As part of preparatory work for its new cancer screening scheme under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the Commission is inviting people to share their experiences, expectations and relevant input. The call for evidence is open on the ‘Have your say’ platform until 22 February 2022. The Commission will consider this feedback, as well the opinion from the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, for the work on updating the Council Recommendation on cancer screening.

The EU Cancer Plan has set as a target to help EU Member States ensure that 90% of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered screening by 2025. Within this context and in order to provide the latest scientific evidence, the 2003 Council Recommendation on cancer screening currently undergoes a revision process. New evidence for the existing recommendations on breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening will be taken into account. A possible extension of screening recommendations to include other cancers will be considered, based on the latest evidence. The Commission proposal is expected to be published in September 2022.

In 2020, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with the disease, and another 1.3 million people lost their lives to it. Numbers are set to increase further in the upcoming years, while the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted cancer prevention and care.

• Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
• Group of Chief Scientific Advisors