EESC President Séamus Boland’s Statement on the 2026 State of the Union Address

The State of the Union Address by Commission President von der Leyen gives a realistic picture of the challenges Europe faces, while pointing towards a future in which our Union can be stronger, more resilient and autonomous. 

Completing the Single Market by 2027 is part of this effort: removing remaining barriers is essential for European businesses to grow and compete, while ensuring that citizens' interests are protected and their lives improved. 

The green transition and Europe’s preparedness for climate-related disasters remain central to this. That is why the Climate Resilience Framework and the European Water initiative are steps in the right direction and in line with what the EESC has been advocating for. The transition must remain socially fair, protect workers and create the conditions for European businesses to innovate, invest and compete.

I particularly welcome the focus on safeguarding children online, in accordance with my priorities on protecting the emotional health of young people. The Europe we are building today is the Europe our children will inherit. They need not only protection from harmful online environments, but also the skills to navigate a rapidly changing digital world. Tackling cognitive warfare and protecting our democratic space must therefore remain a priority.

Our European values are what underline and give value to our project. This is the perspective I will bring to Montenegro next month, when meeting its leadership and civil society and listening to their views on the country’s path towards the EU. We should strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners who share these values. Opening the discussion on an Associate Membership to the EU for Canada is the right signal to protect democracy and a rules-based international order.

I am in China this week for the EU-China Round Table where we discussed trade, AI and poverty. Constructive people-to-people dialogue remains the best foundation for a stronger EU-China partnership. I would also welcome the call for a rebalancing of the trade relationship which is essential for European competitiveness. 

Next year’s 70th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome will offer an important opportunity to look forward, not simply back: to reignite our ambition, be creative about Europe’s future and build a Union in which current and future generations can thrive. The EESC stands ready to work with the Commission, the European Council and all EU institutions to turn this ambition into policies that deliver social and economic progress.

The EESC contributes to ensuring that policies are shaped with the people and organisations who experience their impact on the ground. Co-creation with organised civil society is not an additional step in policymaking: it is part of how Europe can make its decisions more democratic, socially sustainable and effective. I look forward to working alongside the EU institutions to build a strong and independent EU, that is also socially fair and inclusive.