Joint statement from UNCAN-Connect, CANDLE and EU-CIP
The European Commission has established two digital flagship projects under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Cancer Mission: UNCAN.eu and the European Cancer Patient Digital Center (ECPDC). The two platforms are designed to be interlinked in National Cancer Data Nodes (NCDNs), with the goal of ensuring cancer data interoperability between member states. In December 2024, three European projects under the Horizon Europe programme were funded to support this ambitious undertaking: namely UNCAN-Connect, EU-CIP and CANDLE.
The Commission has set up a specific Working Group under the Directorate-General for Health & Food Safety (DG SANTE), tasked with aligning on the core functions of NCDNs and ensuring coordination between the UNCAN.eu central platform and the ECPDC. The Working Group, named eCancer Working Group, is composed of national representatives nominated by respective ministries to reflect the specific needs of the different member states.
On Feb 10, the eCancer Working Group has published its recommendations on implementing the UNCAN.eu and the ECPDC platforms. The report sets out key governance, financing and implementation conditions required to make these platforms operational and sustainable across member states, in alignment with the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
The coordination teams of UNCAN-Connect, CANDLE and EU-CIP, on behalf of their respective consortia, welcome the publication of the eCancer Working Group paper and its comprehensive recommendations on the core functions, future governance and use of cancer data in Europe.
The report highlights that the success of both UNCAN.eu and the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre will depend on strong user-facing functions, clear governance structures, strong political commitment from member states, sustainable funding models and close coordination across all stakeholders involved. It emphasises synergies between existing digital assets, ensuring legal clarity in the designation of national entities, and supporting capacity building at national level. These cross-cutting recommendations are directly relevant to ongoing implementation work across multiple Cancer Mission projects.
UNCAN-Connect contributes to the development of the UNCAN.eu central platform, supporting data sharing and interoperability across national cancer research ecosystems. EU-CIP is advancing the implementation of the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre information portal, with a strong emphasis on quality, accessibility and patient empowerment. CANDLE works with member states to develop NCDNs in alignment with implementation at the various national levels of the EHDS.
Taken together, these projects reflect a shared commitment to building a coherent European cancer data ecosystem that integrates research, care and patient engagement. The eCancer Working Group recommendations provide a common strategic reference point that reinforces the importance of coordination across projects, alignment with the European Health Data Space, and sustained pan-European investment.
The consortia remain committed to continued dialogue with member states and to work closely with European institutions and the wider cancer community, with the aim of translating these recommendations into concrete, patient-centred solutions. This position paper serves as abenchmark in aligning the development of digital infrastructures in other potential clinical settings and domains.
