The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) is an NGO leading on cancer control actions at the European level since 1980. Represented by members in the EU and non-EU countries at the national level, leagues are often the main resource for the public for cancer control information and services. The running of ECL is financed by fees from its members, which cover a skeleton staff and office expenses. ECL finds it increasingly difficult to run the office on only membership fees, rates which have not changed for 10 years, but due to times of austerity, ECL is unable to justify increasing the fees. Therefore, ECL is applying for this Operating Grant to increase its resources in order to be able to implement actions efficiently in line with its renewed strategy 2014-2017, in particular in its implementation of work for Strategic Goal 2: Promote Cancer Prevention. Cancer prevention actions, including communication campaigns for the public, remain a top priority for ECL and its member leagues, where we have been instrumental in communicating and interpreting for the public the past decade the 3rd Revision of the European Code Against Cancer. With great experience at the national and EU levels, and with proven trust of the public in the Member States, ECL and its member leagues are therefore a natural partner in communicating and disseminating the new (4th) revision of the Code. An EU Grant would be shared with the national leagues to further the other strategic goals: encouraging access to cancer screening; ensuring access to treatment and support; supporting national cancer control programmes and cancer registries; and influencing cancer control policies. More resources would also allow ECL to optimally utilize its network of partners at the European and global level, which include international organisations, the European Parliament, national departments of health etc. to support cancer control in line with priorities of the EU.
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Within most European populations, smoking prevalence rates differ substantially according to people’s educational level, occupational class and income level. In the European countries, smoking inequalities are generally largest, and smoking is the largest single contributor to socio-economic inequalities in mortality. Significant inequalities in smoking are now emerging in all European countries, especially in the youngest generations. Tobacco products and secondhand smoke (SHS) kill, as documented in over 20 reports (eg: IARC, US Surgeon General). Exposure to SHS kills at least 79 000 people in the EU each year, incl. deaths from lung cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and chronic non-neoplastic respiratory disease; plus deaths in childhood caused by SHS, deaths in adults from other conditions known to be caused by active smoking and the significant, serious morbidity, both acute and chronic, caused by SHS. Special Eurobarometer 385/2012 indicates that almost one third of European citizens currently smoke either cigarettes, cigars or a pipe. As smoking is responsible for half the difference in deaths across socio-economic groups, tobacco control has a major role to play in reducing health and social inequalities.ENSP plays a major role in Europe to prevent the tobacco industry from biaising and slowing down the tobacco control process. Indeed, ENSP was created for a tighter collaboration within the tobacco control community and for a stronger and united civil society action against tobacco. Key objectives during 2015-2017:- The support to the Directive 2014/40/EU and FCTC implementation- The facilitation of the creation and the operation of national alliances for tobacco control in Europe.- The stimulation of and the participation in European projects - The facilitation of networking in Europe- The collection and distribution of informationEuropean Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention 2015-2017: connecting, sharing, advocating to save lives!
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The Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) is an NGO leading on cancer control actions at the European level since 1980. Represented by members in the EU and non-EU countries at the national level, leagues are often the main resource for the public for cancer control information and services. ECL provides a unique platform for cancer leagues to share specific know-how and experiences and is the only network in existence exclusively for cancer leagues. The running of ECL has been mainly financed by fees from its members, which cover a skeleton staff and office expenses. Prior to receiving co-funding in 2015 in the form of an Operating Grant from the EU, ECL's main source of income was membership fees, rates which have not changed for 10 years, but due to times of austerity, ECL has been unable to justify increasing the fees. ECL applied for an Operating Grant in 2014 to increase its resources in order to be able to implement actions efficiently in line with its renewed strategy 2014-2017. In 2015, the EU co-funding allowed us to increase our activities in the implementation of work for Strategic Goal 2: Promote Cancer Prevention. The grant has enabled ECL to increase our work in cancer prevention, and specifically in communicating the new 4th revision of the European Code Against Cancer in 2015, activities which included confirming translations of the Code, encouraging our members to communicate the Code, targeting young adults and incorporating the messages in all our activities including work at the European Parliament. In 2016 we will continue and expand these efforts with the Code as well as continue our normal and important activities such as tobacco control and patient support, while increasing our work at the national levels with our member leagues and other partners, which will include to a limited extent global partners during the World Cancer Congress in October 2016 in Paris.
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Within most European populations, smoking prevalence rates differ substantially according to people’s level of education, income or occupation. In European countries, smoking inequalities are generally high, and smoking is the largest single contributor to socio-economic inequalities in mortality. Significant inequalities in smoking are now emerging in all European countries, especially amongst young people. Tobacco products and secondhand smoke (SHS) kill, as documented in over 20 reports (eg: IARC, US Surgeon General). Exposure to SHS causes around 79.000 deaths every year in the EU, including:- Deaths from lung cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and chronic non-neoplastic respiratory disease; - Deaths in childhood - Significant morbidity, both acute and chronicSpecial Eurobarometer 429/2015 indicates that almost one third of European citizens currently smoke, including cigarettes, cigars and pipes. As smoking is responsible for half the difference in deaths across socio-economic groups, tobacco control has a major role to play in reducing health and social inequalities in Europe.With an increased capacity within its Secretariat, ENSP has the challenging task in 2016 to locally support its network members in the implementation of the TPD 2014/40/EU after its transposition into national laws by the month of May 2016. With activities based on scientific evidence and academic research, including a scientific committee, a new peer reviewed journal and a network of universities involved in tobacco control, ENSP has all the necessary competences and expertise to create a real impact in the de-normalisation of tobacco use in Europe. Remaining the only structured network specifically dedicated to tobacco control at European level, its work highly contributes to the comprehensive coordination of national and international tobacco control initiatives. ENSP 2016 work programme contributes to its wider 3-year strategy.
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In 2015, in recognition to its achievements, SFP was awarded the prestigious Luther L. Terry Award for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control for Outstanding Organisation by the American Cancer Society. In 2016, SFP will continue to live up to this recognition by striving towards the fulfilment of its three year plan objectives:

1. Promote and support smoking prevention at EU and national level through the development of advocacy strategies that deliver specific EU tobacco control policies.

2. Promote and support smoking prevention at international, European and national level through the development and implementation of the FCTC, its protocols and guidelines.
3. Mobilise and strengthen the capacity of European and national civil society to complement, support and add value to the policies of the EU and of the Member States.

4. Strengthen SFP’s institutional capacity to enable it to meet its goal and objectives.

The SFP Coalition Annual Work Programme for 2016 will reinforce SFP Coalition policy work by providing tobacco control activities and deliverables in accordance with its strategic priorities and will continue to build upon the groundwork laid down in 2015. It will also assist to achieve the final goal of the SFP Coalition’s three-year work plan which is to improve the health of EU citizens and reduce health inequalities by promoting smoking prevention at EU and Member State level with a special focus on measures that prevent the uptake of smoking by young people. This will be done through a high level of cooperation, coordination and advocacy work of SFP Coalition with advocates, academia, researchers and policy makers.


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