The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for a renewed partnership between the European Union and southern Mediterranean countries – one that places people, sustainability and shared responsibility at its core. 

The opinion The role of the private sector and civil society in strengthening economic cooperation within the Pact for the Mediterranean, adopted at the EESC’s April plenary, outlines how organised civil society and the private sector can strengthen economic cooperation under the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean. The proposed pact represents a strategic opportunity to reshape relations between the European Union and its southern neighbours.

At the heart of the EESC’s recommendations lies a clear message: economic cooperation must deliver for people, not just markets. Ongoing wars and instability are causing severe human suffering and damaging economies, hindering the pact’s progress. The EESC calls on the EU to support a just peace under the UN and to uphold international law. At the same time, it calls for respect for human rights, stressing the EU’s key role in promoting dialogue and peace.

EESC member Thomas Wagnsonner, rapporteur for the opinion, emphasised: ‘The Pact for the Mediterranean will be successful only if peace and stability are guaranteed. Strengthening civil society involvement and supporting micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, social entrepreneurs and cooperatives are crucial for the process. Innovation and social fairness need to go hand in hand’.

The structured and permanent involvement of organised civil society is central to this vision. Trade unions, employers’ organisations and civil society organisations should not be limited to occasional consultations, but formally integrated into governance, implementation and monitoring processes. 

Nonetheless, environmental protection and sustainable practices must be integrated into economic development, ensuring that growth respects natural resources and contributes to long-term resilience in the region.

EESC member and co-rapporteur, Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, also underlined the importance of empowering young people and women by increasing their participation in governance structures and entrepreneurship programmes. ‘Social and solidarity economy actors, including cooperatives, are powerful engines of inclusive development. Often led by young people and women, these organisations contribute to job creation, social cohesion and local resilience. The EESC calls for dedicated funding and supportive legal frameworks to strengthen their role across the region,’ she said. (at)

Insufficient enforcement of common EU rules, threats to consumer confidence, excessive complexity for SMEs and a loss of competitiveness in the digital sector are among the greatest challenges facing the single market

On 3 June, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the  Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Parliament jointly organised a conference entitled ‘One Europe, One Market: From Strategy to Delivery’. The event focused on how to turn the EU’s new One Europe, One Market roadmap – launched by EU leaders in April – into concrete results for citizens and businesses.

The conference brought together EESC and CoR members, MEPs, civil society stakeholders and experts to discuss the future of Europe’s single market, which, despite being one of the pillars of European integration, remains heavily fragmented, hampering Europe’s competitiveness and economic growth.

‘The single market is under pressure. We at the EESC hear the concerns directly from businesses, workers and civil society – the very people who should benefit fully from the single market, but still do not,’ said Antje Gerstein, President of the EESC’s Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption.

‘There is no magic law that you can implement to create the single market. It is much more difficult and much more nitty-gritty. We have to take concrete examples of where things are not functioning,’ said Anna Cavazzini, chair of the Parliament’s IMCO Committee.

‘In the context of the next multiannual financial framework and future EU funding programmes, it should be recognised that cohesion policy and the single market are not competing priorities; rather, they are mutually reinforcing. One cannot succeed sustainably without the other,’ said Emma Blain, Dublin City Councillor and CoR member.

The panel on ‘Product safety and compliance: enhancing market surveillance for better products and consumer protection’ focused on unsafe or non-compliant products entering the EU market through online marketplaces, many originating from China. Panellists stressed that the current liability regime does not reflect digital commerce, undermining consumer confidence and causing significant financial losses.

The discussion on ‘Public procurement, sustainability and circular economy goals’ highlighted the need for simpler, faster and more accessible procurement rules, particularly for SMEs. Speakers noted that complex, price-driven procedures often deter small operators from bidding and can exclude citizen-led projects.

During the panel on ‘Building a smarter and simpler single market for the digital era’, speakers underlined the need for predictable rules, interoperable systems and practical support for SMEs. Businesses still face barriers linked to incompatible national systems, fragmented data rules and insufficient interoperability, while the question of more or less regulation remained open. (ll)

In a series of recent opinions, the European Economic and Social Committee has called for stronger EU action to modernise the rules underpinning the single market.

