The Brussels 20 km race is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, uniting people of all ages and abilities. In its 45th edition, this event showcased the vibrant diversity of Brussels as thousands came together to challenge themselves and celebrate healthy living.
The Brussels 20 km race is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, uniting people of all ages and abilities. In its 45th edition, this event showcased the vibrant diversity of Brussels as thousands came together to challenge themselves and celebrate healthy living.
On 25 May 2025, a record-breaking 48 928 participants from 80 countries and of 140 nationalities took part in the race. Joggers, walkers and athletes with disabilities covered the 20-kilometre route through central Brussels, with a nearly equal gender split.
EESC Vice-President Laurențiu Plosceanu gave the starting signal to the crowd, which included Belgian Queen Mathilde. The EESC has maintained a strong presence at the race since 2018, with its vice-president representing the Committee each year.
Patrick Nimubona from Burundi won the men’s race, finishing in 59 minutes and 26 seconds. Britain’s Naomi Taschimowitz was the fastest woman, completing the course in 1 hour and 9 minutes.
The 46th edition of the Brussels 20 km race is scheduled for Sunday 31 May 2026. (ehp)
The Brussels 20 km race is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, uniting people of all ages and abilities. In its 45th edition, this event showcased the vibrant diversity of Brussels as thousands came together to challenge themselves and celebrate healthy living.
Directed by Sofia Exarchou, this powerful drama is a Greek, Austrian, Romanian, Cypriot and Bulgarian co-production that has captivated audiences and critics alike. Animal has received international acclaim, including awards at prestigious festivals such as Locarno and Sarajevo, for its raw portrayal of contemporary social and economic realities.
Set in a Greek resort town during the off-season, Animal follows Kalia, a middle-aged woman working in the entertainment team of an all-inclusive hotel. As the season wears on, and tensions simmer beneath the surface, the film explores the complexities of labour, identity and human endurance in a world driven by spectacle and survival.
This screening is part of the EESC’s ongoing series, in partnership with the European Parliament’s LUX Audience Film Award, promoting cultural diversity and sparking dialogue on pressing social issues. (ps)
Held on Saturday 10 May 2025, the EU Open Day at the EESC was a celebration of 75 years of peace and cooperation in Europe, inspired by the visionary Schuman Declaration.
Held on Saturday 10 May 2025, the EU Open Day at the EESC was a celebration of 75 years of peace and cooperation in Europe, inspired by the visionary Schuman Declaration.
Thousands of visitors from around the world came to learn about the EESC’s role in shaping EU policy. Visitors had the opportunity to explore stands hosted by the EESC’s three groups, six sections and the CCMI. Volunteers and members engaged directly with guests, answering questions and explaining the Committee’s work. Speed voting sessions and a simulated plenary meeting, including interpretation and electronic voting, offered an immersive look at EU-level decision-making.
There were many other fun activities too! From digital quizzes and a wheel of fortune to live music, a caricaturist and a kids’ corner with hat-making and face painting, there was something for everyone. Our photo booth and EU-themed postcard station were also a hit.
The EU Open Day 2025 at the EESC was a true celebration of unity, bringing together people from around the world to mark this special milestone.
Click here to see photos from the EU Open Day 2025.
Click here to see the video from the EU Open Day 2025.
EU Green Week 2025 wrapped up on 5 June following three days of focused debate, practical case studies and policy discussion that placed the circular economy at the core of Europe's environmental agenda. From biodiversity and climate resilience to construction and bioeconomy innovation, the sessions made it clear: circularity is not a side strategy — it is the direction Europe must take.
EU Green Week 2025 wrapped up on 5 June following three days of focused debate, practical case studies and policy discussion that placed the circular economy at the core of Europe's environmental agenda. From biodiversity and climate resilience to construction and bioeconomy innovation, the sessions made it clear: circularity is not a side strategy — it is the direction Europe must take.
The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) — a joint initiative by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) – played a key role in shaping the week’s discussions, acting as both organiser and host of several sessions that brought together public authorities, civil society, business and research. One of the week’s central themes was how to translate circular principles into structural change, something ECESP continues to facilitate across sectors and regions.
Two of the leading voices behind this shift were EESC members Peter Schmidt and Cillian Lohan, long-standing drivers of the circular agenda within the EU institutions.
‘Circularity is a policy, anxiety is not,’ said Mr Schmidt, calling for stronger political will. ‘Circular businesses cannot compete with fossil-based industries on their own. If we are serious, we have to change the market rules.’
