Agenda

Work Package 4 (WP4) Kick-off Meeting

From 9 to 11 March 2026, partners of the EUCanScreen project gathered in Bled, Slovenia, for the Work Package 4 (WP4) Kick-off Meeting, focusing on sustainability in cancer screening programmes across Europe.

Hosted at Hotel Park in Bled, the meeting brought together project partners, experts, and representatives from both target and supporting countries to exchange knowledge, identify key challenges, and define priorities for strengthening cancer screening systems in Europe.

Strengthening the Sustainability of Cancer Screening Programmes

The three-day meeting marked the official launch of WP4 activities, which aim to support the sustainable implementation, operation, and development of organised, population-based cancer screening programmes across participating countries.

Through a series of mini-talks, poster sessions, and interactive workshops, participants discussed important topics including:

• governance models for cancer screening programmes

• quality and effectiveness of screening across Europe

• cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability

• barriers affecting the implementation and operation of screening programmes

• opportunities for EU-level collaboration and support

Experts also explored how research, modelling, and data can help inform decision-making and support the development of resilient and sustainable screening systems.

Sharing Experiences Across Europe

A key component of the meeting was the poster sessions, where representatives from target countries — Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine — presented the current state of cancer screening governance and sustainability in their national contexts.

Supporting countries, including Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden, also shared their experiences and best practices, highlighting successful approaches that could help strengthen screening programmes across Europe.

These discussions helped identify common challenges, priority areas for support, and opportunities for collaboration within the framework of the EUCanScreen project.

Defining Priorities and Next Steps

The meeting also included a prioritisation workshop, where participants worked in breakout groups to identify key actions needed to improve the sustainability of cancer screening programmes. The outcomes of these discussions will help guide the Targeted Support Mechanism (TSM) and the next phases of WP4 activities.

The final sessions focused on aligning expectations between target and supporting countries and planning the next steps for collaboration and implementation within the project.

Moving forward together

The WP4 Kick-off Meeting represented an important milestone for the EUCanScreen project, strengthening collaboration among partners and laying the groundwork for future work aimed at improving cancer screening programmes across Europe.

By fostering dialogue, knowledge exchange, and joint planning, EUCanScreen continues to support more effective, sustainable, and equitable cancer screening systems, ultimately contributing to improved cancer prevention and early detection throughout Europe.