EUR 14 billion a year: the hidden cost of single market fragmentation

In its opinion on the Single market – tackling unjustified territorial supply constraints, the EESC urged the EU to crack down on territorial supply constraints (TSCs), which cost European consumers around EUR 14 billion annually, with identical products sometimes being sold at prices more than 100% higher in one Member State than in a neighbouring country. 

'Ultimately, it is the European consumers who pay the price,' said rapporteur for the opinion Antje Gerstein. 'The EESC warns that allowing the single market to remain thus fragmented is unsustainable. As Mario Draghi has underlined, internal market fragmentation is even more damaging to the EU economy than external trade barriers.'

The TSCs are practices through which multinational manufacturers restrict where retailers and wholesalers can find and buy products within the EU, which results in higher prices, reduced product choice and distorted competition across the Member States.

The EESC is asking the Member States to avoid introducing new national barriers that further 'renationalise' sourcing markets and instead remove unjustified restrictions on cross-border trade. 

A strategic rethink of European standards

Europe’s standards system must remain inclusive, transparent and firmly anchored in EU values, the EESC said in its opinion entitled Strategic standardisation for a stronger single market. This opinion is a proactive contribution ahead of the revision of the EU's standardisation framework announced by the European Commission.

European standards increasingly shape everything from industrial competitiveness and digital technologies to workplace organisation and consumer protection. In the EESC's view, the current system faces mounting challenges linked to geopolitical tensions, rapid technological development and the growing internationalisation of standards.

'Standards should support innovation, sustainability and high levels of protection for workers, consumers and the environment,' rapporteur for the opinion Angelo Pagliara said.

But small businesses, trade unions and civil society groups still struggle to participate effectively in standardisation processes due to financial and administrative barriers. To counter this, the EESC is calling for stronger support mechanisms, improved access and greater representation in technical committees. 

Stronger enforcement for a changing market

The EESC is also calling for a major overhaul of EU market surveillance and enforcement systems in response to growing digital trade flows and the rise of AI-enabled products.

In its evaluation report entitled Evaluation of the Market Surveillance Regulation, the EESC has warned that EU rules designed to stop unsafe products from entering the single market are not keeping pace with the rapid growth of online shopping and direct imports from outside Europe.

The main problem is not the law itself, but weak and uneven enforcement across the Member States, the EESC said.

Online marketplaces and third-country sellers are a particular concern. Non-compliant products can be removed from websites after being flagged but often reappear quickly under new listings. This makes enforcement slow and reactive, while compliant European businesses face unfair competition from cheaper non-compliant goods. (ll)

Europe produces strong research and a growing number of start-ups, but too few companies successfully scale up into global players. 

EU policy-makers, industry leaders and innovation experts took part in a debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on improving the ‘innovation to market’ journey and on addressing barriers for start-ups in the EU, calling for sweeping reforms.

‘Europe needs to reinforce innovation and research and catch up with commercialising the products of these efforts through spin-offs, start-ups and scale-ups. We must also retain talent in Europe and free start-ups from the need to search for financing outside the EU to address the traditional risk-averse culture and to celebrate entrepreneurship in all its forms,’ EESC president Séamus Boland said opening the debate.

In its opinion on the EU Start-up and scale-up strategy – with a focus on the European Innovation Act, adopted at the plenary, the EESC called for decisive action to strengthen Europe’s innovation field, where fragmented rules, slow administration and regulatory complexity are holding back start-ups and scale-ups across the EU.

Andrea Ticheru, from the European Commission's Task Force on Startups and Scaleups and lead for the European Innovation Act, said that the EU had record levels of company creation in 2025 and a solid research base. However, different barriers were slowing down the transition to the market stage. Also, funding was often concentrated at the research stage, leaving a critical gap later in the development process.

Public procurement remains an underutilised tool. 'Basically, we are investing five times less than the US and South Korea in the public procurement of research and development,' she said. At the same time, only one third of university patent applications are successfully commercialised.

Mohammad Iranmanesh, Managing Director of constellr Belgium, argued that 'In Europe we don’t really have an innovation problem… what we have is a scaling problem,' emphasising that speed and simplification should be central policy goals.

Stefan Dobrev, from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), stressed that fragmentation across markets and regulations continues to hinder innovation, making it difficult for start-ups to operate seamlessly across borders. 

