An Urgent Call to Action!

Under the auspices of WECAN – the Network of Cancer Patient Organisations in Europe and together with dozens of other organisations active within the European cancer community, on 28 April Europa Donna published the open letter entitled “OPEN LETTER – URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Cancer Cannot Wait: Safeguard Health as a Standalone Priority in the EU Budget”. 

This initiative responds to the proposed EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) and highlights the significant risk that health – and cancer in particular – may be deprioritised within the new budget structure. Under the current proposal, health funding, including EU4Health, would no longer remain a standalone priority but would instead be absorbed into a European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) alongside 13 other programmes.

In light of this, we aim to mobilise the broader cancer community – spanning scientific, research, academic, patient, and advocacy stakeholders – to present a strong, united, and coordinated appeal to Members of the European Parliament to vote against this measure.

The open letter will serve as an ongoing advocacy tool at key decision-making moments, and its endorsement by numerous organisations significantly strengthens its impact and visibility.

We now call on all National Europa Donna organisations within the European Union to actively support this effort by sharing the open letter with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from their respective countries. Direct outreach at national level is essential to ensure that policymakers understand the urgency of safeguarding health as a standalone EU budget priority.

Read the open letter here: https://wecanadvocate.eu/featured/open-letter-cancer-cannot-wait/#