Spain: Royal Decree-Law 5/2023 and the right to be forgotten after cancer

Spain, Real Decreto-ley 5/2023, de 28 de junio (BOE-A-2023-15135). Chapter II of the decree-law, headed "Disposiciones para hacer efectivo el derecho al olvido oncológico", amends two laws.

Article 209 amends the Insurance Contract Law (Ley 50/1980). Article 10 now ends: "El tomador de un seguro sobre la vida no está obligado a declarar si él o el asegurado han padecido cáncer una vez hayan transcurridos cinco años desde la finalización del tratamiento radical sin recaída posterior." (Translation: the policyholder of a life insurance policy is not obliged to declare whether they or the insured person have had cancer once five years have passed since the end of radical treatment with no later relapse.) After that period the insurer may not take the cancer history into account, and any discrimination or restriction on that ground is prohibited. A new fifth additional provision forbids refusing cover, using different procedures or imposing more onerous conditions on a person for having had cancer once the same five years have passed.

Article 210 amends the consumer protection law (Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2007): clauses that exclude a party for having had cancer before signing are void once five years have passed since the end of radical treatment without relapse, and before any consumer contract, in any sector, the consumer may not be asked for cancer information after that point. In both laws the Government may change the periods by royal decree, together or for specific cancers, as the scientific evidence develops. The preamble ties the measure to the European Parliament resolution of 16 February 2022 on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer.