The European Parliament decided by 651 votes to 28, with 8 abstentions to set up a special committee on beating cancer.
The special committee aims in particular to looking at actions to strengthen the approach at every key stage of the disease: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, life as a cancer survivor and palliative care, ensuring a close link with the research mission on cancer in the future Horizon Europe programme and with a focus on EU competence.
The committee shall also be vested with the following responsibilities:
- establish strategies and priorities in line with patient needs based on available data;
- assessing where the EU is empowered, in accordance with the TFEU, to take concrete action to combat cancer;
- assess scientifically the best ways of preventing cancer and to identify specific actions such as the identification of future measures in areas such as tobacco control and obesity, improving nutritional choices, reducing alcohol consumption, vaccination and treatment of infections, exposure to chemicals, air pollution and carcinogens in the workplace, and radiation protection;
- examine early detection of cancer in the form of screening programs;
- analyse early detection of cancer in the form of screening programmes;
- explore ways to support non-profit clinical trials to improve the treatment in areas which the pharmaceutical industry is not investigating because there is limited profitability;
- assess the current framework of pharmaceutical legislation and whether changes are needed to boost innovation;
- assess the possibility of initiatives, including legislative initiatives, to ensure the definition of common standards to improve the interoperability of health care systems;
- evaluate the implementation of the cross-border healthcare directive, the functioning of European reference networks and possible EU action to improve transparency of treatment prices;
- reflect on the possibility of improving patients' rights and the quality of life of patients and their families;
- make recommendations on EU cancer strategies and on procedures for mobilising specific EU funds.
The special committee shall have 33 members. Its term of office shall be 12 months which may be extended.