The European plan to combat cancer could be delayed due to the COVID-19 epidemic, but this delay should not be “very long”. This was the outcome of an online conference organised by the European Policy Centre with representatives of the European Commission on Monday 27 April.
On behalf of the Directorate-General for Health (DG HEALTH), Matthias Schuppe recalled that of the two consultations launched by the Commission on 4 February, the consultation for all stakeholders would still be ongoing until 7 May (see EUROPE 12418/4). “We will complete this consultation, and the goal is to have a plan for combating cancer ready for adoption by the end of this year or early next year”, said Schuppe, leaving doubt as to an exact timeline. As a reminder, the Commission was due to publish a revised work schedule in the next few days based on the evolution of the pandemic, but in the end it extended this deadline to mid-May. With regard to the contents of the forthcoming plan, Mr Schuppe said that it would be a framework communication from the Commission. “It will not include new regulations as such, but rather commitments to put new measures on the table”, he said, suggesting that soft law provisions could relate to screening or quality of care.
Joachim D'Eugenio of the General Environment Division (DG ENVI) referred to the von der Leyen Commission’s commitments under the Green Deal. In particular, he recalled the Commission’s intention to adapt EU air quality legislation to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. According to him, 9% of the population lives in areas where European limits are being exceeded, and this percentage rises to 76% when referring to the limit values recommended by the WHO. “So people are not being sufficiently protected”, he concluded. He also suggested that the Commission plans to present a strategy for chemical products in the second half of 2020 and to review the Industrial Emissions Directive in 2021.
According to the European Society of Medical Oncology, the EU needs effective policies. “Between now and 2040, 30 million new cases of cancer are expected to occur. But we know that 40% of these cases - 12 million - are preventable”, said the organisation’s director of public affairs, Rosa Giuliani, advocating, among other things, the establishment of registries to better understand the prevalence and incidence of the disease. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)