should invest more in cutting-edge research and therapies, because the world is moving faster than us in terms of economic competitiveness,” Jarubas said. “You can see this in clinical research as well. The United States and China invest heavily, and access to capital—especially higher-risk capital—is easier there. The EU should close these growing gaps by investing in clinical, preclinical, and basic research. This needs to be strengthened.”
Prevention is another area highlighted by policymakers. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 40% of all cancers can be prevented through effective prevention strategies. Major risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, obesity, physical inactivity, hormonal factors, environmental and occupational exposure, and ultraviolet radiation.
“Prevention also requires larger investments—this is where the returns are strongest,” Jarubas argued.
Buda added that greater alignment of preventive measures at EU level would be beneficial—such as introducing shared rules that trigger mass screening for specific risk groups and age cohorts. In his view, early detection is central to saving lives.
In the resolution, MEPs also call for fair, timely and affordable access to cancer medicines and innovative therapies across the EU. They argue that the European Commission and member states should support voluntary joint procurement, promote price transparency, and enable faster market access for life-saving oncology treatments.
“This strategy is holistic—it covers prevention, early detection, modern diagnostics, and tackling the major disparities in access to the most advanced care between Eastern and Western Europe,” Jarubas said. “We must fight these differences. Chances of recovery may depend on a person’s DNA code, but they should not depend on their postal code.”
Eurostat data show that healthcare expenditure in the European Union amounted to 10% of EU GDP in 2023. The highest shares were recorded in Germany (11.7%), France (11.5%), and Austria and Sweden (both 11.2%). In four countries, spending was below 7%: Ireland (6.6%), Hungary (6.4%), and Romania and Luxembourg (both 5.7%).
“Smaller countries have problems when dealing with pharmaceutical corporations,” Buda said. “It is hard for them to negotiate very expensive medical procedures, so they can be unavailable or far more expensive than in other states.”
The European Parliament also calls for easier cross-border access to specialised cancer care and clinical trials, with particular emphasis on rare and complex cancers. Jarubas pointed to the European Reference Networks (ERNs) as an example of effective EU-level cooperation for the most severe and rare conditions, including cancer. These networks link leading academic centres and specialised clinics, enabling experts to exchange information and improve innovative treatment methods.
As of October 2025, the 24 European Reference Networks brought together 1,606 highly specialised clinics across 375 hospitals in 27 EU countries and Norway.
“There are many areas where we know what needs investment,” Jarubas said. “But much depends on member states’ readiness and available resources. The EU includes countries with very different levels of wealth and economic strength. Solidarity—and the modern meaning of cohesion policy—should translate into stronger countries helping poorer ones, so that a patient’s chances of recovery in Bulgaria and the Netherlands are comparable.”
