The Trump administration has once again floated the idea of exerting control over Greenland, while the people of Greenland have reiterated their commitment to deciding their own future, free from outside pressure or intimidation.
considers the indicative budget of EUR 175 002 000 000 proposed for the period 2028-2034 to be encouraging and that it sends a strong signal of support for scientific excellence and the aim of investing in research and innovation and disruptive technologies. However, the EESC recommends that it be used only as a baseline figure for discussions between the Council and the European Parliament;
deems it imperative to improve the monitoring of the use of funds and to identify obstacles to their use and the factors behind underspending in certain countries;
recommends maintaining and correctly aligning Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund, particularly the fund’s four policy components and the corresponding activities under the ‘Competitiveness’ pillar of Horizon Europe (Pillar II);
recommends that, in order to support the entire innovation cycle from fundamental research to placing on the market, project assessment and selection procedures must not only be based on scientific excellence, but also on additional assessment criteria designed to better understand commercial relevance, industrial impact and the contribution to European strategic autonomy and the competitiveness of European industry;
recommends maintaining a four-year term of office, renewable once for the president of the European Research Council (ERC), instead of reducing it to two years.
As part of its ongoing work on generational renewal in agriculture, the European Economic and Social Committee’s Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) will hold a dedicated debate on youth in agrifood systems during its meeting on 28 January 2026 from 16:00 to 17:15.
