The EAU Policy Office turns 5!

Working closely with the EU institutions and other professional organisations, the EAU Policy Office articulates shared evidence-based concerns to decision-makers at the European level, and advocates for actions that benefit urological patient care. 

At the 2021 EAU General Assembly, the Policy Office was born with Prof. Van Poppel and Prof. Philip Van Kerrebroeck (BE) as chair and vice-chair, respectively at the same time as the Patient Office.

While health remains under the power of the member states, decisions made at EU level have a significant impact on urology in practice. The EAU Policy Office covers uro-oncology, functional urology, patient care, workforce conditions, research, regulatory affairs, and more. There are four main ways in which the EAU Policy Office aims to reach its objective.

Advocacy: We make sure that the voice of EAU and its members is heard by policy makers. This means raising awareness, building coalitions, and creating campaigns that show why certain issues matter. We put urological care and research at the centre of EU Health Policy. 

Case study – “Urge to Act” - With political attention on cancer, the “P-Word: The challenge of urinary problems in people living with prostate and bladder cancer” paper (1) highlighted the link between Urinary Incontinence and Cancer, presented in the European Parliament. This was followed by the “Urge to Act”, a campaign co-created with allied associations. After a successful first EU Continence Health Summit in 2023, the campaign presented a report “The health, socio-economic and environmental costs of continence health problems in the EU”, later published in European Urology, and many more resources for policymakers.

Impact of the “Urge to Act”:

• A manifesto for policy action signed by more than 50 stakeholders and endorsed by more than 25 organisations
• Approximately 40 meetings with policy makers to discuss next steps
• 4 high-level policy events
• Acknowledgements of urinary incontinence in official policy documents by the European Parliament (2)
• Amendments promoting better continence care introduced in EU legislation
• The establishment of a Continence Health Interest Group of euro-parliamentarians in the European Parliament

Our objective? We want continence health to be recognised as a serious health burden that deserves funding, attention and political support.

Lobby: We directly engage with politicians and policy makers to influence health policies and funding priorities. We take the data and realities of our members’ practice to turn ideas into concrete legislative and policy change. 

Case study - Prostate cancer - The European Commission published its flagship initiative to fight against cancer, the “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan”, on World Cancer Day (3rd February) 2021. The EAU Policy Office started campaigning to have urological cancers recognised in the plan. The result was the inclusion of prostate cancer in the European Council recommendations on cancer screening in 2022.

Regulatory affairs: We monitor EU laws and standards that affect urology, from medical devices to clinical guidelines. We participate in consultations, submit feedback and ensure the experience of practicing urologists is reflected in the way medicines and devices are approved.

EU-funded projects: The Policy Office helps set the political priorities for EU-funded projects, monitors opportunities and participating in projects to improve how urological care can happen in the EU. 

Case study – “Praise-U” - The European Commission opened a call for proposals to monitor and strengthen the implementation of innovative approaches to prostate cancer, lung cancer and gastric cancer screening at Union level, following our lobbying. “Praise-U”, a consortium of 25 organisations from 12 countries, is now running five pilot sites to standardise and improve how prostate cancer screening is done.