Policy
The European Cancer Organisation aims to create and develop ever-strengthening relationships between European institutions and the European cancer care community, and together with our Member Societies, Patient Advocacy Committee and networks, facilitate collaboration and consensus on focused topics towards tangible and impactful policy improvement.
The strategic objectives that underpin all our policy activity are:
- the advancement of multidisciplinarity and patient-centricity in cancer care; and,
- the promotion of policy recommendations for the improvement of cancer care, drawing on the Organisation’s unique multidisciplinary reach.
Read more about our policy approval pathway here.
2021’s European Cancer Summit Declaration – practical advice on turning Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan into a brighter future for cancer care.
The European Code of Cancer Practice (The Code), translated in several languages, is a citizen and patient-centred manifesto of the core requirements for good clinical cancer practice, in order to improve outcomes for all of Europe’s cancer patients.
Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care
The quality of cancer care makes a huge difference to patients and their families. It is multidisciplinarity that ensures that there is real teamwork between the healthcare professionals involved in patient care. We have developed a series of papers that advocate for the highest quality standards.
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Put to the Test: Empowering Genomics to Improve Cancer Care and Patient Lives
February 2022
The European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has published a Report: “Put to the Test: Empowering Genomics to Improve Cancer Care and Patient Lives”. Highlighting the opportunities that genomic tumour testing can provide, the report provides recommendations from experts in the field about the ways in which access to such technologies can be improved. The report reflects discussions and debates held within a special high-level roundtable on the subject at the end of 2021.
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European Cancer Summit 2021 Report: From Plans to Action
December 2021
Foreword
2021 has exposed the weaknesses and lack of resilience of European healthcare systems with major consequences for cancer care and cancer patients, regrettably not too different from 2020. More than ever, this past year has stressed the need for crucial attention not only to restore cancer services but to build back better and be prepared to face upcoming challenges.
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Making Hope Reality: Action on Treatment and Care for Metastatic Cancer Patients
December 2021
The European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has published a Report: “Making Hope Reality: Action on Treatment and Care for Metastatic Cancer Patients”. The report provides a detailed account of the presentations and contributions shared during a special Community 365 Roundtable Meeting on Metastatic Cancer held in October 2021.
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2021’s European Cancer Summit Declaration – Practical Advice on Turning Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan Into a Brighter Future for Cancer Care
November 2021
2021 will be remembered for more than Covid-19. Stakeholders gathered at the European Cancer Summit also expressed optimism for the future based on the landmark publication of Europe’s Beating Cancer in February of this year.
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The ‘Time To Act’ Data Navigator – A New Landmark Tool in the Fight Against the Impact of Covid-19 on Cancer
November 2021
As part of the ‘Time To Act’ campaign, the European Cancer Organisation has launched its Data Navigator, making key data on the impact of Covid-19 on cancer available across European countries.
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Catching All Cancers Earlier: A Critical Principle for New EU Recommendations
November 2021
The European Cancer Organisation has published a consensus statement that expresses advice to the EU on how to ensure new recommendations to Member States on detecting cancer early, due to be published in 2022, can have the strongest impact.
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Unlocking the Potential of Digitalisation in Cancer Care – No Stopping Us Now!
November 2021
The European Cancer Organisation has published a position paper, providing advice to the EU, WHO and national governments on how to harness the power of data and digital for better quality cancer care. The paper conveys consensus from healthcare professionals, patients, and the treatment and service development sector, and other invited experts.
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Self-Sampling and HPV Screening in Europe
October 2021
The Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan sets out recommendations for cervical cancer elimination across the EU, including an ambitious goal to offer screening to 90% of the eligible population by 2025. The European Cancer Organisation today publishes a new Position Paper “Self-Sampling and HPV Screening in Europe” with recommendations that will help member states achieve this.
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Comprehensive Cancer Centres: The Foundation for Beating Cancer Plan and Cancer Mission Success
September 2021
With forthcoming Autumn meetings of the Commission, Member States and Parliament on implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Cancer Organisation and Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) have this morning published a fresh consensus policy paper: Comprehensive Cancer Care Across the EU: Advancing the Vision.
