The European Parliament adopted a written declaration on the need for a comprehensive strategy to control cancer, which remains the leading cause of death in Europe. Indicating that the Community is called upon to play an active role in the field of health, whilst complying with the principle of subsidiarity, Parliament called on the Council and the Commission to formulate a comprehensive strategy addressing the four basic cancer control factors:

prevention; early detection diagnosis, treatment and follow-up; palliative care.

Parliament pointed out that it was now known that one-third of all cancers are preventable and that one-third can be detected early, thus leading to successful treatment. If cancer were addressed by means of a comprehensive strategy, it would soon no longer be the leading cause of death in Europe.

The Commission was asked to review the relevant Community legislation and measures, upgrading and modifying them in keeping with new scientific advances. Parliament also called on the Commission to do the following:

encourage research and innovation in the area of primary prevention and early detection of cancer; promote relevant information campaigns for the general public and for all healthcare providers; ensure that Community legislation contains incentives for industry and researchers alike in order to secure ongoing research and guarantee new generations of medicines and new treatments to combat and control cancer; secure through networks the dissemination of best practices in order to ensure that citizens have access to the best available treatment.