Interview with MEP Nicolás González Casares, Shadow Rapporteur of the Beca Committee

Roma, 25 mag. (askanews) – For the second episode of its brand new interview series ‘EU Verified’ Askanews was honoured to sit down with BECA Committee Shadow Rapporteur MEP Nicolás González Casares. A member of the Parliament’s Socialist Group, Casares has taken a keen interest in Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan since it was first announced by the Commission in February 2020. In recent months he has been intimately involved in all the process which has gone into developing the BECA Committee’s report on the plan.

The interview covers a wide range of topics, including the aspects of the Plan MEP Casares considers most fundamental to its success. This includes the need for a stronger health union to overcome disparities in quality of care between EU member states, the potential avenues to prevent cancer and tackle cancer-inducing lifestyle behaviours (such as alcohol and tobacco), and the surprising degree of overlap between the EU’s cancer and environmental objectives. MEP Casares, a former nurse, speaks in detail about the healthcare system and how the EU, the pharmaceutical industry and member states should work together for a common interest – the patients.

‘EU Verified’ offers a platform for in-depth discussions with policymakers involved in drafting and implementing one of the most ambitious policies the EU has ever formulated in the health arena, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Our interviewees have been carefully selected to give a voice to all those involved in the discussions and to ensure the EU ethos is upheld in the form of transparency and openness.
Please find the full text of the interview in English.