Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the EU, after cardiovascular diseases. Each year there are 3.5 million new diagnoses; and every year 1.3 million people die from cancer, accounting for 25% of all deaths. If the current trend continues, the projection is that by 2035 cancer cases will have doubled in number, and cancer will have become the leading cause of death in the EU.

Though public health is the primary responsibility of the Member States, the EU has a strong role in supporting, coordinating and complementing Member States’ efforts. On 4 February 2020 – World Cancer Day – the European Commission started its outreach on Europe’s Cancer Plan at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels.

The Plan aims to reduce the cancer burden for patients and families, and health care systems. The Plan is ambitious in addressing cancer-related inequalities between and in the Member States. The European Parliament, as law-maker and policy-maker, plays an active role in shaping the new Cancer Plan and related legislative proposals and policy initiatives.

Fight against cancer

The EU4Health programme is a comprehensive response to the political demand to reflect the lessons learned from both the coronavirus crisis and previous health programmes.

On 28 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on the establishment of a programmefor the Union's action in the field of health for the 2021-2027 period (EU4Health programme). It was announced as part of the Next Generation EU recovery instrument, aimed at countering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

EU4Health is intended to boost the EU's preparedness for major cross-border health threats and improve health systems' resilience. This should enable the EU to face not only future epidemics, but also long-term challenges such as an ageing population and inequalities in health.

EU4Health

Vaccines are a key part of a long-term strategy to bring SARS-CoV-2 under control. It is essential to roll out vaccination rapidly to protect as many people as possible and to lower the opportunities for the virus to evolve further. Any vaccine must be authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The European Commission has secured up to 4.4 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far - and negotiations are underway for additional doses. However, countries are facing different challenges around the disinformation or vaccine acceptance. The European Parliament is trying to keep an eye on the purchase and safety of these vaccines. During June plenary the EP adopted a resolution calling for COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver. Parliament proposed negotiations start for a temporary waiver of the WTO TRIPS Agreement on patents to improve global access to affordable COVID-19-related medical products and to address global production constraints and supply shortages. The EP approved also the Digital Green Certificate to facilitate the safe free movement of citizens within the EU during the pandemic.

EU Vaccine Strategy

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has put European health systems under enormous strain, revealing gaps in the way public health emergencies are addressed. The European Parliament has consistently promoted a coherent EU public health policy.

The pandemic shows the importance of coordination among European countries to protect people’s health, both during a crisis and in normal times when we can tackle underlying health conditions, invest in strong health systems and train healthcare workers.

The European Commission's proposal for a new EU Health programme, EU4Health, aims to fill these gaps. EU4Health's three main priorities are: tackling cross-border health threats; making medicines available and affordable; and strengthening health systems.

With EU4Health, the EU will invest €5.3 billion in current prices in actions with an EU added value.

EU4Health will pave the way to a European Health Union by investing in urgent health priorities: the response to the COVID-19 crisis and reinforcing the EU’s resilience to cross-border health threats, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe.

The European Health Union will improve EU-level protection, prevention, preparedness and response to human health hazards.

Coronavirus outbreak: impact on health

EU leaders met in Brussels in March to discuss the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Single Market, industrial policy, digital transformation and the economy, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and relations with Russia.

They took stock of the roll-out of vaccines and the epidemiological situation and pursued the coordinated response to the pandemic crisis. They discussed the key priorities for the single market, industrial policy and the digital transformation. The High Representative and the Commission submitted a report on EU-Turkey relations ahead of the meeting, following the conclusions of the European Council in December 2020. The EU leaders held a strategic debate on the relations with Russia. The European Parliament discussed the outcome of the EU Council and of EU and Turkey meeting during April plenary session.

European Council, 25-26 March 2021

On 28 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation on the establishment of a programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the 2021-2027 period (EU4Health programme). It was announced as part of the Next Generation EU recovery instrument, aimed at countering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Parliament is expected to vote on the report during the November I plenary session. This would open the way for trilogue negotiations.

EU4Health (2020)

The EU Digital COVID Certificate aims to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.The certificate should&nbsp;be available in either digital or paper format. It attests that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or has a recent negative test result or has recovered from the infection.

