Parliament adopts liberal and democrat calls for at least €2.5 billion for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
The European Parliament today backed Renew Europe’s call to ring-fence at least €2.5 billion for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in the 2028–2034 EU budget. Adopting a report led by MEP Vlad Voiculescu, Parliament called for EU funding to help Member States reach more people through cancer screening and close gaps in access to specialist treatment, including the development of European solutions to tackle rare diseases and childhood cancers. With one in five cancer deaths caused by tobacco in the EU, the new position of the EP now sets a clear goal: to cut tobacco-related cancers through measures proven to work: higher taxes, plain packaging, removing tobacco from shop displays and banning advertising.
The EU missed its 2025 target of offering screening to 90% of those eligible for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. MEPs want the Commission to report annually on how many people screening programmes reach, how early cancers are diagnosed and whether patients can get the treatment they need.
Vlad Voiculescu MEP (USR, Romania), the European Parliament’s rapporteur, said:
“Every few minutes, cancer takes another life in Europe. Europe has missed it’s screening targets and this is deeply regrettable. When someone misses out on a screening invitation, we may lose the chance to catch their cancer early. With an ageing population, costlier treatments and health systems under strain, we cannot afford to be naive. Tobacco causes one in five cancer deaths in the Union, and we know exactly what works to stop it. This report leaves room for moral courage: for doing what is right, and for saving lives. “
Vlad Vasile-VoiculescuRenew Europe MEP, Romania, Uniunea Salvați România
The report puts a strong emphasis on rare diseases. When a child has a rare cancer, the nearest team with the right expertise may be across a national border. These are problems Europe can help solve. Parliament now asks for dedicated funding and a clear account each year of what has improved for patients and where people are still missing out.
The report also called for better access to clinical trials and innovative treatments, including across borders. For cancer survivors, MEPs want the ‘right to be forgotten’ extended to mortgages, so that a past diagnosis does not stand in the way of buying a home.
Renew Europe welcomes the defeat of amendments from ECR, Patriots for Europe and 38 individual EPP members that sought to weaken the report’s tobacco provisions. Parliament maintained its call for updated EU rules covering e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
“After months of negotiation, this report sets priorities: how we finance research, how we connect scientists, hospitals and patients, and how we reduce inequalities in access to treatment. I welcome that attempts to weaken or even wreck this report in favour of the tobacco industry were rejected by the European Parliament. The Commission should now bring forward its overdue proposals to protect young people from the marketing of new tobacco and nicotine products.”
, MEP Voiculescu concluded after the vote.