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Kom op tegen Kanker

KOTK

Kom op tegen Kanker wil als niet-gouvernementele organisatie de voortrekker en het aanspreekpunt zijn in de strijd tegen kanker.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Jessika Roswall (Commissioner) and

2 Sept 2025 · Roundtable on the revision of REACH and the environmental and health impact of chemicals including PFAS followed by a site visit.

Meeting with Tom Vandenkendelaere (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Nov 2023 · Pharmaceutical review

Meeting with Cindy Franssen (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Nov 2023 · Herziening farmaceutische wetgeving

Response to Reducing human health risks associated with the use of sunbeds

17 Oct 2023

Er bestaat geen grens waarbij het gebruik van zonnebanken 'veilig' is. Zonnebanken zouden daarom verboden moeten worden. Momenteel is het zo dat zonnebanken die voldoen aan de voorschriften van de Europese laagspanningsrichtlijn (2014/35/EU) en aan de geharmoniseerde norm (EN 60335-2-27:2013) voor elektrische apparaten voor huishoudelijk gebruik, als veilig worden beschouwd. De huidige geharmoniseerde productnorm waar zonnebanken onder vallen is een elektrische en hygiënische norm. Bij het opstellen van de deze norm werd onvoldoende rekening gehouden met de impact op de gezondheid, namelijk de kankerverwekkende eigenschap van zonnebanken. In het geval van zonnebanken wegen de gezondheidsrisicos namelijk verhoogd risico op huidkanker, oogkanker en andere oogaandoeningen en onderdrukking van de immuniteit niet op tegen het enige voordeel dat van esthetische aard is, namelijk het bruinen van de huid. De risicos van zonnebanken zijn uitgebreid beschreven in het SHEER rapport en tal van wetenschappelijke publicaties.
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Meeting with Tom Vandenkendelaere (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Jun 2023 · general introduction

Meeting with Stella Kyriakides (Commissioner) and

8 Dec 2022 · Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and EU Policy on cancer, including paediatric and youth cancer

Response to Revised recommendation on smoke-free environments

20 Jul 2022

Kom op tegen Kanker (Stand up to Cancer, Flanders) welcomes the Commission’s initiative to revise its 2009 recommendation on Smoke-free Environments. Kom op tegen Kanker agrees that such a revision is much needed, in view of the latest market developments, the latest findings of studies regarding the impact of tobacco smoke and emergent products aerosols on health and the environment, the specific vulnerability of children to environmental smoke, and the wide divergence of smoke-free laws across Member States. Such a revision is of great importance for the correct implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to which the EU and all its Member States are Parties, and notably its Article 8, on the protection from exposure to tobacco smoke. Studies have confirmed that comprehensive smoke-free laws reduce the risk of smoking initiation and stimulate quit attempts. The revision of the 2009 Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments is key if the EU wants to denormalize smoking in order to achieve the target set in the EU Cancer Plan to reduce smoking prevalence across the EU to 5% by 2040. We list below our concerns and recommendations. This content is detailed and referenced in the document we submitted and endorsed by the SFP Coalition. The recommendation should: - Ensure the harmonization of smoke-free laws in outdoor spaces - Extend the coverage of the 2009 Recommendation to emerging products - Include an explicit reference to FCTC Article 5.3 - Redefine environmental smoke to also include protection from third-hand smoke in its scope (in addition to aerosol) - Explicit strategies to improve enforcement of smoke-free laws should be provided to Member states - Civil society should be an active partner in developing, implementing and enforcing smoke-free policies. - The implementation of smoke-free legislation, its enforcement and its impact should all be monitored and evaluated
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Meeting with Cindy Franssen (Member of the European Parliament)

23 May 2022 · BECA strijd tegen kanker

Meeting with Cindy Franssen (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Mar 2022 · EU plan strijd tegen kanker

