*Updated* EPHA recommendations to European Parliament Report on European Action Against Cancer
The European Parliament is currently preparing a report on the European Commission Communication on "Action against Cancer: European Partnership". EPHA prepared a set of recommendations for MEPs, focussing on the need to invest and promote the prevention of cancer through policies and interventions to facilitate and promote healthy behaviours and choices.
*Update* 7 April 2010
In the vote that took place in the ENVI Committee, 7 April 2010, on the draft report by rapporteur Alojz Peterle MEP (EPP-Slovenia), all of the amendments based on EPHA’s recommendations were adopted. The report will now be voted on by MEPs in Plenary.
The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety is the lead committee on this dossier. The committees on Industry and Research, and Women’s Rights and Gender Equality are both preparing opinions. EPHA reviewed the draft report in ENVI prepared by the rapporteur Alojz Peterle MEP and made a number of recommendations to further develop the prevention perspective in the report.
In the knowledge that the disease arises principally as a consequence of individual exposure to carcinogenic agents in what individuals inhale, eat and drink, or are exposed to in their personal or work environment, EPHA called for action on the determinants of health. Personal habits, such as tobacco use, dietary and physical activity patterns - as well as occupational and environmental conditions – play major roles in the development of cancer.
Given the importance of lifestyle and health behaviours to the development of cancer, EPHA made reference to the relevant European and global strategies from the European Commission and the World Health Organization on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, improved nutrition and physical activity, and the reduction of hazardous and harmful consumption of alcohol. Moreover, in light of the fact that these are risk factors common to other chronic diseases, such as CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory diseases, EPHA underlined the fact that cancer prevention programmes should be conducted within the context of an integrated non-communicable disease prevention programme.
EPHA also emphasised the need to work on both primary and secondary prevention, including population-based interventions to tackle the social determinants of health and encourage healthy lifestyles. Furthermore, EPHA underlined that secondary prevention, with a focus on early detection, could also contribute significantly to improved health outcomes. EPHA reiterated the fact that prevention is the most cost-effective response to cancer and therefore funds should be systematically and strategically invested in primary and secondary prevention.
In terms of the political ambitions of the Partnership, EPHA recommended that the Partnership maximises consultation with all European Institutions and civil society via formal and informal channels. EPHA also encouraged the Partnership to consult all the relevant services and sectors implicated in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancers to ensure a comprehensive approach to tackling cancer at an EU level.
The European Partnership for Action Against Cancer was initiated by the EU Commission in September 2009, bringing together the Commission, Member States and their Ministries of Health, patient organisations, health professionals, scientists, private industry and civil society. It has embarked on an ambitious agenda of a pan-European collaborative effort to tackle cancer more evenly and effectively across the EU.
The goals of the Cancer Partnership are two-fold:
To help all EU countries tackle cancer more evenly and effectively by sharing information, resources, best practice and expertise
To avoid fragmented and duplicated effort and maximise the limited resources available - by coordinating action on cancer involving member countries, scientific experts, patient organisations and other key stakeholders.
The four pillars of the Cancer Partnership are:
Prevention (Health promotion and early detection);
Identification and promotion of good practice in cancer-related healthcare;
Priorities for cancer research;
Health information, collection and analysis of comparable data.
The partnership aims to provide a framework for "sharing information, capacity and expertise in cancer prevention and control" across Europe in order to avoid duplication of work or scattered action.
Key priorities of the partnership include promoting early detection of cancer and defining research priorities. For the first time, the European Commission officially acknowledges that cancer prevention should address lifestyle, occupational and environmental causes on an equal footing.
For further information:
European Partnership on Action against Cancer
HEAL Response to Cancer Partnerhsip
EPHA related articles:
European Commission Communication on "Action Against Cancer : European Partnership"
*Updated* First meeting of the Partnership for Action against Cancer
Cancer-linked pesticides used in schools - new survey
European Nutrition and Health Report 2009
*Updated* European Commission issues a Nutrition Strategy
*UPDATED* The ’Alcohol Strategy’: a missed opportunity to protect health?
EU Alcohol Strategy : The European Alcohol and Health Forum - European Parliament activities
First Progress Report on the implementation of the EU 2006 Strategy on Alcohol
Related documents
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