Policy session in the European Parliament: Tuesday 11 November 2025

Advancing Supportive Oncology and Nutritional Care in Europe

Empowering Patients with Nutritional Care and AI-Guided Solutions: Introducing EU Malnutrition Awareness Week and RELEVIUM Project

The European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA) and RELEVIUM together with leading EU and health partners, hosted a policy session in the European Parliament. The session brought together policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates to explore how innovation and policy can join forces to strengthen supportive oncology and nutritional care for cancer patients across Europe — with a special focus on pancreatic cancer.

Speakers and topics

MEP Romana Jerkovic (S&D, Croatia) - Vice-Chair of the SANT Committee

The event was chaired by MEP Romana Jerkovic, Vice-Chair of the SANT Committee.

Speakers included key experts from RELEVIUM, Sciensano, Pancreatic Cancer Europe, ESPEN, UEG, WHO Europe, and ENHA.The agenda featured two high-level panel discussions. The first examined how AI-driven approaches and multidisciplinary interventions can transform care and improve outcomes. The second highlighted how awareness, evidence, and political action can drive the integration of nutritional care into health systems.

Together, this event underscored ENHA’s mission to ensure that nutritional care and supportive oncology become recognised priorities in European cancer and public health policy. Please read the ENHA Manifesto HERE.

RELEVIUM

Pancreatic cancer, responsible for around 95,000 deaths each year in the EU, has the lowest survival rate of all major cancers.The Relevium project aims to address this critical challenge by improving the quality of life for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. They do so by developing and implementing personalised strategies that combine nutrition, physical activity, and pain management alongside standard chemotherapy. Through this integrated approach, Relevium helps patients experience less pain, greater strength, and improved well-being during treatment.

Programme

Day 1

Day 1

Time
Event
9.00 - 9.10
Welcome and Introduction
MEP Romana Jerkovic
Vice-Chair of the EU SANT Committee
9:10 - 9:25
Introductory remarks
Gabrielle Oestreicher
Relevium - Researcher at University of Mainz
Olle Ljungqvist
Chair European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA)
PANEL SESSION 1
9.25-10.00
Bridging Innovation and Policy: Advancing Supportive Oncology for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Moderator: Adela Maghear
ENHA Head of Policy
Dan McNamee
Pancreatic cancer survivor & patient advocate - Pancreatic Cancer Europe
Anneli Elme
Estonia Medical Center, RELEVIUM Representative
Cindy Neuzillet
Head of GI Oncology Institut Curie, RELEVIUM Representative
Nefeli Panagiota Tzavara
Researcher at AINIGMA, RELEVIUM Representative
PANEL SESSION 2
10.00-10.35
EU Malnutrition Awareness Week: Turning Policy Commitments into Better Patient Care
Moderator: Olle Ljungqvist
Chair European Nutrition for Health Alliance
Caroline Driesen
Pancreatic cancer survivor
Stéphane Schneider
Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN)
Alessandro Laviano
Sapienza University of Rome
Lucas Wauters
United European Gastroenterology (UEG)
Caroline Bollars
WHO Representative to the EU
10:35 - 10:50
Q & A session
10:50 - 11.00
Closing Remarks by the chairs

 

 

Advancing Holistic Health Through Optimal Nutritional Care

Malnutrition and undernutrition affect over 30 million Europeans and place an unacceptable burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Integrating patient-centred nutritional care into health policies can significantly improve prevention, patient outcomes, and quality of life. Evidence consistently shows that optimal nutritional care is one of the most (cost-)effective interventions available.

Despite this strong scientific basis, malnutrition remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, leading to major inequalities between people and countries. Nutritional care must therefore be recognised as a human right — every patient should have equitable, timely access to the nutritional care they need to achieve the best possible outcome.

The European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA)
ENHA is a non-profit alliance working to advance holistic health through optimal nutritional care. ENHA and its ONCA campaign collaborate with the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU to ensure that nutritional care is embedded in European health policies, programmes, and recommendations to Member States.

Optimal Nutritional Care for All (ONCA)
Launched in 2014, ONCA is a multi-stakeholder campaign that promotes systematic screening for disease-related malnutrition and the implementation of personalised nutritional care across Europe. The campaign supports professional societies, healthcare associations, and patient organisations in 20 countries to integrate nutritional care into daily practice. ENHA provides the coordination, structure, and inspiration behind this work.

POLICY SESSION Tuesday 11 November 9.00 - 11.00 - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

We are proud to have the support of the Medical Nutrition Industry International association for the ENHA EU Malnutrition Awareness Week. Sponsors do not influence the content of our activities.