From Our CEO - Looking to Cyprus
Among the 27 member countries of the European Union, Cyprus ranks among the smallest. But come 1 January, its influence will far eclipse its size – an important consideration as we now scramble to ensure fighting cancer remains a funding priority for the EU.
On that date, Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a rotating position held by each member state for six months, every 13.5 years.
The Council Presidency is not a position of executive power but of institutional leadership and coordination. It carries no legislative veto or unilateral control, but it can influence the EU’s policy agenda and legislative priorities.
That is why I led an ECO delegation to the island earlier this month to encourage Cyprus to champion cancer control during its upcoming term.
During our visit, we convened key stakeholders and policymakers from across the political spectrum to build a coalition of the willing. We want to mobilise Cypriot leaders to ensure fighting cancer remains an EU priority.
There are clear signs that it is becoming a greater domestic priority. There was the recent political decision to establish a National Cancer Institute, but if we are to preserve progress, we will need Cyprus to step up at the EU level.
Negotiations on the next EU multi-annual budget – the Multiannual Financial Framework covering 2028-2034 – are now starting and will continue next year. This is a critical window to forge alliances and build momentum. Every Member State will have its own perspective, its own priorities. We need cancer to remain one of them.
With this in mind, while in Larnaka, Cyprus, this month, we launched The Larnaka Call.
It sets out four core objectives:
- That the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council be used as a platform to renew the political mandate for pan-European cooperation in cancer policy and research
- That the Cypriot Presidency initiates, in consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders, the preparation of Council Conclusions reaffirming the shared commitment to collaborative action against cancer for the post-2027 period
- That the forthcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework provides the necessary funds for the continuation and long-term sustainability of cancer-related programmes launched under the current framework
- That pan-European cooperation in cancer policy should constantly seek to reduce disparities in cancer control, both between and within countries. This includes equitable access to cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, multimodal cancer treatment and multidisciplinary care.
I ask each of you to support our joint advocacy efforts by digitally signing the Larnaka Call here.
We must reach policymakers not only in Brussels but in national capitals throughout Europe. And we must start now. Alone, we may feel powerless. Together, we can build influence and accelerate momentum in the fight against cancer.
Thank you for your support.
With kind regards,
Elisabetta
Elisabetta Zanon