He pointed to the need for the EU to ban unsustainable products outright and make planetary boundaries the basis for economic decision-making, not profit margins. ‘This is about fairness too,’ Schmidt added. ‘The circular transition must bring people together — it cannot leave communities behind.’
Mr Lohan emphasised the need for system-level solutions. ‘We need structural reform, not more pressure on consumers,’ he said. ‘Real sustainability is only possible when it is built into the system, not when it depends on individual action.’
From vision to practice
At EU Green Week, participants explored how to advance circularity across key sectors. Sessions covered topics such as reducing primary resource extraction to ease pressure on ecosystems and help meet climate targets. It was stressed that circular thinking should be mainstreamed into climate and land-use policies.
Projects in the bioeconomy showed promising innovations — such as turning human waste into fertiliser — but they are often stalled by regulatory hurdles.
Across all discussions, one message stood out: the EU has the tools and ideas — what is needed now is coherence, investment and the courage to scale up.
ECESP calls for new leadership
Looking ahead, the ECESP is preparing for its next phase. During Green Week, the platform launched a call for applications to form its next coordination group, which will begin a two-and-a-half-year mandate in October 2025.
Applications can be submitted until 17:00 CEST on 30 June 2025. (ks)
On 12 May 2025 a group of Serbian students arrived in Brussels after completing an 18-day, 2 000-kilometre relay ultramarathon from Serbia to Belgium. Their journey, dubbed ‘From My Village to Brussels’ (#trkadobrisela), aimed to raise awareness about democratic backsliding and corruption in Serbia.
On 12 May 2025 a group of Serbian students arrived in Brussels after completing an 18-day, 2 000-kilometre relay ultramarathon from Serbia to Belgium. Their journey, dubbed ‘From My Village to Brussels’ (#trkadobrisela), aimed to raise awareness about democratic backsliding and corruption in Serbia. Their initiative has garnered international attention, highlighting the role of young people in campaigning for democratic reform.
On 13 May, the students were hosted at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) by the Vice-President for Communication Laurenţiu Plosceanu. In his welcome speech, the Vice-President commended their dedication to democratic values and civic engagement. (at)
In its 13th meeting, the EU DAG for Vietnam was updated on the current situation in Vietnam following the administrative restructuring. Information was also given on various EU-funded projects in the country. The main discussion covered the state of play of the implementation of the TSD Chapter. Moreover, the DAG discussed the state of labour rights and assessment of the new Trade Union Law in the region.
On 18 June, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is holding a plenary debate with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,leader of the Belarusian democratic forces. The debate will also welcome Belarusian filmmaker, activist and journalist Andrey Gnyot, who has lived in exile since 2023 following his arrest in Serbia, where he spent a year in extradition detention. We bring you Mr Gnyot’s personal testimony about the climate of fear and repression in Belarus and his ongoing struggle to obtain international protection in the EU.
On 18 June, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is holding a plenary debate with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,leader of the Belarusian democratic forces. The debate will also welcome Belarusian filmmaker, activist and journalist Andrey Gnyot, who has lived in exile since 2023 following his arrest in Serbia, where he spent a year in extradition detention. We bring you Mr Gnyot’s personal testimony about the climate of fear and repression in Belarus and his ongoing struggle to obtain international protection in the EU.
‘We talk on the phone, for example on WhatsApp or Viber, but we never mention him by name. We speak in vague terms. My mother says, “That’s enough, child, later, later, don’t.” Everyone speaks like that. Even when you leave the country, when you talk about him (meaning Lukashenko – author’s note) or about what’s going on, you whisper. Subconsciously, you lower your tone – God forbid someone should hear you.’
Maria (I was forced to change her name for safety reasons) spoke to me in a quiet voice. That’s how everyone who stayed in Belarus speaks nowadays. It is the only way to survive, a reflex that has become automatic. It is fuelled by a total, paralysing fear. Maria was arrested for the second time in her life in December 2024, right at the border, when she was returning home to Belarus from the EU. She simply wanted to see me. We met only once, in a typical loud German beer hall, so that we could disappear into the drunk, cheerful crowd, among beer and pork knuckles. That was enough for KGB officers to remove Maria from the bus at the border and accuse her of extremism. On her phone, they discovered a subscription to an Instagram channel labelled ‘extremist’ by the regime – a subscription that appeared there from who knows where. Maria was sent behind bars. She was very lucky – she spent only one day in a cold cell without food, water or bedding. A judge from a small provincial town did not want to spoil his Christmas and New Year dealing with such a dubious case and released her before the 15-day term had expired. A deep sense of guilt settled in me, although I know that it is Lukashenko and his regime who are to blame.