Reinhilde Veugelers, senior fellow at Bruegel, warned of a 'long-standing innovation gap on private spending' and argued that Europe lacks fast-scaling companies capable of challenging global competitors. Her proposed 'Regime Zero' framework would include fully digital company incorporation, simplified bankruptcy rules, and improved equity compensation systems to attract talent.

Agnès Mathis, Director of Cooperatives Europe, called for stronger investment in education and cross-disciplinary skills, alongside greater recognition of diverse business models, including cooperatives. She pointed out that cooperative start-ups can have higher survival rates but often struggle to access funding due to limited understanding among investors. (ll)

Nature-based biodegradable materials could become a key pillar of Europe’s circular economy, helping to reduce pollution, decrease dependence on fossil resources and support rural industries. To unlock their potential, the European Union needs a clear and coherent regulatory framework, according to a European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) opinion adopted at its last plenary.

In its own-initiative opinion, A comprehensive strategy for nature-based biodegradable materials to foster circularity and resource efficiency, strengthen the agri-food sector and scale-up the EU bioeconomy, the EESC calls on the EU to use the forthcoming Circular Economy Act and Bioeconomy Strategy to turn sustainability ambitions into concrete action.

Rapporteur Stoyan Tchoukanov stressed that innovative nature-based biodegradable materials can help tackle pollution, including microplastics, while creating new opportunities for farmers, fishers and rural and coastal communities.

‘To make this work, we need clear, coherent and enabling regulatory frameworks that actively support sustainable solutions. If we get this right, we can scale up innovation, attract investment, and position Europe as a global leader,’ Mr Tchoukanov said.

The EESC believes that biological and technical cycles should complement each other and that EU policies should better support innovation while ensuring genuine environmental benefits. Agricultural, forestry and fishery residues should be used more effectively, and regulatory approaches should move beyond a narrow focus on technical recycling systems towards a lifecycle-based framework that recognises different circular pathways.

The EESC also highlights the importance of applying the waste hierarchy established in the Waste Framework Directive and prioritising prevention, reuse and material efficiency. It supports a technology-neutral approach that delivers the best environmental outcomes while recognising the contribution of both biological and technical cycles.

By creating the right conditions for sustainable solutions, the EU can strengthen the bioeconomy, support local communities and reinforce its position as a global leader in circularity. (ks)

The European citizens’ initiative (ECI) Stop Destroying Videogames calls for measures to stop publishers from remotely disabling video games that consumers have already purchased

On 19 May, the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption held a debate on the ECI Stop Destroying Videogames which places pressure on the EU institutions to address consumer rights in digital gaming.

Submitted to the European Commission on 26 January this year, the ECI gathered 1.3 million verified signatures, reflecting the widespread popularity of video games across the EU. According to recent figures, some 130 million Europeans play video games, representing 29% of the population.

The ECI calls for measures to stop game publishers from remotely disabling video games that consumers have already purchased. Currently, this can often happen at any time and without justification, leaving buyers unable to play the game and not entitled to any compensation. There is also no right to repair applicable to video games.

‘If designed responsibly, most games that connect to the internet can operate indefinitely without publisher support. Major publishers in the video game industry ignore consumer rights and spoil the market for both consumers and good faith actors. We, EU citizens, are asking the European Commission to address this critical consumer issue,’ said Pavel Zálešák, organiser of the ECI and deputy director of the NGO Stop Killing Games, at the EESC debate.

Participants in the EESC debate said that the current EU legislation and consumer agencies were poorly equipped to protect customers from the ‘killing’ of video games. 

Moreover, the licence agreements required to run a game often bypass many existing consumer protections. ‘When a game is functional, it should not cease to function as a result of deliberate and avoidable decisions,’ stressed Alberto Hidalgo Cerezo, ECI signatory and law professor at CEU San Pablo University in Spain.

He gave examples such as planned digital obsolescence or products rendered unusable although technically viable – ‘consumers are defenceless’.

Wytze Koppelman, curator at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision, one of the world’s largest media archives collecting digital media before it disappears, said games must remain functional if they are to be preserved for research, education and future access. 

Representatives of the European Commission said the Commission would consider whether the requested measure is proportionate and whether the objectives of the initiative could be addressed, at least partly, through better enforcement or adaptation of existing rules. 

To be considered by the Commission, an ECI – a tool that allows EU citizens to propose legislation – must collect at least one million signatures and reach minimum signature thresholds in at least seven EU countries. (ll)

Youth entrepreneurship is not only a response to labour market challenges but also a strategic tool for strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and innovation capacity.

