Vigenin: The fight against cancer is an investment in the future of Europe

“Investment in health and scientific research is not an expense, it is a strategic investment in the future of Europe.” This was stated by MEP Kristian Vigenin from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament during the founding of the Bulgarian National Hub of the Mission against Cancer (NHMRB).

The event was organised by the Joint Oncology National Network (JONN), an association of more than 20 leading scientific institutions and over 5,000 health professionals involved in the fight against cancer. The creation of the Hub is backed by more than 80 institutions and organisations from across the country, including municipalities, universities, patient associations and industrial partners.

The European Mission on Cancer

Kristian Vigenin took part in the thematic panel “Policy, power and partnership, building the European Mission on Cancer from Bulgaria”, moderated by Richard Price from the European Cancer Organisation (ECO). The MEP answered Price’s question about the sustainability of key European initiatives such as Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Cancer Mission in the context of the upcoming budget discussions and the geopolitical challenges facing the Union.

He stressed that these policies are among the strongest examples of a real European contribution to the problem. „Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Mission are policies that show what Europe can achieve when the member states work together, in science, in prevention, in early diagnosis and in treatment“, the MEP said.

Kristian Vigenin underlined that the national hubs of the mission create a key link between scientific research, policy and the real needs of patients. “It is precisely through platforms like these that we can turn European policies into concrete results in every member state,” Vigenin said.

European coordination in difficult times

He noted that Europe is in a period of serious geopolitical and economic upheaval: the war in Ukraine, investment in security and defence and the energy challenges are putting strong pressure on the EU budget. The upcoming negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework will be difficult, but in his view health policies must not lose priority.

“Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Europe. Without strong European coordination we risk deepening the differences between member states in access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” Vigenin warned.

He stressed that in the European Parliament there is broad cross-party support for the fight against cancer, because this is a topic that affects almost every European family.

Three priorities for the coming years

The MEP outlined three key priorities for the coming years: protecting the funding of programmes such as Horizon Europe, EU4Health and the Cancer Mission; guaranteeing the sustainable development of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan after the current programming period; and strengthening the role of the national and regional structures that translate European policies into real action.

Vigenin also stressed the importance of the European initiatives for countries like Bulgaria. “For countries like Bulgaria the European initiatives in healthcare are particularly important, because they help reduce the differences in access to innovation, to scientific networks and to best practices,” he said.

In his view the role of the members of the European Parliament is not only to defend these policies, but also to build broad coalitions in their support, between political groups, institutions and member states.

“In the end, the fight against cancer is one of the fields where Europe can show its true strength, through solidarity, through science and through a long-term vision,” Vigenin said. “If we work together, institutions, scientists, doctors, patients and politicians, we can ensure that these European initiatives not only continue, but become even stronger in the future,” the MEP concluded.