CoR Plenary (December 2021)

Europe's Beating Cancer plan sets out actions to support, coordinate or supplement Member States' efforts at every stage of the disease: from prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, to an improved quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. Cross-cutting themes include research and innovation, digital and personalised medicine, and action to reduce cancer inequalities across the EU. A particular focus will be on childhood cancers. The plan consists of 10 flagship initiatives and 32 supporting actions, to be rolled out over the coming years. Implementation will be monitored by means of a roadmap and progress indicators, and the Commission will establish an EU cancer plan implementation group.

This briefing forms part of an EPRS series offering syntheses of the pre-legislative state of play and consultation on key European Commission priorities during the current five-year term. It summarises the state of affairs in the relevant policy field, examines how the existing policy is working on the ground, and, where possible, identifies best practice and ideas for the future on the part of governmental organisations at all levels of European system of multilevel governance. EPRS analysis of the positions of partner organisations at European, national, regional and local levels suggests that they would like the following main considerations to be reflected in discussion of the forthcoming Europe's Beating Cancer plan: * Submissions from all four levels of governance highlight the EU's key role in prevention, including as regards cancer-causing environmental factors and tobacco consumption. Input obtained refers to the active role Europe's local and regional actors can play in putting prevention into practice.

This analysis describes the main concepts and gives examples for health inequalities across the EU. It then presents an overview of the work accomplished at international and EU levels. It shows, in particular, how the EU institutions, bodies and agencies have contributed to reducing health inequalities, notwithstanding that Member States have the main responsibility for health policy. The analysis then goes on to depict stakeholder views, before closing with an outlook on avenues for further action.

This paper builds further on an initial 'mapping' in mid-2020 of some 66 potential structural risks which could confront Europe over the coming decade, and a second paper last autumn which looked at the EU's capabilities to address 33 of those risks assessed as being more significant or likely, and at the various gaps in policy and instruments at the Union's disposal. Delving deeper in 25 specific areas, this new paper identifies priorities for building greater resilience within the Union system, drawing on the European Parliament's own resolutions and proposals made by other EU institutions, as well as by outside experts and stakeholders.

National budgets are a competence of the national governments of the Member States. However, EU countries adopting the euro have to meet specific conditions designed to ensure economic convergence, known as the convergence criteria or Maastricht criteria (agreed by the Member States in the Maastricht Treaty of 1992). They include conditions on sound and sustainable public finances, along with the macroeconomic indicators - price stability, durability of convergence, and exchange rate stability.

Infographics, September 2021

Infographics, January 2020