Housing and social progress at the heart of high-level civil society talks

Top representatives of organised civil society have met in Warsaw to call for stronger EU action on living and working conditions.

On 25 and 26 June 2025, the presidents and secretaries-general of the EU’s Economic and Social Councils (ESCs) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held their annual meeting to discuss how to improve living and working conditions across the EU. ESCs from 13 Member States participated, alongside officials from the Polish  Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Under the theme Improving living and working conditions across the EU: the role of organised civil society, discussions focused on economic governance, housing and employment.

EESC president Oliver Röpke stressed the need for civil dialogue, calling it 'a necessity' in the face of growing social and economic challenges. With housing becoming increasingly unaffordable, especially for young people, low-income families and the elderly, participants called for coordinated EU and national action. Key proposals included investing in social and affordable housing, tackling homelessness, reforming EU fiscal rules to allow more public investment and supporting energy-efficient renovations.

The ESCs and the EESC also called for policies that anticipate labour market changes driven by digitalisation and demographic shifts. Priorities included boosting reskilling and digital skills, improving work-life balance and promoting decent, secure jobs.

The meeting concluded with a call to keep social progress at the heart of EU policymaking. Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, representing the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, commended the way civil society was being substantially involved, saying that this was 'invaluable in shaping our agenda and influencing progress at EU level.'

The annual meeting, which took place in Warsaw, was organised jointly by the EESC and the Polish Councils, the Social Dialogue Council (RDS) and the Council for Public Benefit Activity (RDPP) under the Polish Council Presidency. (tk)