Cancer survivorship: advancing the right to be forgotten
A very good afternoon.
I tried to sneak into the room quietly but came in at the front row, I hope I didn't disturb everything.
I always like to come into the room before I am speaking because you learn a lot.
And I did learn a lot being present for part of the panel discussion and indeed that very last clear presentation on the state of play.
It's a real honour to be here. This an important topic.
I know that Commissioner Kyriakides, my good friend Stella was here this morning.
And just in her absence, I really want to pay tribute to her incredible efforts on Europe ' s Beating Cancer Plan.
Her quiet, solid persistence on this work is just so well appreciated I think in this room and outside this room.
And some people say, “What's the overlap between financial services and health?”
And of course, there is an overlap between health and financial services.
Both myself and Commissioner Kyriakides are really fully committed to improving access to financial services for cancer survivors.
And that goes for our services too – so DG SANTE and DG FISMA.
It ' s so important that both aspects of this issue – the health part and the finance part – are represented if we really want to tackle the problem that is in front of us.
I am sure that our commitment is shared by all here in this room – from patient, from medical side and from the finance communities.
So appreciation, thank you all for all of the hard work to advance the right to be forgotten across the European Union.
Maybe to remind us as to why we ' re here.
And it is to take stock of the progress on advancing this right to be forgotten.
Many of you in the room are involved, either directly or indirectly, in recent discussions on an EU-level code of conduct.
And this would make sure that the right to be forgotten is enshrined for cancer survivors across all 27 Member States.
Some of these discussions are challenging. I think we all expected them to be.
But I think there is a shared desire to improve access for cancer survivors to financial services.
So your work is immensely important, and we thank you very sincerely for it.
And we need to keep up that work.
While we are not today celebrating the achievement of this code, I am really convinced that there is still room for agreement.
And again, I would invite all of you to find a way to reach that agreement.
Because right now, too many cancer survivors do not have the right to be forgotten.
Which makes it much harder for them and their families to move on from dealing with their cancer diagnosis and recovery.
So you saw earlier the numbers.
So only 12 Member States have put in place mechanisms to give cancer survivors the right to be forgotten.
8 in the form of legislation, 4 in the form of a code of conduct.
The mechanisms differ in their detail, and this is often down to national differences and nuances.
Some of these mechanisms have only very recently been introduced, including in Greece.
Others have existed much longer and have indeed shown their value.
And they have evolved over time to provide additional support for cancer survivors.
But this is the big “but” in this issue.
15 Member States have no mechanism at all.
And I think this is a problem in the European Union.
Because depending on where you live as a cancer survivor you might have access to a financial product, or indeed for many, you might not.
We should see that number – that 15 Member States – as a call for action, to re-double our efforts.
And we can make a difference now with agreement on an EU-wide code of conduct.
It would put in place a right to be forgotten across the EU.
In each and every Member State.
And you can make a difference for cancer survivors in that 15 – those Member States that today have nothing.
Because being diagnosed with cancer is undoubtedly difficult and can be devastating.
You shared today experiences on the difficulties faced by many cancer patients and survivors.
And the good news is that medical treatments are improving every day, and this is really positive.
So more and more cancer survivors, more and more of our families, ourselves can make long-term plans and return to normal life.
But their cancer history can make it hard, more expensive, or even impossible to access certain financial products and services.
Like a mortgage, or insurance that accompanies a mortgage.
Of course, insurance is very much part of my portfolio as Commissioner for financial services.
It plays a really important role in shielding us against unexpected expenses.
But insurance is also a complex and heavily regulated sector.
Insurance companies need to manage risks and price them accurately if they want to stay in business.
And they rely on actuarial calculations to measure and price risks.
They are very important and very specific to the insurance business.
Of course, the methods should reflect medical and scientific progress.
That means reflecting new statistics around cancer survival rates and improved treatments.
And that ' s at the heart of this work on the right to be forgotten.
Recent treatments are improving survivorship rates, and more progress in cancer treatment, as I've said, is being made every day.
And that's so good to hear about that constantly in news reports.
So this is a good news story and this is why the issue today is so important.
We do know that data is not always up-to-date and reflective of the latest developments.
And I understand there was a very informative panel on the data landscape today.
