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Public Health

Cancer

Delivering on the EU Cancer Plan through dozens of EU4Health funded projects

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, presented in February 2021, is the EU’s response to growing challenges and developments in cancer control and represents a political commitment to leave no stone unturned in the fight against cancer. The Cancer Plan was reviewed in February 2025.

Built around ten flagship initiatives and 32 further actions, it forms part of the Commission’s proposals for a strong European Health Union with a view to ensuring a more secure, better-prepared and more resilient EU.

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan supports Member States’ work to prevent cancer and to ensure a high quality of life for cancer patients, survivors, their families and carers and is structured around a number of key areas where the EU can add most value:

The Cancer Plan is linked to other Commission priorities, such as the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, the EU Farm to Fork Strategy as well as the European Health Data Space and the Safe Hearts Plan. Cancer is one of the European research and innovation missions and part of Horizon Europe. 

Under the Expert Group on Public Health, a Sub-group on Cancer was launched, co-chaired with Directorate General for Research and Innovation.

The EU4Health (2021-2027) programme provides financial and technical support to Member States, helping efforts to strengthen health systems.

Cancer: data and statistics

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in EU countries after cardiovascular diseases. Every year, 2.7 million people are diagnosed with the disease and it kills another 1.3 million people.

Considering that Europe has a quarter of all cancer cases and less than 10% of the world’s population, it is evident that cancer is a huge threat to our society. The overall economic impact of cancer in Europe is €100 billion annually.

Cancer is one of the major contributors to premature deaths in the EU. It has an impact not only on individual health but also has a considerable social and economic impact.

This disease puts pressure on national health care and social protection systems, governmental budgets and it affects the productivity and growth of the economy. Therefore, we need more resilient health systems. In particular, to support Member States who are most in need of evidence-based policy making to ensure that all EU citizens have equal access to high quality cancer prevention, diagnostics, treatment and aftercare.

Evidence shows that 40% of cancers are preventable if we implement what we know already. However, only 3% of health budgets is being currently spent on health promotion and disease prevention. Therefore, the scope for action is immense.

Action on cancer prevention and also serves the fight against obesity and other non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as they share common risk factors.

Policy framework

EU initiatives on cancer prevention and control

Cancer is a major health issue and therefore the EU, supported by article 168 of Treaty of the Functioning of the EU, has the competence to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States for the protection and improvement of human health in the area of cancer.

The European Commission has been working on cancer since 1985 with EU countries and civil society, in close collaboration with the World Health Organisation, the Joint Research Centre and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Initiatives coordinated by the Joint Research Centre of the Commission in the area of cancer prevention and control, include the:

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