Cancer survivors deserve better: Fresh call to new European Commission on a “Right to be Forgotten”
20 January 2025, Brussels.The Patient Advisory Committee of the European Cancer Organisation has today made a public appeal to the new European Commission to re-initiate action on establishing an EU-wide approach to prevent financial discrimination against cancer survivors.
The 21 patient advocates, who represent the voices and interests of Europe’s major cancer patient organisations, have jointly written to Maria Luis Albuquerque, the EU Commissioner for Financial Services, and to Olivér Várhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. In the public letter the patient representatives emphasise the urgency to implement a harmonised “Right to Be Forgotten” (RTBF) approach across the European Union, which remains a commitment outlined in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
The letter reminds the Commissioners of the unacceptable barriers faced by too many cancer survivors when seeking financial services such as loans and mortgages. Despite achieving complete remission, many survivors are subjected to discriminatory practices based solely on their medical history. Presently, twelve EU member states lack any legal protections for survivors in this regard, perpetuating inequities across Europe.
The Patient Advisory Committee urges the Commissioners to embed a “Right to be Forgotten” in European legislation, advocating for a five-year post-treatment timeline, after which a cancer diagnosis would no longer be relevant to financial service applications. This would align with best practices already implemented in countries like France, Spain, and Belgium.
The letter also acknowledges the recent efforts made under the leadership of DG SANTE and DG FISMA, including roundtable negotiations on a Code of Conduct for Fair Access of Cancer Survivors to Financial Services. ECO’s Patient Advisory Committee urges that the medical evidence, exchanges, relationships and advances made during those negotiations be built upon.
The letter concludes with an ask for the Commissioners’ support in progressing the promises of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan on a Right to be Forgotten, with some particular opportunities foreseen within the forthcoming revision of the Mortgage Credit Directive.
The European Cancer Organisation and its Patient Advisory Committee remain committed to engaging with EU institutions and stakeholders to address this critical issue and ensure that cancer survivors are no longer defined by their past diagnoses.
