Agenda

Work Package 4 (WP4) Kick-off Meeting

From 9 to 11 March 2026, partners of the EUCanScreen project gathered in Bled, Slovenia (among the supportive countries), 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 (led by Slovenia), 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, Sweden and Slovenia, 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.

Overview

EUCanScreen WP4 focuses on enhancing the sustainable implementation of organised, population-based cancer screening programmes in Europe. It develops practical tools, governance models, and networks that support long-term, sustainable screening across Europe. Ireland, in partnership with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), contributes to the following activities:

Consolidated Barrier Assessment Tool

WP4 has created a single, consolidated tool to find and address systemic barriers to cancer screening. It supports a continuous improvement cycle—from identifying problems to applying targeted solutions—and combines the best features of existing approaches into one practical resource. The tool is being pilot-tested in WP6 (Barriers/Facilitators) to ensure it is reliable, easy to use, and ready for real-world application.

Governmental Advisory Board

WP4 has established the Governmental Advisory Board, a network that supports sustainable implementation of organised, population-based cancer screening programmes across Europe. The Director of IARC is a member, reinforcing the board’s commitment to international collaboration.

Target-Support Mechanism (TSM)

WP4 also runs the Target-Support Mechanism, a structured platform where countries share knowledge, discuss challenges, and provide feedback on WP4 tools. In TSM, Supporting Countries share successful practices and lessons learned from their own cancer screening programmes, and Target Countries adapt these insights to strengthen specific aspects of their programmes. Ireland is one of the Supporting Countries and will contribute its experience and lessons learned to help others improve.

Governance Models

WP4 will develop guidance to strengthen the governance of cancer screening programmes by building on prior work—such as the CanCon Joint Action—and by tailoring to the varied contexts across Europe.

Why It Matters

WP4 strives to turn evidence and lived experience into action. Through shared learning and co-created tools, countries can improve screening quality and sustainability and save more lives across Europe.