Stakeholders in the health sector widely welcomed the long-awaited Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, unveiled on Wednesday (3 January), as a “new era for cancer care and cancer patients” which places the European Union at the forefront of research and innovation efforts. The €4 billion flagship plan is a key pillar of the European Health Union, presented by President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in November 2020 as part of creating a more secure, resilient and better-prepared EU. With an emphasis on research and innovation, the cancer plan sets out a new EU approach to cancer which targets the entire disease pathway, from prevention to quality of life of cancer patients and survivors.