EUnetCCC designates 14 Spanish comprehensive cancer centres as “EU‑Designated CCC”, including CICCAR, with participation from IDIVAL

The European Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (EUnetCCC) has designated the 14 Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC) in Spain, marking an important step toward more coordinated, equitable, and accessible cancer care across Europe.

The Joint Action has just announced the following centres as EU‑Designated CCCs: CCC Euskadi – Basque Country, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR), Reina Sofía Hospital, CICCAR (Cantabria–La Rioja), which includes the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL), University Care Complex of Salamanca, Murcian Health Service, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Network of Aragón, ASTUR‑CCC, Galician Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Hospital del Mar, University Hospital of Navarra (HUN), and Nord Catalunya Consorci Oncològic Integral. This designation represents a significant milestone for cancer care in Spain and contributes to a stronger and more coordinated European cancer ecosystem.

By formally connecting reference centres within a shared European framework, this initiative strengthens cooperation among national health systems and promotes better coordination of cancer care, with closer links between treatment and research, as well as fairer access to high‑quality oncology services across regions and countries.

The EU‑Designation follows a population‑based approach, respecting national contexts and the organization of healthcare systems. Rather than creating new institutions, it recognizes centres—or consortia of centres—that already play a central role in organizing cancer care and research for defined populations. In several countries, this has led to the development of interregional models or consortia under shared governance.

“This first group of EU‑Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres represents a fundamental step toward building a more coordinated and equitable European cancer landscape. By recognizing centres that already play a structuring role at the national level and connecting them through EUnetCCC, we are laying the foundations for a lasting impact on patients across Europe,” said Thomas Dubois, Head of European and International Affairs at the French National Cancer Institute and Coordinator of EUnetCCC.

What does EU‑Designation mean in practice?

In practice, the process begins at the national level: centres are identified and endorsed by national health authorities, in coordination with Ministries of Health, before applying for EU‑Designation.

This represents an initial European recognition of nationally designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres and identifies those that demonstrate an adequate level of integration in cancer care and are well positioned to progress along the EU CCC certification pathway.

Applications are evaluated by the Designation and Admission Committee (DAC) of the EUnetCCC Joint Action. Importantly, EU‑Designation is not itself a certification or quality accreditation.

From designation to long‑term impact

EU‑Designation is a starting point. Centres holding this designation enter a structured pathway of continuous improvement and benefit from EUnetCCC activities, including:

• Capacity building to strengthen governance, organization, and quality management.

• Structured cooperation, peer learning, and support for clinical and translational research.

• Tools and frameworks to improve integration and innovation, and to reinforce connections with the broader European cancer ecosystem.

This pathway strengthens the maturity of centres to deliver fully integrated, high‑quality cancer care to entire populations, serving as the foundation for building a cohesive European network and contributing, over time, to greater equity in care for the approximately 2.6 million Europeans diagnosed with cancer each year.

The first 30 Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC) designated by the European Union through the EUnetCCC Joint Action

EUnetCCC: an initiative of Europe’s beating cancer plan

EUnetCCC is a Joint Action coordinated by the French National Cancer Institute (INCa). It is part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Union’s unprecedented political and financial commitment, with a budget of €4 billion to reduce the burden of cancer and related inequalities across Europe.

The initiative supports a structured, population‑based approach to cancer care, research, and innovation, rooted in national health systems and strengthened through European cooperation. Established as Flagship Action No. 5 of the Plan, EUnetCCC aims to build a coherent European network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres capable of translating clinical and scientific excellence into tangible benefits for patients and citizens.

What are Comprehensive Cancer Centres and why are they important?

Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC) are organizations that integrate, within a defined territorial scope:

• Cancer prevention and early detection

• Diagnosis and treatment

• Clinical and translational research (linking laboratory and patient care)

• Education and specialized training

• Innovation and data‑driven approaches

Beyond excellence at the level of individual institutions, CCCs play a structuring role within national cancer control systems. Their mission is to ensure that innovation is systematically integrated into clinical practice and that high‑quality oncology services are accessible to the entire population.

Toward a European network of 100 Comprehensive Cancer Centres

The designation of the first 30 Comprehensive Cancer Centres represents the first implementation wave. A second wave is already underway, with the goal of reaching approximately 100 Comprehensive Cancer Centres across Europe by 2028, in line with the ambitions of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.