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"Check against delivery"

Ministers, Honourable Members of Parliament, Esteemed Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Delivering the keynote speech at the very first conference on improving cancer treatment outcomes in Croatia is a real honour.

I thank my European Parliament colleague Dr Romana Jerković for bringing us together.

As I am speaking to you today, we have seen millions of people fleeing the illegal, brutal and senseless invasion of Ukraine. Many of these refugees are cancer patients, both adults and children. Our thoughts of support today must go out to them.

Conferences like the one today are crucial to address the challenges that cancer is posing on patients and health professionals in the European Union.

These challenges have been made worse by COVID-19, which has done nothing to improve the outcomes that are the focus of your event today.

But we also need conferences like this because we can achieve far more together.

This is why Europe's Beating Cancer Plan cuts across disciplines and sectors and is closely involving Member States and stakeholders.

And we are already delivering.

This year we will focus on prevention and diagnosis. As 40% of cancers are preventable, this is for me the right focus.

To mark World Cancer Day in February, we launched major actions, such as the Joint Action on human papillomavirus and the Cancer Inequalities Registry. The Plan's emphasis on reducing inequalities could be of special interest to Croatia, which has some of the highest mortality and lowest survival rates for cancer in the EU.

An updated European Code against Cancer will give people in Croatia and across the EU easy-to-understand messages on how to reduce their cancer risk.  

And, with the Mission on Cancer, we will continue harnessing the potential of research, innovation, data, digitalisation and new technologies for cancer management. 

Let me give you some examples.

First, the EU Chief Scientific Advisors have given us solid guidance to help us update our recommendations on cancer screening.

Second, the new Knowledge Centre on Cancer will coordinate and align scientific and technical cancer-related work at EU level.

Third, we will set up the European Cancer Imaging Initiative to develop an EU “atlas” of cancer-related images, making anonymised images accessible to all stakeholders.

And fourth, to offer high-quality care for all, we will create an EU Network of National Comprehensive Cancer Centres by 2025.

To this end, we will help Member States like Croatia set up new reference networks on more common cancers and cancer conditions, and link these with existing networks on rare cancers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our wide-ranging efforts to turn the tide against cancer are moving forward. And our aim is clear: to boost high-standard and quality-assured diagnosis and treatment across the EU – and improve outcomes as a result.

However, the Commission cannot do this alone. That's why we invite you all to work with us.

Together, we can improve poor treatment outcomes in Croatia and offer all cancer patients, their families, friends, and carers hope for a brighter future.

Thank you.

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