EESC's Youth Group aims to be a hub where young people's concerns and ideas can be heard and transformed into concrete policy recommendations, writes its president Nicoletta Merlo

By Nicoletta Merlo, President of the EESC Youth Group

My professional and personal journey has always been closely linked to one core belief: young people must have a say in decisions that shape their present and their future. This objective underpins the work of the EESC Youth Group, created in July 2023 to strengthen youth participation and to better reflect young people’s realities, priorities and expectations in the Committee’s work.

Today, the Youth Group’s mission goes beyond formal mandates. Alongside overseeing tools such as the EESC Youth Test and supporting youth‑related EESC initiatives, we aim to be a hub where young people’s concerns, ideas and proposals can be heard and transformed into concrete policy recommendations. Listening to young people across Europe — including from neighbouring and candidate countries — and translating their voices into the EESC’s work remains a priority.

The year 2026 will be particularly significant. The Youth Group will hold regular meetings with thematic debates and take part in major moments such as European Youth Week and Council Presidency Youth Conferences. Some topics identified for this year include the responsible and safe use of AI, combatting disinformation, and the cooperation with candidate country youth organisations. These milestones will also seek to contribute to the next EU Youth Strategy to be adopted in 2027.

Our ambition is clear: to ensure that youth perspectives are not consulted only occasionally but embedded permanently in how EU policies are shaped — today, and for generations to come.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted a new opinion, urging the EU to accelerate biotechnology development, warning that Europe risks falling behind global competitors while patients face delays in accessing new treatments.

The opinion responds to the European Commission’s recent proposals under the European Biotech Act, aiming to streamline biotech regulation, promote large-scale investment, and support innovation. While expanding rapidly worldwide, much of the investment and production in biotechnology is taking place in the United States and China. According to the EESC, this is the result of long-standing structural weaknesses. 'We must address gaps in venture capital and speed up clinical trials to ensure patients benefit sooner from innovative medicines,' said the EESC rapporteur of the opinion, Joan Roget Alemany.

The impact goes beyond industrial competitiveness. Dependence on external suppliers creates risks for supply and resilience whereas delays in innovation mean that patients in Europe may wait longer to access life-saving treatments. To address this, the EESC calls for a stronger European biotech ecosystem linking research, investment and production.

A central issue is funding. To encourage growth, the EESC supports a two-year 'capital booster' financial pilot to attract private investment. At the same time, it calls for closer links between universities, research centres and industry to ensure scientific breakthroughs reach the market. Targeted incentives for innovation should further support investment. 

On regulation, the EESC identifies complexities and inconsistencies across Member States as a major obstacle. To reduce delays and make the EU more attractive for innovation, it proposes clearer and more harmonised procedures. Moreover, the Committee backs regulatory sandboxes to test new technologies, if they are aligned across the EU and consider ‘social acceptability’.

The EESC stresses that speeding up innovation must not weaken safeguards. Biotech applications should continue to undergo strict checks before reaching the market. The Committee further supports a digital by default approach, including the use of artificial intelligence in clinical trials, when clear rules are in place and human oversight is maintained. It also highlights the need to strengthen clinical trials in Europe. Prevention should play a larger role, alongside more inclusive approaches to ensure access for all patient groups.

The Committee is assertive that simplification must not become deregulation. Protections for workers, the environment and health and safety must be maintained. To support the publics trust in biotechnology, the EESC calls for better communication and dialogue to ensure citizens understand both the benefits and the risks. (gb/je)