Members of the European Parliament are due to debate Europe's Beating Cancer Plan in Brussels on Wednesday, 11 November, with a vote on the Parliament's report scheduled for Thursday, 12 November. The debate, listed by the [European Parliament](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20261110IPR48747/ep-today) for 18.00, will bring MEPs together with Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi to assess how the plan is being put into practice and to set out priorities for the next steps. The report under discussion reviews the plan across prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and the quality of life of people living with and beyond cancer. It was adopted by the Parliament's Public Health Committee on 28 September by 27 votes to eight, with five abstentions, and 20 amendments were tabled on 4 November ahead of the plenary vote. ## What MEPs are debating The Parliament's report is an own-initiative report, which means it does not change EU law directly. It does, however, set out where Parliament stands and can influence what the European Commission proposes next, including on the revision of EU tobacco legislation. The rapporteur is Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu MEP, and the report is based on the Parliament's document A10-0261/2026 on the implementation of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. [Lung Cancer Europe](https://lungcancereurope.eu/news/beating-cancer-plan-vote-tobacco-prevention) has urged MEPs to protect the prevention commitments in the report when they vote on the amendments. Reports in some media outlets had suggested disagreement among some MEPs, including in national delegations of the European People's Party, over whether certain preventive measures reflected the scientific evidence, differences in health risks and the principle of proportionality. A senior EPP source denied that there were divisions within the group, telling [EU Reporter](https://www.eureporter.co/health/european-plan-to-beat-cancer/2026/11/11/meps-set-to-vote-on-eus-beating-cancer-plan/) that there was a global deal with the Socialists and Democrats and Renew on the content and that no amendments had been tabled to the resolution. ## Prevention at the centre Prevention is at the heart of the debate. The World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimate that approximately 37% of new cancer cases worldwide were attributable to preventable causes, according to EU Reporter. Obesity is one of the challenges facing European health systems. According to Eurostat figures released in September 2026, more than half of EU adults were overweight in 2025, with 16.3% classified as living with obesity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified sufficient evidence linking excess body fat to at least 13 types of cancer, including colorectal, kidney and postmenopausal breast cancers. The latest European Code Against Cancer recommends maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a balanced diet, limiting sugary beverages and certain ultra-processed foods, and engaging in regular physical activity. Ultra-processed foods have attracted particular attention, although scientists continue to investigate the extent to which processing itself, rather than nutritional composition or its contribution to excess weight, influences cancer development. ## The tobacco question Tobacco is expected to be one of the most closely watched parts of the vote. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Europe, and tobacco is its leading cause, according to Lung Cancer Europe. The plan aims to create a Tobacco-Free Generation by 2040, defined as less than 5% of the population using tobacco. Some of the amendments tabled on 4 November would replace that explicit goal and the call for a timely revision of EU tobacco legislation, replace plain packaging with less specific packaging rules, or replace calls for stronger EU-level alcohol labelling with voluntary or national initiatives. Other amendments would delete or replace the call for harmonised front-of-pack nutrition labelling. Lung Cancer Europe is urging MEPs to keep the 2040 Tobacco-Free Generation goal, to support a timely revision of EU tobacco legislation, including plain packaging, marketing restrictions and evidence-based fiscal measures, and to keep clear language on alcohol-related harm and transparent consumer information. It is also calling for science-based action on environmental risks such as PFAS, and for support for accessible, healthy school meals and a Cancer Survivor Smart Card that is voluntary, secure and gives people control over their data. ## What happens next MEPs will debate the report in plenary on 11 November and vote on the report and its amendments on 12 November. Because the report is not legally binding, the vote will not itself change the law, but it will send a signal to the Commission about the direction Parliament wants cancer policy to take. For health organisations, the test will be whether the final text keeps the prevention commitments intact. As Lung Cancer Europe put it, prevention is one of the most effective ways to reduce the number of people diagnosed with lung cancer, and decisions taken now on tobacco control will influence how many people are diagnosed in the decades ahead.