The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has warned that Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP) is “fraught with uncertainty”, according to an audit published on 19 February.
Launched in 2021 with an initial budget of €4 billion for the 2021–2027 period, the EBCP aims to tackle cancer across the entire disease pathway, from prevention and early detection to treatment, survivorship and patients’ quality of life.
Klaus-Heiner Lehne, the ECA member responsible for the audit, said the plan suffers from several structural shortcomings. Chief among them is the absence of a comprehensive monitoring framework. “Many objectives lack measurable targets, actions operate on different timelines, and there…


