Urban Mobility plays an important role in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan

On 3 February 2021, the European Commission adopted its Beating Cancer Plan; a political commitment to turn the tide against cancer and another stepping stone towards a strong European Health Union and a more secure, better-prepared and more resilient EU.

Over the coming years, it will focus on research and innovation, tap into the potential that digitalisation and new technologies offer, and mobilise financial instruments to support Member States. The policy objectives are supported by ten flagship initiatives and multiple supporting actions, for which the new, ambitious EU4Health programme and other EU instruments will provide €4 billion to Member States in their efforts to make their health systems more robust and more able to address cancer.

The aim of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is to tackle the entire disease pathway. It is structured around four key action areas where the EU can add the most value:

1. prevention; 
2. early detection;
3. diagnosis and treatment; and 
4. quality of life of cancer patients and survivors. 

Urban mobility plays an important role in addressing the key action area 'prevention'. EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, the Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility, focuses on health issues with the 2021 theme Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Urban Mobility. The SUMP topic guide on Linking transport and health in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans flags the importance of health issues in the area of transport for local authorities preparing transport plans.

In addition, measures aiming towards zero-emission mobility and reducing environmental pollution from transport will be adressed within the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the Commission's Urban Mobility Package will be revised later in 2021. 

For more information, please visit A cancer plan for Europe.

The communication Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and its annex with initiatives can be accessed here.