European Court of Auditors. Special report 07/2026: Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan: A wide-ranging plan facing an uncertain future

Each year, cancer causes nearly 1.1 million deaths and generates over €100 billion in costs in the EU. The Commission’s latest response is Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP), a €4 billion initiative launched in 2021 and covering prevention, early detection, cancer care and quality of life. In this audit, we examined whether the EBCP is an effective EU-wide response. We looked at its design, implementation, sustainability and monitoring arrangements, with a particular focus on cancer inequalities. We found that it supports coordination among member states, but its effectiveness could be compromised by overlapping initiatives, sustainability concerns, monitoring weaknesses and an unclear outlook after 2027. We recommend that the Commission adjust key EBCP initiatives and strengthen its monitoring and evaluation.