Plans are only as good as their tangible impact on patients and healthcare systems. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP), launched in 2021, brought real momentum to the fight against cancer, promising to reduce disease burden, tackle inequality, accelerate advances in personalised medicine, and setting ambitious goals across the entire care pathway.

But ambition alone is not enough. As the first cycle of the EBCP ends in 2025, the question remains: are these ambitions being translated into real-world change? To answer this, the EFPIA Oncology Platform and Cancer Patients Europe conducted the study Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in Action: National Implementation for the Future.

Our aim was to assess whether progress under the EBCP is being sustained through strong, coherent National Cancer Control Programmes (NCCPs), which represent the backbone of implementation beyond 2025.

National Cancer Control Plans: Vehicles for Impact

NCCPs are not just policy documents; they are the operational engines that determine whether patients benefit from innovation and whether health systems deliver equitable, high-quality care. Without robust national cancer plans, Europe risks fragmentation, widening inequalities, and losing momentum—especially as cancer incidence continues to rise. In fact, cancer cases in the EU have increased by nearly 60% since 1995, now exceeding 3.2 million new cases annually, with over 1.5 million deaths each year.

To capture Europe’s diversity, we examined six Member States: France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, and Slovakia, representing three archetypes of alignment with the EBCP, from strong governance and funding to constrained environments where implementation remains fragmented.

Our methodology combined desk research (reviewing national cancer plans, legislation, budgets, and EU-funded projects) with a targeted stakeholder survey involving policymakers, EFPIA members, and national experts. This approach helped us move beyond written strategies to understand what implementation looks like in practice.

Key Findings: Clear Progress and Persistent Gap

• Alignment with EBCP varies widely: France and Spain lead with mature governance and long-term funding. Germany and Denmark have strong foundations but face gaps in monitoring and paediatric cancer strategies. Hungary and Slovakia show commitment but remain constrained by resources and fragmented implementation.
• Prevention and screening progress is uneven: No country meets the EBCP’s 90% coverage target for breast, cervical, or colorectal screening. Participation differs: for colorectal screening, it ranges from over 80% in Denmark to just 8% in Hungary. Lung cancer screening is gaining traction, with Germany launching Europe’s first national LDCT programme, but uptake remains inconsistent.
• Personalised medicine shows stark disparities: France and Spain have invested heavily in genomic infrastructures. Germany and Denmark are integrating testing gradually, while Hungary and Slovakia rely on EU-funded pilots. Equity of access remains a challenge everywhere.
• Research and cancer networks differ in maturity: France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark are deeply embedded in EU programmes. Hungary and Slovakia participate actively but depend on EU mechanisms to accelerate capacity-building.

Turning evidence into action

Europe has made remarkable progress under the EBCP. But sustaining momentum depends on strong, coherent national cancer plans. We urge EU and national policymakers to commit to sustained funding and a clear follow-up roadmap for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) beyond 2025, ensuring that National Cancer Control Programmes remain fully resourced and aligned as the primary vehicles for implementation.

Key priorities for action include:

• For Member States:
  
  • Guarantee long-term, ring-fenced funding for NCCPs.
  • Ensure national plans fully reflect EBCP priorities, including tackling inequalities, paediatric cancer, and personalised medicine.
  • Strengthen transparency and accountability through updated KPIs and regular public reporting.
  • Align screening programmes with EU guidelines and accelerate lung cancer screening.
  • Advance precision medicine with clear national strategies and equity frameworks.
  • Integrate Comprehensive Cancer Centres to deliver high-quality, equitable care.
    For the European Union:
  • Set EU-wide minimum standards for NCCPs covering governance, financing, KPIs, and data interoperability.
  • Provide practical support through a permanent NCCP Support Facility and capacity-building grants.
  • Secure dedicated cancer funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
  • Accelerate best practice sharing through EU-wide twinning and fast-track programmes.

• For the European Union:
  
  • Set EU-wide minimum standards for NCCPs covering governance, financing, KPIs, and data interoperability.
  • Provide practical support through a permanent NCCP Support Facility and capacity-building grants.
  • Secure dedicated cancer funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
  • Accelerate best practice sharing through EU-wide twinning and fast-track programmes.