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”)

Tomislav SOKOL (EPP, HR) and Annalisa TARDINO (ID, IT), co-rapporteurs, hold a press conference on establishing a European Health Data Space. The draft position, prepared by the Environment and Civil Liberties committees, aims to give citizens the means to control their personal healthcare data and facilitate secure sharing for research and public health purposes. This transcription is a result of an authomatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Tomislav SOKOL (EPP, HR) and Annalisa TARDINO (ID, IT), co-rapporteurs, on establishing a European Health Data Space

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that cooperation, resource-sharing and efficient decision-making are crucial in fighting cross-border health threats. The EU is building a strong European health union to equip EU countries to better prevent and combat future health threats together and to better protect the health of EU citizens. The European health union is designed to improve the resilience of healthcare systems in the EU and create robust EU-level structures enabling us to better cooperate on data pooling and information sharing.

EPRS - The European health union: Safeguarding EU citizens’ health

This Infoclip illustrates the fight against Covid-19 crisis : research on vaccines, production of vaccines, vaccination all around Europe, EU Digital Covid Certificate. This infoclip also highlights work of nurses, doctors and technicians searching for cancer treatments and taking care of their patients.

Infoclip: Health crisis

Members of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) have an exchange of views with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the European Union Health Union package and the WHO’s global response to the pandemic. MEPs exchange of views

The European Union Health Union package and the WHO’s global response to the pandemic: exchange of views with the World Health Organization (recorded): MEPs exchange of views

Members of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) have an exchange of views with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the European Union Health Union package and the WHO’s global response to the pandemic. Presentation by Jaouad MAHJOUR, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Preparedness and International Health Regulations at World Health Organization and statements by Sylvie BRIAND, Director of the Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness (GIH), WHO Emergency Preparedness (WPE) and by Nedret EMIROGLU, Director, Country Readiness Strengthening. The transcription of the speeches is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

The European Union Health Union package and the WHO’s global response to the pandemic: opening, presentation and exchange of views with the World Health Organization (recorded)

David SASSOLI, EP President, and Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on behalf of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, participate in a Lex signing ceremony, in the European Parliament in Brussels. The signature concerns: control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (codification); Programme for the Union's action in the field of health –for the period 2021-2027; InvestEU Programme Regulation; equivalence of forest reproductive material produced in the United Kingdom to such material produced in the Union; and Equivalence of UK Practices for the Maintenance of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species Decision'.

Lex Signing ceremony: extracts from the signature of Five COD LEX with David SASSOLI, EP President and Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on the programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 2/3

Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 2/3

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on the programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 3/3

Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 3/3

During the plenary session, MEPs debate and cast their final vote on the €5.1 billion EU4Health programme for 2021-2027. The programme aims to make EU health systems more resilient, address cross-border health threats and make medicines and medical devices more available, accessible and affordable. Statements by Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Jytte GUTELAND (S&D, SE), Luisa REGIMENTI (ID, IT), Joanna Maria KOPCIŃSKA (ECR, PL), Frédérique RIES (Renew, BE), Marc BOTENGA (The Left, BE) and Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Rapporteur.

EU4Health Programme: extracts from the debate and the vote and statement by Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI (EPP, RO)

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on the programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 1/3

Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): MEPs debate 1/3

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on the programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): Opening statement by Cristian-Silviu BUŞOI (PPE, RO), rapporteur, by Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ (Renew, RO) BUDG and by Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): Opening statements

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (08-11 March 2021), MEPs debate on the programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): Closing statement by Stella KYRIAKIDES , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

Programme for the Union's action in the field of health for the period 2021-2027 (“EU4Health Programme”): Closing statement by Stella KYRIAKIDES, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

Vaccinations against COVID-19 started across the EU on December 27 2020. The European Commission has given conditional marketing authorisation for two COVID-19 vaccines, one developed by BioNTech and Pfizer and one by Moderna Biotech Spain, S.L. after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded its assessments of these vaccines. This infoclip shows the vaccination campaign for medical staff in an hospital of Strasbourg (France): preparation of vaccine doses and vaccination sessions.

Infoclip: COVID-19 - Vaccinations

Cancer research, and its translation into everyday clinical practice, is fundamental to ensuring continual improvements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for survivors. The needs of basic cancer research must achieve a high profile with the EU Cancer Mission and Horizon Europe research and innovation programme in order to maintain Europe's position at the forefront of discovery and breakthrough in understanding cancer. This infoclip shows how scientists work on studies to find better ways to prevent and treat cancer. ICANS | Strasbourg Europe Cancer Institute combines the Paul Strauss Center, one of the Comprehensive Cancer Centers in France, and the University Hospital of Strasbourg oncology teams. This institute is entirely dedicated to patients and works in three different areas: cares teaching and research.

Infoclip: Europe's Beating Cancer Plan - Research

Cancer treatment and care involve a very wide range of treatment modalities, spanning a large number of medical disciplines. These notably include: cancer surgery, radiation therapy, interventional oncology, chemotherapy, nuclear therapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy; primary care, specialist oncology nursing, oncology pharmacy; and psycho-oncology, supportive care and palliative care. This infoclip shows various aspects of the diagnosis and treatments of cancers by ICANS (Institute of Cancerology Strasbourg - France). ICANS | Strasbourg Europe Cancer Institute combines the Paul Strauss Center, one of the Comprehensive Cancer Centers in France, and the University Hospital of Strasbourg oncology teams. This institute is entirely dedicated to patients and works in three different areas: cares teaching and research.

Infoclip: Europe's Beating Cancer Plan - Diagnosis and treatment

Between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable. Cancer prevention requires smoking cessation, increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate use of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise... Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. Ths infoclip shows consumption of tobacco, alcoholic beverage and junk food, healthy diet and physical activity (basketball, gymnastics, badminton ...).

Infoclip: Europe's Beating Cancer Plan - Prevention

This infoclip illustrates the start of the vaccine campaign in Mons, Puurs and Brussels (Belgium) 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, Belgium

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).

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