EUREGHA Working Group on Cancer – Constitutive meeting

On 17 February, EUREGHA officially launched the 2026 activities of its Working Group on Cancer constitutive meeting, bringing together members from regional and local health authorities across Europe. The meeting provided a great opportunity to exchange priorities, reflect on ongoing EU developments in the cancer field, and jointly define the direction of the Working Group for the year ahead. Discussions confirmed a strong interest in strengthening collaboration around EU cancer policy and in identifying concrete opportunities for joint work. 

Key focus areas for 2026

Beyond funding opportunities, several thematic priorities emerged as particularly relevant for members and will guide the Working Group’s activities in 2026:

• Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC) and certification pathways, including interest in capacity-building activities and exchange of experiences among regions at different stages of the process

• Inequalities in cancer screening and prevention, with a focus on data-driven approaches to better identify and reach underserved populations

• Patient engagement and participatory approaches, strengthening the involvement of patients and communities across prevention, care pathways and service design

• Equity-oriented access to clinical trials, including regional models to improve coordination, information-sharing and referral pathways

• Mental health and psychosocial support, recognised as a cross-cutting priority for people living with and beyond cancer, as well as for families and caregivers

Members also highlighted the value of learning from existing regional practices and exploring how these experiences could be shared and adapted across different health system contexts.

Connecting regional priorities with EU developments

The meeting provided space to reflect on recent European-level publications and policy developments, including contributions from the European Parliament, OECD and EU-funded initiatives linked to cancer research and implementation. Participants discussed how the Working Group can help ensure that regional and local perspectives are reflected in ongoing debates on the future of EU cancer policy, including the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Mission on Cancer.

Next steps

Looking ahead, the Working Group will focus on:

• Further consolidating the mapping of members’ interests in EU calls and tenders for 2026, to support targeted matchmaking and coordinated participation

• Facilitating exchanges on regional priorities in prevention, inequalities, quality of life and integrated care, including more focused discussions on selected topics

• Exploring opportunities to position regional and local health authorities in discussions on the future of EU cancer policy and funding, including in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)

• Sharing follow-up information on upcoming initiatives and setting the date for the spring Working Group meeting