Session 3

A European Semester on health?

Piloting Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to address inequalities

Organised by Cancer Patients Europe & Central European Oncology Group, supported by MSD

Health inequalities are a persistent reality in Europe. The challenges of implementing EU health initiatives are a reality too. The session will discuss whether the European Semester – an established mechanism to coordinate the EU's economic and social policies – could play a catalyst role in social convergence, health prevention and health care with cancer as a pilot, and better respond to the social and health needs of people from different socio-economic groups.

Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan has been a key pillar of a stronger Health Union. The inequalities registry offers a European-wide data set to measure progress in implementation. In this session, a wide range of stakeholders from the institutions, civil society, public and private sector will discuss the potential of a European Semester for Health, the challenges and whether the Commission’s achievements on cancer could serve as a test case.