But there is one key point where there is disagreement between different professions, and that is the default waiting period that triggers the right to be forgotten.
There are different experiences and different approaches at national level, as highlighted indeed in the last panel.
So there are different views on this issue.
But it is a key element of the right to be forgotten.
And indeed the right to be forgotten cannot exist without it.
So I want to thank all the roundtable participants for the work and for the listening to each other.
Because I think that's really important.
You ' re getting an insight into the EU policy-making process – which is all about finding a compromise between sometimes very different points of view.
I think you've learned more about each other ' s points of view, what you have in common and the differences.
So you have moved forward together.
And we know we ' re not at the end of the road yet.
So I'm here really to encourage you to keep moving forward together, step by step.
This code of conduct would represent a really important step forward that would improve access to financial services for cancer survivors.
Especially in those 15 Member States – that's a lot of people – that don ' t have any mechanism on the right to be forgotten today.
I know that some of you would like to see the right to be forgotten enshrined in EU law.
And maybe just a word on that.
As you know, we are in what I would call a transitional phase.
So we have European Parliament elections just early next month.
We will have a new Commission taking office later this year.
So any legislation in this area would take time to propose, to negotiate and then to apply.
As you all know EU policymaking is not rapid. It's a slow process.
In the meantime, I believe that a code of conduct, an EU code of conduct, could be a giant step forward.
And it ' s one that could happen more immediately.
We could put that in place – now.
And it could start having an impact – now.
Plugging the gap which exists for more than half of our Member States.
And it would be the foundation of potential work at the EU level for the future.
Now, sometimes, looking for perfection can steal an opportunity.
So in my view, this doesn't have to be perfect.
But it does have to work. That's a key.
A code would introduce the concept of the right to be forgotten everywhere in Europe.
It would put the right to be forgotten on the map.
A code would also set out a clear commitment by insurers to ignore the cancer history of an applicant after a certain time period.
And too many cancer survivors don ' t have that right yet.
I note already there are differences in views on the default period, and we saw some examples, or the periods for the right to be forgotten to begin.
But we heard today that new data is coming that may help us find a way forward.
And that's why information is key, up-to-date information.
I am sure that discussions will continue on this important but delicate element of the code and eventually lead to a joint approach.
In addition, a code would allow for national characteristics and nuances to be added.
A code would incentivise the design of national reference grids in all Member States.
And these reference grids show that time it takes for a cure in specific situations.
These national grids, as we've heard, already exist in some countries like France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and indeed more recently Italy.
There could also be important links between the code and the Consumer Credit Directive – already mentioned and referenced.
Because the Directive includes measures around the right to be forgotten.
And it ' s being transposed into national law in the Member States – which will open the debate in Member States on this issue.
Most of all, I believe this code is an opportunity for all of you.
For the financial sector, to show your commitment to financial inclusion.
And for cancer survivors, to help your efforts to return to a normal life, including financially.
Because the momentum I think is here, and we should hold on to it.
And it struck me as I was listening to the panel. One would imagine there's cancer survivors, and insurance people.
But in fact, insurance people get cancer too.
So this is about all of us. We are not really on opposite sides of this discussion.
So in closing, again, a huge appreciation.
This is not easy work. It takes time. It takes patience.
But it's important work.
So keep your patience, but keep your determination.
Because I think the idea of an EU code of conduct is fairer in Europe than having 15 Member States with nothing.
And I do appreciate the work in us getting there.
It will help so many cancer survivors get back to what we all want to see – a normal life.
And again, even if it's not perfect, it will evolve over time and get better and better.
So the work you've done to date is hugely significant and I really want to encourage you to continue that work, even in this transitional period.
And perhaps this is a time to allow us reflect and move forward as we do together.
Because cancer doesn't just hit certain professions.
It just hits everybody, or somebody at some time.
So think of our work, my work with Stella who works on health and finance as being one and the same thing.
I've said at other conferences that, you know, “your health is your wealth,” actually.
But your ill health should not impact your wealth forever.
You do have a right to be forgotten, at a certain point.
Thank you.
| Zařazeno | út 14.05.2024 16:05:00 |
|---|---|
| Zdroj | Evropská komise en |
| Originál | ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=SPEECH/24/2610&language=en |
| lang | en |
| guid | /SPEECH/24/2610/ |