&nbsp;A common EU framework is&nbsp;allowing member states to issue certificates that will then be accepted in other EU countries. The EU Digital Covid Certificate regulation should be&nbsp;in place for 12 months. The certificate should&nbsp;not be a precondition to exercise the right to free movement and is&nbsp;not&nbsp;considered a travel document.

Member states should not impose additional travel restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as quarantine, self-isolation or testing, “unless they are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health”. Member states must accept vaccination certificates issued in other member states for persons inoculated with a vaccine authorised for use in the EU by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

It is&nbsp;up to the member states to decide whether they also accept vaccination certificates that have been authorised by other Member States following national authorisation procedures or for vaccines listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for emergency use. The Regulation entered&nbsp;into force on&nbsp;1 July 2021.
 Parliament and EU member states’ negotiators have agreed to keep the EU Digital COVID Certificate framework in place for another year, until June 2023

EU Digital COVID certificate

EP Plenary session - EU Global Health Strategy

Pharmacy store - Surge of respiratory infections and the shortage of medication in Europe

EP Plenary session Joint debate - Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the aviation

EP Plenary session - State of play of the implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate regulations

EP Plenary session - Joint debate EU Digital COVID Certificate 44-45

EU Digital Covid Certificate - Freedom of movement, safely.

Press conference - EU COVID-19 certificate

BECA Special Committee - Exchange of views  ' The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer prevention, health services and cancer patients and research : Lessons from a public health crisis '

Press Webinar - The return to free movement - The EU Green Digital Certificate

Civil Protection training

ENVI Committee -  Exchange of views with the World Health Organization on the European Union Health Union package and the WHOâs global response to the pandemic

Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), heart of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. It coordinates the delivery of assistance to disaster stricken countries, such as relief items, expertise, civil protection teams and specialised equipment.

Civil Protection Mechanism RescEU medical stockpile Belgium in Meer

Stockshot picture showing what could be a COVID-19 Green Certificate for traveling

LIBE Committee - COVID-19 pandemic Digital Green Certificate

ENVI Committee - Exchange of views with  Emer Cooke,EMA Executive Director, on the update of evaluation and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines

ENVI Committee - COVID-19 variants and the vaccines' efficacy

EP Plenary session - Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”)

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Milan and Rome, Italy, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Italy

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Ljubljana, Slovenia, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Slovenia

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Nicosia, Cyprus after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Cyprus

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Athens, Greece, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Greece

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Spain after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Spain

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Bucharest, Romania, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Romania

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Poland after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Poland

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Hungary after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Hungary

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Estonia, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Estonia

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Sofia, Bulgaria, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Bulgaria

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Prague, Czechia, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Czechia

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Zagreb, Croatia after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Croatia

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Vienna, Austria after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Austria

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Vilnius Lithuania, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Lithuania

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Porto, Portugal, after that the first coronavirus vaccine was approved in the European Union on 21/12/2020. Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, declared December 27, 28 and 29 as the EU vaccination days for rolling out protections against COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Infoclip: Coronavirus - First vaccinations, Portugal

This infoclip shows the production, the transport and the logistics of COVID-19 vaccins. Images courtesy of Pfizer Communication department Belgium (november 2020) and the Brussel's Airport Press Office (december 2020).

Infoclip: production, transport and logistics of Covid-19 vaccine

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic has put European health systems under enormous pressure and gaps have been showed up in the way public health emergencies are addressed. The EU is working on how to secure access to COVID-19 vaccines for all and the Parliament supported speedy authorisation of safe vaccines. Also, MEPs paved the way for an effective EU health programme, called "EU4Health" (for 2021-2027), which aims to fill these gaps. EU4Health's three main priorities are: tackling cross-border health threats; making medicines available and affordable; and strengthening health systems.

European Parliament Review 2020 - EU response to COVID-19

This stockshot provides illustration footage of the production and use of UVD robots employed to disinfect hospitals with ultraviolet light. The robots are produced by the company Blue Ocean Robotics in Odense, Denmark, and can disinfect standard patient rooms in as quickly as 15 minutes, and thus help prevent and reduce the spread of the coronavirus..

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