What are EU Missions?

EU Missions are a new way to bring concrete solutions to some of our greatest challenges. They have ambitious goals and will deliver tangible results by 2030. 

They will deliver impact by putting research and innovation into a new role, combined with new forms of governance and collaboration, as well as by engaging citizens. 

EU Missions are a novelty of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme for the years 2021-2027. 

What this EU Mission deals with

Cancer: improving the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and for those affected by cancer including their families, to live longer and better.

Cancer affects everyone regardless of age, gender or social status and represents a tremendous burden for patients, families, and societies at large. 

If no further action is taken, the number of people newly diagnosed with cancer every year in Europe will increase from the current 3.5 million to more than 4.3 million by 2035.

A mission in this area will help set common goals aiming to reverse these frightening trends in cancer.

By joining efforts across Europe, the Mission on Cancer together with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan will provide a better understanding of cancer, allow for earlier diagnosis and optimise treatment and improve cancer patients’ quality of life during and beyond their cancer treatment.

The 4 Mission objectives

1. Understanding of cancer
2. Prevention and early detection
3. Diagnosis and treatment
4. Quality of life for patients and& their families

Funding opportunities

Find opportunities to support your ideas on cancer research, innovation, technology and cancer control on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in particular under the Horizon Europe Programme (including the work programmes for missions), the EU4Health Programme, the Digital Europe Programme, the Euratom Programme, and the Interregional Innovation Investments funding instrument.

A portfolio of project results (total EU-funding well over €3.5 billion) on cancer research and innovation funded under past framework programmes FP6 (2002-2006), FP7 (2007-2013) and Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) and the current Horizon Europe framework programme (2021-2027) can be found in the CORDIS database.

Cancer-related projects supported by European Regions can be found in the KOHESIO database.

More information

• mission-oriented policy for Horizon Europe
• Horizon Europe
• co-design session on Cancer mission at Research and Innovation Days (video)
• Citizen events and specialised missions conferences
• Dialog with Member States: SGPP subgroup meetings on cancer and the SGPP thematic group on Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures
• Specific Action: Cancer Screening
• Dialogue with Stakeholders: EU Health Policy Platform

Contact

RTD-SANTE-CANCER-MISSION@ec.europa.eu