This application summary details the activities planned by the SFP Coalition for 2023 and how SFP’s objectives contribute directly to the first goal of the EU4Health Programme: “To improve and foster health in the Union: disease prevention & health promotion and international health initiatives & cooperation”. One of the Commissions 2023 work programme objectives 3.5 Promoting our European Way of Life (prevention package) highlights that “The Commission will continue the implementation of the ambitious Beating Cancer Plan, one of the pillars of a strong European Health Union”.

The overarching goal of the SFP Coalition’s work programme is to prevent cancer and other non-communicable and chronic diseases through tobacco control advocacy at EU and national levels, so as to improve the health of EU citizens and reduce health inequalities.

To achieve this goal the operating grant is necessary to conduct activities on raising awareness and communicating about tobacco consumption still being the leading cause of preventable cancer with 27% of all cancers attributed to tobacco use. SFP will also conduct activities on collaborating with tobacco control experts, WHO European Regional Office, FCTC Secretariat and public health organizations to work together on contributing to adoption of the Union legislative and non-legislative acts and their implementation of these at the Member States level.  Thus, the activities of proposal also aim at contributing to strengthening the EU-level regulatory instruments through revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive, the Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments and review of the General Tobacco Control Framework (Tobacco Products and Tobacco Advertising Directives).

SFP, which is leading the Coalition, has a vision:  of a world where all children can grow up healthy and free from tobacco. To accomplish this, SPF and the Coalition advocate for evidence-based tobacco control policies; mobilise European stakeholders and decision makers to make tobacco control a priority; mobilise health organisations, researchers and networks to strengthen the global response to tobacco epidemic; and call for the implementation of the WHO FCTC to put an end to the tobacco epidemic. Through all its operational activities, SFP enhances and delivers on capacity-building, advocating and networking, and tangible outputs such as online and website materials (position papers, briefings, economic modelling, spotlights, reports, press releases, news, letters) and tools (advocacy toolkits, advocacy and communications campaigns templates) for knowledge exchange and capacity building of Coalition and public health NGOs.