On 19 February 2021 from 10:30 – 12:30 (CET), an online event entitled “14 Million Reasons to Discuss Life after Cancer: Implementing the Right to be Forgotten across Europe” will be taking place. This event, initiated by Prof. Françoise Meunier, will be hosted by MEPs Manuel Pizarro (S&D, Portugal), Tilly Metz (Greens, Luxembourg) and Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia).

Today, the vast majority of cancer survivors across Europe are confronted with daily discrimination which sees them blocked from being able to secure the loans and mortgages they need to pursue their lives. This crucial event will therefore focus on the implementation of the Right to be Forgotten, a right which can help ensure that former cancer patients no longer suffer from financial discrimination following the end of their treatment.

This discrimination needs to come to an end which is why, one year after the launch event of the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan, this event will provide a platform for key stakeholders to collaborate on identifying the right path for the implementation of this right across Europe. Given the growing number of cancer survivors in Europe, we now have over 14 million reasons to discuss not only the need for an EU approach to the Right to be Forgotten, but also the implementation of a right which has now been widely recognised by European policymakers.

The event co-hosted by MEPs Manuel Pizarro (S&D, Portugal), Tilly Metz (Greens, Luxembourg) and Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia) will gather a wide range of stakeholders, such as patient group representatives, healthcare professionals and EU Institutions who togeth

Thanks to medicine’s tremendous progress, cancer is no longer a death sentence. Let’s make sure we give cancer survivors every reason to continue their lives after cancer.