Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my honor to address this important conference at this special venue.

The election of Pope Leo XIV is a profound moment for Catholics globally. I look forward to close collaboration with the Catholic Church.

The Holy See plays a crucial role in bringing people together to tackle major issues like our health.

Research is essential in the fight against cancer.

It is equally important to ensure that research reaches patients and doctors beyond the lab.

Cancer remains a significant challenge.

Each year, 2.7 million new cases are reported in the European Union.

Despite improvements in cancer care, disparities exist between countries in how cancer affects people and how it is treated.

In the EU, our response is guided by Europes Beating Cancer Plan.

One of its main goals is that people should have access to equally high standards of cancer care, regardless of where they live in the EU.

Since the Plans launch in 2021, 90 percent of its initiatives are ongoing or completed.

The Plan covers the entire disease pathway: from prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, to the quality of life of patients, survivors, and their families.

Starting with prevention, about 40 percent of cancer cases are preventable.

Last year, EU Member States adopted two important recommendations reflecting the latest scientific evidence.

First, a Recommendation on smoke and aerosol-free environments, to better protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke.

This will be followed by an evaluation and revision of the EUs tobacco legislation.

Second, a Recommendation on vaccine-preventable cancers, to help EU governments address cancer risks associated with certain infections.

Our objective is a 90 percent vaccination rate against human papillomavirus among girls in the EU by 2030.

Vaccination of boys should also increase significantly.

To detect cancer early, in 2022, EU Member States expanded the Recommendation on cancer screening.

This supports screening programs for cancer types that account for over half of all newly diagnosed cancers.

Our goal is for 90 percent of those eligible to be offered screening.

The Cancer Plan also aims to ensure that all patients receive the best treatment.

This year, we will launch an EU Network of National Comprehensive Cancer Centres.

The aim is for 90 percent of eligible patients to have access to these centres by 2030.

Along with seven new expert networks on specific and complex cancers, this will also foster research into personalized cancer care.

Translational research is vital for turning the promise of personalized medicine into reality.

At the same time, personalized medicine provides the data, methodologies, and patient focus that can propel translational research forward.

In the Cancer Plan, the Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment for All initiative aims to use next-generation genetic sequencing to optimize diagnosis and treatment.

We also need to fully use the potential of digitalization to provide researchers with access to diverse datasets for comprehensive studies.

The European Health Data Space supports the seamless integration of health data into research.

The European Cancer Imaging Initiative helps to build an infrastructure of cancer images available to researchers.

Research, innovation, and new technologies are cross-cutting topics in Europes Beating Cancer Plan.

This includes how we turn scientific discoveries into clinical practice.

We partner closely with Horizon Europe, the EUs research funding programme, and its Mission to bring concrete results on cancer.

This creates a bridge between science and public health.

Cutting-edge discoveries become real-world solutions, helping EU Member States embed innovation into their own cancer strategies.

Since its launch in 2021, the Cancer Mission has committed nearly 500 million euros to 61 research and innovation projects, in close collaboration with the Cancer Plan.

This complements the funding committed for the activities of the Cancer Plan of more than 394 million euros from the EU4Health Programme.

We have also established a Knowledge Centre on Cancer, managed by the European Commissions Joint Research Centre.

This flagship initiative of the Cancer Plan provides independent, scientific, and evidence-based information about cancer.

We aim to ensure that the most recent scientific advances are integrated into our work.

Together, we can ensure that todays scientific advancements become tomorrows healthcare.

Thank you, and I wish you fruitful discussions.