EUnetCCC designates the first 30 Comprehensive Cancer Centres across 8 countries

By formally connecting reference centres within a shared European framework, this initiative strengthens cooperation between national health systems and promotes better coordination of cancer care, with closer links between treatment and research and fairer access to high-quality oncology services across regions and countries.

EU-Designation follows a population-based approach, respecting national contexts and the organisation of healthcare systems. Rather than creating new institutions, it recognises centres, or consortia of centres, that already play a central role in organising cancer care and research for defined populations. In several countries, this has led to the development of inter-regional models or consortia under shared governance.

“This first group of EU-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres represents a fundamental step towards building a more coordinated and equitable European cancer landscape. By recognising centres that already play a structuring role at national level and connecting them through EUnetCCC, we are laying the foundations for lasting impact for patients across Europe,” said Thomas Dubois, Head of European and International Affairs at the French National Cancer Institute and EUnetCCC Coordinator.

What does EU-Designation mean in practice?

In practice, the process starts at national level, with centres identified and endorsed by national health authorities, in coordination with Ministries of Health, before applying for EU-Designation.
It represents a first European recognition of nationally designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres and identifies centres that demonstrate an adequate level of integration in cancer care and are well positioned to progress along the EU CCC certification pathway.
Applications are assessed by the Designation and Admission Committee (DAC) of the EUnetCCC Joint Action. EU-Designation does not constitute a quality certification or accreditation.

EU-Designation Label

From designation to long-term impact

EU-Designation is a starting point. Centres holding the designation label enter a structured pathway of continuous improvement and benefit from EUnetCCC activities, which include:
 

• Capacity-building to strengthen governance, organisation and quality management;

• Structured cooperation, peer learning and support for clinical and translational research;

• Tools and frameworks to enhance integration and innovation and to strengthen connections with the wider European cancer ecosystem.

This pathway strengthens the maturity of centres in delivering high-quality, fully integrated cancer care to entire populations, serving as the starting point for building a cohesive European network and contributing, over time, to greater equity in care for the approximately 2.6 million Europeans diagnosed with cancer each year.

Latvia on the Path to Joining the European Network of 100 Comprehensive Cancer Centres

The approval of the first 30 Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) marks the initial phase of implementation. The second phase is currently underway, with the objective of expanding the network to approximately 100 Comprehensive Cancer Centres across Europe by 2028, including participation from Latvia.

Latvia is actively preparing to take part in the second accession phase. National-level discussions and preparatory activities are currently in progress to assess the development potential of a Comprehensive Cancer Centre and to strengthen the framework for cooperation in oncology. This process is aimed at advancing integrated, high-quality, and sustainable cancer care, while strategically progressing towards joining the European network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres in the forthcoming selection rounds. At the beginning of this year, leading partners of the network’s sustainability workstream (Work Package 4) from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) of Slovenia visited the Riga East University Hospital. This work package focuses on the implementation of unified quality standards, collaborative models, and best practices within Comprehensive Cancer Centres. The meeting was also attended by representatives from University of Latvia and Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. Discussions included Latvia’s potential participation in a pilot project. As cooperation continues, Latvia is expected to be represented through a unified consortium comprising Riga East University Hospital, University of Latvia, and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre.

“Participation in the pilot project represents a significant opportunity for Latvia to strengthen collaboration both nationally and with European partners. It contributes to the continuous improvement of healthcare quality and ensures that Latvian patients receive modern, coordinated, and evidence-based oncology care grounded in common quality standards,” emphasises Alinta Hegmane, Director of the Oncology Centre of Latvia at Riga East University Hospital.

List of the 30 EU-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres

About  EUnetCCC

The EUnetCCC is a Joint Action coordinated by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa). It is an initiative under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Union’s unprecedented political and financial commitment, with a budget of €4 billion, to reduce the cancer burden and associated inequalities across Europe.
The initiative supports a structured, population-based approach to cancer care, research and innovation, anchored in national health systems and strengthened through European cooperation. Established as Flagship Action No. 5 of the Plan, EUnetCCC aims to build a coherent European network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) capable of translating clinical and scientific excellence into tangible benefits for patients and populations.

What are Comprehensive Cancer Centres – and why do they matter?

Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) are organisations that integrate, within a defined territorial scope:

• Cancer prevention and early detection;

• Diagnosis and treatment;

• Clinical and translational research;

• Education and training;

• Innovation and data-driven approaches.

Beyond excellence at the level of individual institutions, CCCs play a structuring role within national cancer control systems, ensuring that innovation is systematically integrated into care and that high-quality oncology services are accessible to entire populations.

Funding
The project "European Comprehensive Cancer Centre Network (EUnetCCC)" has received funding from the European Union (Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)) program EU4Health under grant agreement No. 101183407.