Earlier this year, the European Commission announced in its Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (see EUROPE 12650/1) that it would work towards the establishment of a European network linking the integrated cancer centres in each Member State.
The initiative was launched on Monday 13 December. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides announced the official launch of the network, saying that the Commission’s goal is “to have the EU Network in place by 2025, and ensure that 90% of eligible patients have access to such centres by 2030”.
The future network will aim to help Member States establish at least one integrated national cancer centre and, in doing so, “to improve access to high quality diagnosis and care” for cancer patients.
In addition to improving access to diagnosis and care, the initiative will help support cancer training, research and clinical trials across the EU, the Commission says.
The European Parliament, in its report on the ‘Cancer Plan’ adopted last week in committee (see EUROPE 12850/12), welcomed the creation of this network and called on the Commission to support the coordination of the network and the exchange of best practice between the different centres.
This project will be funded under the EU4Health programme, which has a total budget of €1.25 billion. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)