Interview with MEP Pietro Fiocchi BECA Committee Shadow Rapporteur

Roma, 10 nov. (askanews) – For the fifth episode of its interview series ‘EU Verified’, Askanews had the pleasure of sitting down with MEP Pietro Fiocchi of the BECA Committee. A member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Fiocchi has been immersed in EU-level discussions around the fight against cancer since the Commission first announced Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan in February 2020, and has identified a number of important areas in which the plan could be improved.Our discussion covered a wide range of topics, including the potential role of tobacco alternatives for people looking to reduce their smoking prevalence, the often ignored cancer risk of radon gas, the moral and financial justifications for increased cancer funding, and why moderate alcohol consumption, in the context of a balanced diet, need not be considered a cancer risk. MEP Fiocchi also offers highly interesting, counterintuitive opinions on why extensive labelling on products can reduce consumer knowledge about their risks, and why increased taxes on carcinogens could also undermine the fight against cancer, by leading to second-rate parallel imports of the products in question.

‘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.