The EESC opinion looks into how industry practices influence public health and contribute to the rise of non-communicable diseases, aiming to identify barriers to effective policies and propose stronger preventive measures.
The EESC assesses how the EU’s sustainable finance framework can be made more robust and fit for purpose given its importance for the EU’s economic, social and climate objectives. The EESC affirms that simplification should not come at the cost of ambition. While administrative streamlining is needed, the focus should be on how requirements can be implemented more effectively, not on weakening standards. The EU’s regulatory strength and predictability are important competitive advantages that should be preserved amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
In this Opinion, the EESC warns that democracy, the rule of law and European values face growing threats from both external actors, such as third-country governments and tech companies, and internal ones, including some Member States, extremist parties and 'uncivil' society. It calls for stronger EU action through stricter enforcement of rule of law standards and conditionality, protection of civic space, and simpler, fairer funding for civil society, starting with the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). The EESC urges embedding democracy protection in enlargement policy and supporting candidate countries to build resilience. The Opinion also highlights the fight against disinformation and propaganda, promoting media literacy, reducing digital dependence on third countries, and reinforcing initiatives such as EuroStack and East StratCom to strengthen democratic resilience.
The EESC emphasises that peace must remain a core EU priority and cautions against focusing solely on military threats while overlooking other serious risks to human life. It stresses the importance of diplomacy for conflict resolution and crisis prevention wherever possible.The EESC supports a comprehensive, inclusive European defence strategy that supplements military readiness with civil preparedness. It endorses the European Commission’s Joint white Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 and calls for a coordinated EU approach that treats defence, peace and security as shared public goods, underpinned by strong legal, institutional and financial frameworks with democratic oversight.