At its April 2026 plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an exploratory opinion on EU competitiveness and youth entrepreneurship, requested by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. The opinion highlights the role of young entrepreneurs in driving innovation, fostering sustainable growth and supporting the long-term renewal of Europe’s SMEs.

To unlock the potential of youth entrepreneurship, the Committee calls for a comprehensive approach that enables young people to transform entrepreneurial ambitions into sustainable businesses.

The opinion identifies several persistent barriers faced by young entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, regulatory complexity and skills gaps. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action at EU, national and local level, combining financial support, education, mentoring and regulatory simplification.

Rapporteur Giuseppe Guerini emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship as a driver of competitiveness and renewal: 'Support for youth entrepreneurship is a strategic tool for strengthening the EU's competitiveness and innovation capacity, which may also prove decisive in addressing the challenge of generational renewal in many SMEs.'

The EESC considers youth entrepreneurship a key lever for boosting innovation, tackling productivity challenges and supporting demographic renewal in Europe's business landscape. However, it underlines that entrepreneurship should be a genuine choice rather than a substitute for decent employment opportunities. Young people should have access to adequate support, realistic expectations and alternative career pathways.

Access to finance remains a major obstacle. The Committee therefore calls for stronger support for alternative financing instruments and financial tools tailored to the needs of youth-led businesses, particularly innovative start-ups, social enterprises and cooperatives. At the same time, funding should be complemented by mentoring, coaching, business incubation programmes and evaluation tools that help young entrepreneurs develop resilient and sustainable projects.

The opinion also highlights the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age. The EESC recommends integrating entrepreneurship education into different levels of education and training, including vocational and dual-learning systems. Financial literacy, digital skills and knowledge related to artificial intelligence are identified as increasingly important for future entrepreneurs.

To encourage business creation, the Committee calls for further efforts to reduce administrative burdens and simplify regulations at all levels of governance. It also stresses the value of business networks and entrepreneurial ecosystems, which can provide access to markets, partners, investors and good practices.

Finally, the EESC underlines that competitiveness and social inclusion must go hand in hand. Support measures should promote equal opportunities for women, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups, while recognising failure as a learning experience and safeguarding the right to a second chance. (lm)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has held a high-level debate underlining that culture is not a luxury, but a strategic asset for democracy, social cohesion and Europe’s economic resilience. Speakers stressed the need for greater political recognition and sustained investment to turn goals into action.

During its April plenary session, the EESC hosted the Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, who highlighted the strategic aims behind the Culture Compass and welcomed the EESC’s contribution.

The debate brought together Nela Riehl, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT); Tanja Hristova, vice-chair of the Committee of the Regions’ SEDEC commission and rapporteur for the Culture Compass; and Lars Ebert, Secretary-General of Culture Action Europe.

EESC President Séamus Boland stressed that culture must remain at the heart of EU action even in times of geopolitical uncertainty. He said that culture embodies European values, safeguards freedom and underpins a resilient democratic project.

Commissioner Micallef noted that the cultural sector generates EUR 200 billion in profit and supports eight million jobs, while also holding Europe together in ways that go beyond economic impact. He drew attention to the structural vulnerabilities faced by many cultural and creative workers, who often operate under precarious conditions without stable income or full access to social protection. The Culture Compass aims to address these challenges through measures on artistic freedom, working conditions and access to culture.

Speakers agreed that culture should no longer be treated as a secondary sector but embedded across EU policy frameworks as a strategic driver of Europe’s future, identity and global influence.

A key focus of the discussion was how to translate the Culture Compass into concrete action. The EESC opinion calls for strong, cross-cutting financial support in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), ensuring that cultural objectives are reflected in areas such as competitiveness, skills, research, cohesion and external action.

Through the debate and the adoption of its opinion, the EESC confirmed its role as a key partner in implementing the Culture Compass. Rapporteur Luca Jahier said: 'The Culture Compass sends out a strong political message: culture is not a peripheral part of the European project but sits right at its heart. Culture is a key tool for defending and strengthening democracy, countering populist and authoritarian narratives and increasing preparedness, sustainable development, social cohesion and a sense of belonging.'