Response to Cancer Screening Recommendation

21 Feb 2022

The 2003 Council Recommendation was vital in promoting the shift from opportunistic approaches towards population-based screening following evidence-based, quality assurance guidelines. For its revision, the challenge is to be forward-looking by motivating member states to prepare for the inevitable changes in early detection of cancer taking shape over the next decade. This is likely to be influenced by, amongst others, a shift from one-size-fits-all approaches towards addressing categories of people according to their level of risk. This presents technical challenges that will need to be addressed by screening programmes to assure quality and deliver value for money. Whilst the Recommendation cannot prejudge the evidence, it can anticipate the implications and requirements for good governance, data protection, workforce and appropriate communication to end-users. Clarifying and communicating effectively the terminology of the new paradigm (i.e. personalised, targeted, risk-based, etc.) will also be of value. Nevertheless, a future-oriented approach is not a signal to pursue innovation at all costs. We are concerned that the interest generated by exploring potential new sites for screening and developing new modalities may overshadow the necessity of a sustained focus on quality ensuring the benefits of screening with minimised harms. The update should clearly address and renew the essential principles for quality improvement of cancer screening across its entire pathway. To this end, we endorse and promote the recommendations of the WHO Short Guide on Cancer Screening. Large differences persist in Europe regarding the coverage of cancer screening. Other indicators of quality suggest wide variation in the performance of screening within and between member states. In 2017, the second implementation report of the Recommendation suggested that appropriate monitoring of screening activities was not yet in place in many member states. The monitoring actions are necessary not only for the accountability of cancer screening but also for evaluating the screening outcomes. Therefore, the update of the Recommendation must be coupled with long-term investment from the EU to support member states with these activities as the ability to evaluate the quality and coverage of the existing screening programmes is a prerequisite for member states to make an informed choice about the introduction of screening for new cancer sites. Most affected by variation in screening quality are socially disadvantaged populations who face barriers to access and often inadequate communication thereby exacerbating existing inequalities. Communication to all possible end-users of cancer screening requires regular refreshing to ensure it is clear, honest and faithful to the evidence in order to enable people to make an informed choice about screening. Improving equity within cancer screening programmes has gained major importance in the decades since the publication of the Recommendation and must have a prominent and central place in its update. Once again, this refers back to the previous points of establishing and implementing robust monitoring and reporting systems to inform policy decisions that can lead to action to reduce inequality in access to cancer screening, for instance. When considering variation, we also stress the critical importance of acknowledging and heterogeneity of health systems and the context in which they operate e.g. financial resources, workforce and technical capacity, etc. For this reason, we urge caution when issuing the Recommendation to implore member states to follow a step-wise approach to implementing, evaluating and expanding screening, based upon localised needs ad cost-effectiveness analysis. Moreover, we urge that the update of the Recommendation leads to the establishment of a permanent platform supporting member states to implement quality assurance and continuous quality improvement of organised cancer screening.
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Meeting with Brenda Furniere (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen), Kurt Vandenberghe (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

10 Feb 2022 · Possible invitation for President to an "Kom op tegen kanker" event in May 2022

Response to EU Chemicals Strategy for sustainability - Revision of the Cosmetic Products Regulation

29 Oct 2021

Kom op tegen Kanker, a Belgian NGO active in the field of cancer prevention, treatment and care, welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the current rules on cosmetic products. Kom op tegen Kanker wishes to stress the following points, taking into account the current gaps in the current regulation: • When it comes to combination effects, these can appear within products and between products. Cosmetic products are not used on their own and therefore the effects of combination of compounds and of different products should be taken into account. • The risk management and the essential uses concept of the cosmetic products regulation needs to pay attention to vulnerable groups (pregnant woman, young children, adolescents,…) • Without going to much in depth of the measures that need to be taken, future regulation should also take into account the exposure quantity. The amount and the frequency can vary across different cosmetic products • Certain products like perfumes currently do not need to mention all their compounds, therefore people are put at risk without being informed of this fact. This exception within the cosmetic regulation needs to be tackled.
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Response to Revision of EU rules on food contact materials

22 Jan 2021

This revision of EU rules on food contact materials is as an important step in the prevention of cancer and possibly treatment efficacy of cancer. In addition to the already mentioned specific groups more sensitive to the effects of certain substances, we would like to draw the attention to cancer patients receiving treatment. Some data show that resistance to treatment may be caused by endocrine disruptors. In addition, patients receiving anti-hormonal treatment should be protected from exposure to endocrine disruptors as much as possible.
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