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The European Health Data Space: Getting The Balance Right and Reaching Interoperability Milestones
July 2021
In responding to a recent European Commission consultation on the European Health Data Space, the European Cancer Organisation, supported by its Digital Health Network, has expressed its strong support for the concept, envisaging the initiative to achieve many benefits for healthcare, research and policy. However, in responding to the consultation, the European Cancer Organisation emphasised the need to:
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Primary Prevention: United for Action
July 2021
40% of cancers are preventable. For this reason, both the European Union and World Health Organization actively support countries in policy propositions that can assist in addressing modifiable cancer risks. But are there opportunities to move faster and go further? A new report by the European Cancer Organisation suggests so. "Primary Prevention: United for Action" summarises a series of recommendations from across the cancer and health community that can be instrumental in saving lives and enabling more people to live lives free from cancer.
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Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: Inspiring us to Rise Above Challenges, Together!
February 2021
Responding to the publication of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, Dr Matti Aapro, President of the European Cancer Organisation, made the following statement applauding these goals:
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Leave No One Behind - Delivering Innovation in Lung Cancer Care
January 2021
The Community 365 Roundtable Meeting on Lung Cancer, which took place on 7 December 2020, brought together leading policy-makers, politicians, oncology experts, industry partners and advocates to mark the launch of the European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC): Lung cancer, published in the journal Lung Cancer,[1] and to discuss this important area of cancer care.
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Free from Cancer: Achieving Quality of Life for All Cancer Patients and Survivors
November 2021
The Survivorship and Quality of Life Network of the European Cancer Organisation has collated its recommendations to help more cancer patients and survivors achieve a life truly free from cancer and its often under-appreciated impacts.
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Build Back Smarter from COVID-19: The European Cancer Community Speaks Out
November 2020
With many thousands of excess deaths from cancer across Europe now likely as a result of COVID-19 and associated control measures, and in the wake of devastating disruption across all areas of cancer care, the European cancer community has published a ‘7-Point Plan to Address the Urgency and Build Back Better.’
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It Can Be Done — Beating Inequalities in Cancer Care. Action Report
November 2020
The European Cancer Organisation’s new Action Report It Can Be Done — Beating Inequalities in Cancer Care shines a much needed spotlight on inequity that exists in all parts of cancer care, in all countries in Europe. The report focuses especially on the East-West divide in cancer care, as well as the discrimination that can occur against older cancer patients.
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New Report Urges Action to Eliminate 87,000 Cancer Cases Caused Each Year by HPV in Europe in Women and Men
October 2020
The European Cancer Organisation’s major new report, Viral Protection: Achieving the Possible. A Four Step Plan for Eliminating HPV Cancers in Europe, calls for urgent action to eliminate most of the 87,000 cancer cases caused in men and women by HPV (human papillomavirus) each year across over 50 countries in the WHO European Region.
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Strengthening Europe in the Fight Against Cancer: Going Further, Faster
July 2020
The European Cancer Organisation was commissioned by the European Parliament to produce a landmark study on the current state of play in Europe’s battle against cancer.
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Report of the Mission Board for Cancer - Conquering Cancer: Mission Possible
The Report of the Mission Board for Cancer ‘Conquering Cancer: Mission Possible’ is the Mission Board’s proposal to the European Commission for a Mission on Cancer. This Mission outline will be used as a basis for further stakeholder and citizen engagement activities in the remainder of 2020 and define a broad strategy for the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
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European Cancer Organisation's Response to EU Pharmaceutical Strategy Roadmap Consultation
The European Cancer Organisation welcomes the commitment to producing a new EU Pharmaceutical Strategy, and the accompanying commitment to public consultation on its content.
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Meeting Report: Elaborating the Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care: Prostate Cancer
What are the core elements of quality cancer care when it comes to treating and caring for prostate cancer patients? What might improved EU policy be able to achieve in this respect?
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Alliances
We promote and believe in collaboration as a matter of principle. This high level co-operation should exist between oncology healthcare professionals of different disciplines, between health care sectors and with a wider group of stakeholders in public health.
As part of our Mission and Vision, we work as active members of the following alliances:
Mission and Vision
Our Mission
To reduce the burden of cancer, improve outcomes and the quality of care for cancer patients, through multidisciplinarity and multiprofessionalism.
As the not-for-profit federation of member organisations working in cancer at a European level, we convene oncology professionals and patients to agree policy, advocate for positive change and be the united voice of the European cancer community.
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