‘I clearly remember a person, a girl, when I was taken at the border. They also took her phone – she was led away for interrogation, and we sat in the back seat with her mother, talking. And when they didn’t return my documents or my phone, when I realised that they were going to take me, I asked... I said, please, you know, they probably won’t let me go. I said, could you give me your phone, so I can call my mum? And she said: “I don't need any trouble.” And that was it. That is, a person who had also been through the same interrogations – that was her reaction.
Now it’s simply our mad ability to survive under the most horrific conditions, just like in the past we survived and endured the Nazis on our territory. That is exactly how we live now, as if he has occupied our country and we just need to lie low and hide, to pretend that we do not exist. To go out and protest... We have more prisons than theatres. It will simply be one more place in a cell – occupied by you.’
I was in prison, and I know: there are no protests in prison. A protest in prison is a riot. A riot will be suppressed, with blood and victims; no one and nothing will get beyond the prison fence. The inmates will be returned to their places, the rioters will be punished in the harshest way. Another fence will appear in the prison, more guards will be added, and next time they will shoot to kill right away. The prison governor will never shut down their own prison or release the innocent. That can only be done by a third force, from beyond the prison fence. Belarus in 2025 is an occupied territory, a prison-concentration camp with external governance and external funding. Can prisoners protest openly there?
‘You know, when we went out to protest, we could tell by the eyes who was one of us, right? And that still exists. That is, you understand who you can talk to and who you can’t. But we haven’t surrendered. We have gone underground. We simply do not know what to do. We are just surviving now. We are just breathing. As if the body has temporarily shut down its vital functions.
But it is very important for us to know what’s happening over there (in Europe – author’s note). We follow, we watch. A voice from the “mainland” is very important to us. So that we are not forgotten. Because here we are cut off from the whole world. We feel as if we live on another planet. We try, we scream with a voiceless cry. So that we are heard, so that we are helped. Because the regime no longer considers us human. We feel that inaction will come back as a great misfortune for everyone. And not only for us.’
I met Maria in Berlin after a year spent under arrest in Serbia. We hadn’t seen each other in 15 years, and we might never have met again if I had been extradited. I lost my health, my family, my successful career, but not hope – I stayed alive, and that means I can continue to fight for the freedom of my country. That was the main feeling I had when I found myself free on 31 October 2024.
I admit, my struggle has not stopped for a single day. ‘The status of an asylum seeker (and the “Geneva passport”) would constitute a completely different legal track to the one including the Section 22.2 visa and it is thus legally and structurally not possible to combine them,’ stated the official letter from the German Foreign Ministry. When I received this e-mail on 17 January 2025, it was like a cold shower. Three days later, I applied for international protection in Warsaw, and a few months later I received a notification that the Polish authorities had made a preliminary decision, ‘which may not meet my expectations’ (quote). Lawyers warned me with concern that if I were deported to Germany under the Dublin Regulation – and that is exactly what was discussed in the letter from the authorities – it was highly likely I would be placed in a refugee camp for up to two years. Another official notification, received by mail at the end of May 2025, stated that my case would be under review for up to 15 months.
On 4 March 2025, Belarusian emigrant Stanislav Brykin died by suicide in the Pabradė refugee camp in Lithuania after being deported from Germany under the Dublin Regulation, according to an article published by NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers. Such news keeps me awake at night, although that may also be a result of my acquired traumas – clinical depression and PTSD. I cannot get rid of them; neither the circumstances nor the limitations of ‘refugee’ medical insurance allow it. I could solve this problem quickly and by myself, but since October 2023 I have been deprived of a source of income. Even now, the law prohibits me from working. In Warsaw, I have no family, no loved ones, no friends. A modest one-room apartment on the outskirts of Minsk in occupied Belarus would barely cover my debts, but it is subject to a ban on sales anyway; all of us Belarusians are hostages of the regime.
Yesterday I received my allowance (about EUR 170), which is paid once a month to migrants like me. This morning, I paid almost EUR 100 in fees at the Belgian embassy.
I found myself free on 31 October 2024. Since then, every day I try to understand what that means.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference underscoring the importance of community engagement in the fight against disinformation. By fostering media literacy, encouraging critical thinking, promoting active communication and leveraging AI as an ally, societies can become resilient to false information and toxic propaganda.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference underscoring the importance of community engagement in the fight against disinformation. By fostering media literacy, encouraging critical thinking, promoting active communication and leveraging AI as an ally, societies can become resilient to false information and toxic propaganda.
The conference Citizens can defeat disinformation held in Lisbon on 22 May 2025 was the fourth in the EESC’s ongoing project to combat disinformation with the help of civil society. It was organised in cooperation with the Portuguese Economic and Social Council and with the support of the European Commission Representation and the European Parliament Office in Lisbon.
Stressing the crucial role of citizens in this fight,EESC president Oliver Röpke said: ‘To counter disinformation, we must empower citizens and civil society, not only as watchdogs, but also as active participants in democratic resilience.’
As disinformation plays with emotions, it is important to pause and distance oneself before engaging. Participants noted that when something speaks to the audience’s heart, it is important to question the intention and source of the information. Only by not engaging can we reduce the visibility and virality of this content.
As reiterated by the president of the Portuguese Economic and Social Council, Luís Pais Antunes, not only are misinformation and a lack of information challenges for our modern societies, but so too is an excess of information.
The conference signalled the importance of joining forces, stressing that only by acting together, engaging civil society in a systematic way, putting forward action plans for media literacy and ensuring robust legislation can disinformation be defeated, giving way to trustful, fact-based information.
‘Media literacy needs to be taught in schools. This is where the state plays a key role. Democracy means credibility,’ said Aimilios Perdikaris, chair of the Board and General Manager at Athens Macedonian News Agency.
‘Democracy cannot survive without free information and without free, impartial and critical media,’ said Carlos Abreau Amorim, Portugal’s Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, adding that the Portuguese government would strengthen journalistic ethics, since ‘a lack of credibility in journalism is the greatest ally of disinformation.’
Referring to AI as a massive challenge in the fight against disinformation, Niko Efstathiou, journalist fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in Oxford, said that AI can create convincing, deepfake news to spread campaigns to the most vulnerable populations. However, AI can also be incredibly useful in scanning through content, so as to detect misinformation in real time. (at)
Discrimination is far from over for Europe’s LGBTIQ community. While there are significant variations across Member States, 37% of all LGBTIQ respondents to a recent EU-wide survey felt discriminated against due to their identity. Despite gradual progress on equality-related issues over the years, there is still much work to be done.
Discrimination is far from over for Europe’s LGBTIQ community. While there are significant variations across Member States, 37% of all LGBTIQ respondents to a recent EU-wide survey felt discriminated against due to their identity. Despite gradual progress on equality-related issues over the years, there is still much work to be done.
The EESC is at the forefront of such efforts. It has actively supported the European Commission’s LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, which aims to reduce discrimination and ensure the safety and fundamental rights of LGBTIQ individuals throughout the EU. Even before the strategy was issued, in 2012 the EESC called for the extension of the Equal Treatment and Employment Directive to protect transgender, non-binary, intersex and queer people against discrimination in the workplace and beyond.
The Committee adopted an opinion on the strategy in 2021, urging Member States to develop and execute national action plans. Furthermore, under the umbrella of the strategy, the Committee has adopted a series of related opinions in defence of LGBTIQ rights including:
No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred (2024) – in the opinion, the EESC recommends increased support for civil society organisations (CSOs), improved coordination to combat disinformation, and inclusion of hate speech and hate crime in the EU crime list. It also calls for a network of national law enforcement contact points and full implementation of the 2008 Framework Decision on racism and xenophobia.
Measures to fight stigma against HIV (2023) – The EESC proposes awareness campaigns, workplace equality for people with HIV and better access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). It emphasises the role of community-led organisations in prevention and accountability.
Initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech (2022) – The EESC advocates a unified EU legislative framework, consistent definitions across Member States and stronger roles for CSOs. It also highlights the need for law enforcement training, targeted public space actions and collaboration with social media platforms to combat online hate.
The full list of opinions related to the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 is available here.
The EESC has set up an Ad hoc Group on Equality (AHGE or Equality Group), which has been in place since 2020, tasked with promoting a cross-cutting culture of equality within the Committee, including all aspects of this principle. It also regularly organises hearings, conferences and forums to discuss and promote LGBTIQ rights. (lm)
