WHERE EUROPEAN POLICY MEETS THE LAND: EU COMMISSIONERS VISIT EESC PRESIDENT’S FARM

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) President Séamus Boland welcomed two European Commissioners to his family farm in Ballycumber, County Offaly, bringing discussions on EU enlargement, environmental protection and the future of rural communities to a working agricultural setting. 

On 8 September 2026, Mr Boland hosted European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Their discussions focused on EU enlargement and the essential role of civil society in preparing candidate countries for membership. The visit also provided an opportunity to consider how rural communities, farmers and civil society organisations contribute to economic resilience, social inclusion and democratic participation. 

‘Enlargement is one of the EU’s most important strategic projects. It is about bringing people together around the shared values of democracy, solidarity and opportunity,’ said Mr Boland. ‘Successful enlargement must involve citizens and communities, not just governments and institutions.’ 

Ms Kos stressed that joining the EU requires not only changes to legislation, but also the transformation of societies. ‘Governments have to lead, but we need citizens, farmers, businesses and civil society to make enlargement a success. Their voices must be part of the process from the very beginning,’ she said. 

The visit highlighted cooperation between the EESC and the European Commission to place civil society at the heart of enlargement, including through the EESC’s enlargement candidate members initiative. This enables representatives of organised civil society from candidate countries to be directly involved in the Committee’s work. 

Environmental stewardship in practice

Ms Kos’s visit followed an earlier meeting at the farm with European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall. On 23 July, Ms Roswall and Mr Boland discussed sustainable farming, biodiversity, water resilience and the future of rural communities. 

‘Today’s visit showed how the European green transition is being delivered not only through policy, but also through the farmers who care for our land every day,’ said Ms Roswall. ‘They show that protecting nature and supporting rural communities go hand in hand when all stakeholders are part of the solution.’ 

Together, the visits demonstrated how EU priorities are put into practice through the work of farmers, rural communities and civil society, while underlining the importance of ensuring that EU policies deliver tangible benefits for citizens, businesses and communities.(lm)