The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2018 in respect of the following strategic objectives:
1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national cancer plans.
In concrete terms, these objectives will be achieved by: the organisation of a policy dialogue during the European Week against Cancer (EWAC), and development of toolkit to facilitate the roll-out of this format across the EU during EWAC; increasing ECL actions on organised cancer screening by publishing a lay version of the recent EU cancer screening report, and developing training for cancer leagues in this area; promotion of the ECAC by networking cancer leagues, and enhancing the role of the ECL Youth Ambassadors in these efforts; publication of guidelines by the Patient Support Working Group and Access to Medicines Task Force of ECL; and ongoing secretariat function of the successful MEPs against Cancer group of the European Parliament. In addition, ECL will host two trainees from the EU Solidarity Corps, and develop a process to encourage the wider participation of cancer leagues in this initiative.
This proposal has relevance to the annual work programme through its focus on health determinants and health promotion, boosting cancer control, and equitable access to healthcare.
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The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. In coherence with the FPA 2018-2021, this SGA focuses on the core activities to be implemented in 2019 in respect of the following strategic objectives:

1) Informing policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
2) Promoting the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention;
3) Supporting leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
4) Uniting leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
5) Advocating for the European Guide for quality improvement in cancer control to be mainstreamed in national
cancer plans.

These objectives will be achieved by several actions, including:
- performing a survey of national contact points to update the triennial tobacco control scale;
- securing the re-establishment of the MEPs against Cancer (MAC) group in the next mandate of the European Parliament;
- publishing a policy framework of supportive actions to implement the European Code against Cancer;
- developing a web portal on cancer screening to be hosted on the ECL website (www.cancer.eu);
- drafting and disseminating new guidelines on healthcare professionals communication with patients, and effective use of volunteers by cancer leagues;
- collecting best practice on the implementation of the CanCon guide at the national level.

This proposal has relevance to the annual work programme through its focus on health determinants and health promotion, boosting cancer control, and equitable access to healthcare.
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The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) provides a unique platform in Europe as the only organisation with the mission of uniting, at the European level, national and regional cancer leagues to achieve a cancer-free Europe. Active since 1980, ECL currently has 26 members from 23 countries in the European Region, covering 19 EU member states.
The objectives of this proposal are to:
- inform policy to ensure cancer control remains high on the political agenda;
- promote the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) as the essential tool for cancer prevention in Europe;
- support leagues in the implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening;
- unite leagues to advocate for equal access to treatment, support, and rehabilitation for cancer patients;
- advocate for the European Guide for quality improvement in comprehensive cancer control to be mainstreamed in national cancer control plans.
These objectives will be achieved through ECL's role as the secretariat of the MEPs against Cancer group; continuing our extensive work in tobacco control, including organising the triannual European Conference on Tobacco or Health (ECToH); developing training workshops and study exchanges for leagues; networking leagues in the ECL Patient Support Working Group, and Task Force on Access to Medicines; facilitating multi-stakeholder policy dialogues at national and European levels; and supporting targeted dissemination of ECAC to young people, including making use of the EU Solidarity Corps.
The activities of this proposal are particularity relevant to the work programme of the Third EU Health Programme as they directly address the core priorities of cancer, health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases, access to healthcare, and patient empowerment. These actions deliver high EU added-value by disseminating key outcomes from the EU level at the national level, and enabling the efficient input from cancer leagues to the EU policy dialogue.
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