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News • “Right to be Forgotten”
Call to end financial discrimination of cancer survivors in Europe
Cancer survivors, policymakers, legal and cancer experts, and patient organisations from across Europe gathered in Brussels to call for the “Right to be Forgotten” to be recognised as a human right and guaranteed across all of Europe.
“The Right to be Forgotten as a Human Right: Ending Financial Discrimination Against Cancer Survivors" conference is an Associated Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Years after successful treatment, many cancer survivors are still refused, or charged more for mortgages, loans and insurance because of their medical history. The Right to be Forgotten ends this: once a set period has passed after the end of treatment without relapse, survivors no longer have to declare their past cancer.
Five years after the end of treatment without relapse, a past cancer should no longer be taken into account, for any financial product, in any country of the European Union
Françoise Meunier
Since France introduced the first law in 2016, 11 EU Member States, Monaco and Andorra have adopted binding legal protections for cancer survivors. Ireland is the most recent with its Right to be Forgotten was signed into law on the 15 July 2026 and took effect on 15 October 2026. Malta adopted its law this year, and in Germany the Bundestag has asked the government to prepare legislation.
From 20 November 2026, the revised EU Consumer Credit Directive applies in all Member States, limiting the use of cancer history for insurance linked to consumer credit. However, the Directive does not cover mortgages, the item that matters most for families.
Across Europe, waiting periods, loan ceilings and the financial products covered still vary widely, and in many Member States survivors have no binding protection at all.
The conference calls for:
- Equal protections across Europe, ensuring cancer survivors are no longer penalised for a previous cancer diagnosis after a medically justified period of five years without recurrence, or sooner where supported by the evidence.
- National legislation in every EU Member State, replacing voluntary codes of conduct with enforceable legal protections.
- A consistent five-year standard when implementing the Consumer Credit Directive, applied uniformly across all insurers.
- Robust implementation, monitoring and appeals mechanisms, ensuring survivors can exercise their rights in practice and challenge unfair decisions when necessary.
Minister Robert Troy TD, Minister of State in Ireland with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, who delivered the keynote speech, said: "People who have had to fight for their lives should not be punished financially for something that is entirely outside their control. These changes to the law will bring greater fairness to cancer survivors and their families across the country. Having experienced the loss of two siblings to cancer, this is something I know will make a real difference to cancer survivors and their families. That is why I was proud to work alongside the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris to get this legislation over the line.
“Cancer survivors deserve the right to move on with their lives and not be unduly penalised because of their medical history. This legislation brings a genuine opportunity for a new beginning, where hope, not history, shapes the future of cancer survivors accessing financial services in Ireland.”
Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen's University Belfast, and Co-Chair of the conference, said: “This is not about compassion; this is about evidence and acting on that evidence. As immediate past chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, our evidence showed that 5 years post successful cancer treatment, cancer survivors were at the same risk as the general population. Working with the Irish Cancer Society, we presented these data to Minister Troy, and he took cognisance of the evidence. Hence, Ireland became only the 2nd country in Europe to move directly to the 5-year benchmark of ignoring a previous cancer diagnosis. When President of Ireland Catherine Connolly signed the legislation into law on the 15 July 2026, it represented a huge victory for Irish cancer survivors.”
Professor Françoise Meunier, Founder of Ending Discrimination Against Cancer Survivors and Co-Chair of the conference, said: "When the oncologist tells a patient, 'You are cured', society, including employers, banks and insurers, should adapt their practices. Five years after the end of treatment without relapse, a past cancer should no longer be taken into account, for any financial product, in any country of the European Union. A right that depends on your postcode is not enough."
On 15 October 2026. the law took effect in Ireland and has had immediate impact. Tom Grant, Founder of OneLife Insure, Ireland said: “I see that day as a landmark moment for cancer survivors. We already see the impact in real terms. One client’s mortgage protection premium fell from €451 per month to €75, while another couple’s premium reduced from €270 to €35 under the new five-year Right to Be Forgotten rule which Professor Lawler provided the evidence base for. For many people, this change could also remove a major barrier to home ownership by making mortgage protection far more accessible and affordable after cancer. While I still believe lenders should show greater flexibility where mortgage protection cannot be obtained, this legislation is a hugely important step forward for those who have struggled because of a past cancer diagnosis.”
Professor Lawler added: “Tom Grant has been a great advocate from the industry for fair access to insurance and finance and it has been my privilege to work closely with him on this campaign. I share with him the immense pride of seeing mortgage protection premiums for cancer survivors dropping by >85% on the very first day the law took effect.”
The programme in Brussels opened with testimonies from cancer survivors from Ireland, Belgium, Germany and Poland, followed by national perspectives on advancing the Right to be Forgotten and new evidence on cancer inequalities from the OECD and Italy's National Cancer Institute in Aviano. In the afternoon, a roundtable moderated by Professor Françoise Tulkens, former Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, examined the Right to be Forgotten as a human right, before experts from France, Belgium, Romania and Malta shared best practices in moving from adoption to implementation.
Source: Queen's University Belfast
22.10.2026
