ESMO welcomes the renewed commitment made in the Budapest Declaration to meet the “3 % GDP expenditure target on R&D by 2030” that was adopted by the European Union (EU) Member States on 8 November. ESMO Director of Public Policy Prof. Jean-Yves Blay commented that “Robust research funding is essential for driving innovation in oncology and delivering the treatments that patients with cancer need.”
The EU heads of state or government met for an informal meeting in Budapest from 7-8 November 2024 to discuss how to make the EU more competitive and achieve greater economic prosperity. The Budapest Declaration that was adopted during the meeting underlines the importance of reaching the 3% GDP expenditure target in research and development by 2030.
The Declaration is not legally binding, though - as it represents the common position of the EU Member States - it is likely to impact national research and innovation policies across the block of countries.
Prof. Jean-Yves Blay highlighted that “It is now essential that all EU Member States work towards meeting the target of 3% of GDP investments in R&I. Allocating robust funding for cancer research will not only help achieve this important goal but also support the development of new treatments that can meet patient needs”.
ESMO stands ready to collaborate with all stakeholders towards improving the funding of cancer research in Europe and beyond.