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) placed fundamental rights, dignity and equality at the centre of its April plenary session, holding a high-level debate on advancing LGBTIQ+ rights and banning conversion practices. The debate was followed by the adoption of two opinions calling for stronger enforcement of the EU’s LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030 and a comprehensive EU-wide ban on conversion practices.

Setting the tone, EESC President Séamus Boland firmly rejected any justification for such practices: ‘These so-called conversion practices or therapies are not only harmful, they are a profound violation of human dignity and fundamental rights. Let us be absolutely clear: there is nothing to fix or cure.’

The debate brought together representatives from EU institutions, civil society and international organisations. Caleb Stocco from the European Association Against Conversion Therapy highlighted the lasting harm caused by these practices and called for decisive EU action. From the European Commission, Francesco Zoia Bolzonello outlined efforts to advance equality through the LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030, stressing the importance of EU leadership in the face of a growing backlash.

International perspectives reinforced the urgent need for action. Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo from the Council of Europe and UN Independent Expert Graeme Reid both emphasised that banning conversion practices was a matter of fundamental human rights and dignity.

Participants pointed to persistent inequalities across Member States, including discrimination, hate speech and barriers to healthcare, housing and employment. The recent Court of Justice of the EU ruling in Commission v Hungary was cited as reaffirming the EU’s obligation to protect LGBTIQ+ rights and uphold fundamental freedoms.

The two EESC opinions adopted translate these concerns into concrete recommendations. Regarding conversion practices, the EESC calls for a comprehensive, legally binding EU-wide ban covering both minors and adults, including effective penalties and support for survivors. On the Equality Strategy, it urges stronger monitoring, binding benchmarks linked to EU funding and decisive action to counter the anti-LGBTIQ+ backlash.

The EESC, as the voice of organised civil society, reaffirmed its commitment to advancing equality and ensuring that all people in Europe can live freely and safely, without fear of discrimination. (lm)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted its opinion on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 in January 2026, delivering a clear message to the EU institutions: Europe’s strategic, social and geopolitical ambitions require a stronger and better-designed long-term budget. Read the interview with Luca Jahier, the EESC rapporteur from the Committee's Civil Society Organisations' Group.

By the Civil Society Organisations' Group

What are the main findings and recommendations of this opinion?

The EESC’s first key finding concerns the overall volume of the MFF. While acknowledging the European Commission’s proposed nominal increase, the Committee stresses that, once inflation and the repayment of NextGenerationEU debt are taken into account, real resources would remain largely unchanged. This falls short of what is needed to close persistent investment gaps in strategic autonomy, competitiveness, social cohesion, climate action, security and defence. Drawing on recent institutional reports, the EESC calls for a substantial increase in real resources relative to gross national income and for stronger EU-level investment in European public goods, which cannot be delivered effectively by Member States alone.

A second major concern relates to the structure and governance of EU funding. The EESC strongly opposes the proposed reductions to cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, underlining their proven contribution to economic, social and territorial convergence. It also raises serious reservations about the planned merger of several major policy areas into a single National and Regional Partnership Plan, as is currently proposed, warning that this risks excessive centralisation and weaker stakeholder involvement. The Committee therefore calls for a reinforced partnership principle, mandatory participation mechanisms, adequate support for capacity-building and safeguards where effective involvement is lacking.

The opinion also addresses revenues, competitiveness and democratic resilience. While welcoming the introduction of new EU own resources, the EESC calls for greater ambition and closer alignment with EU policy objectives. It supports EU emissions trading system ETS- and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism CBAM-based revenues, subject to transitional support for energy-intensive sectors, but expresses strong reservations about the proposed Corporate Resource for Europe, recommending instead the reintroduction of a digital services tax. 

On competitiveness, the Committee stresses that this must go hand-in-hand with social fairness, equal access to funding and substantial investment in research, innovation, skills and infrastructure. Adequate financing for civil society and media programmes is highlighted as essential democratic infrastructure.

Finally, the EESC welcomes the reinforced Global Europe pillar, stressing that increased funding for external action must support strategic autonomy, enlargement and neighbourhood stability, while strengthening the Global Gateway as a coherent instrument for multilateral engagement.

After the adoption of this opinion, what will you do to promote it?

Following the adoption of the opinion, the EESC will actively promote its recommendations through dialogue with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and key stakeholders, ensuring that organised civil society contributes meaningfully to the negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget.

Watch the video statement by the rapporteur Luca Jahier.