European Parliament
What you need to know
Europa Donna is a stakeholder in different EU parliamentary groups and committees, provides input on reports and also works directly with MEPs to raise awareness of breast cancer issues. ED representatives are regularly invited to speak at the European Parliament at awareness sessions and informative hearings about the breast care need of European women. This type of activity facilitates ED's engagement with EU policy makers on topics concerning breast cancer.
Current priority topics include projects concerning inequalities in access to breast cancer care among and across European countries and returning to work after a diagnosis of early breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
EU Parliament Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA)
Europa Donna participated in events organised during the BECA Committee’s entire mandate, which began when the committee was approved by the European Parliament plenary in June 2020. MEPs on this committee worked towards the creation of a common framework for cancer treatment in the EU. At the end of the mandate, ED proposed and obtained amendments to BECA’s Final Report, such as the need to emphasise the importance of both genomics and metastatic breast cancer. The amendments were proposed directly and through TBCT and WECAN.
European Union Resolutions and Declarations on Breast Cancer
Since 2000 Europa Donna has successfully championed, in collaboration with MEPs, a drive for high breast care standards to be EU mandated. These requirements have been updated regularly. The 2015 Written Declaration on Breast Cancer calls for nationwide mammography screening programs, multidisciplinary specialist breast units (SBUs), accreditation of SBUs, and SBU care for women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Many of these have now been implemented in many countries, although continued work is required.
Engaging with Members of European Parliament (MEPs)
Europa Donna participates in activities held at the European Parliament, engages with MEPs and EU Parliament inter-groups dealing with cancer, diversity, inequalities and committees such as Beating Cancer (BECA), both directly and together with the Transforming Breast Cancer Together Initiative (TBCT), the European Patients Forum (EPF) and the Work-group of European Cancer Patient Advocacy Networks (WECAN).
Transforming Breast Cancer Together (TBCT)
Europa Donna partners with MEPs and other stakeholders in this initiative aimed to reduce the societal impact of breast cancer by making it a greater health policy priority in order to improve its prevention, diagnosis and care across Europe. One of these is the Renewed Call for Change which sets out pivotal steps for the successful implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP). Europa Donna representatives provide patient advocate perspectives at regular meetings of this group.