EU Strategic Foresight is a policy tool used by the European Commission to think ahead about major global economic, technological, social, environmental and geopolitical changes and help shape policies for the future. Philip von Brockdorff, rapporteur of the EESC opinion on the Strategic Foresight Report 2025, explains what Europe needs to consider to stay prepared in today’s turbulent geopolitical and economic context.

Social media may have democratised political engagement, but it has also weaponised misogyny. Women entering public life face online attacks that differ sharply from those directed at men, targeting their appearance, private lives and family roles rather than their ideas. Such abuse undermines women’s very presence in politics and discourages many from entering or staying in public life, writes our surprise guest Barbara Helfferich, political scientist, gender equality expert and co-founder of a Brussels-based feminist think tank.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) deems sodium batteries a strategically important technology for Europe at its plenary debate on the potential of these batteries and in its latest opinion.

EESC President Séamus Boland announced that the Committee was placing sodium batteries firmly at the centre of its work on the EU industrial and energy agenda. ‘Sodium batteries, and batteries more broadly, are key for the EU’s competitive edge, and it is urgent that the next Multiannual Financial Framework recognises this by providing the necessary funds for the sector,’ he said.

The EU has already launched large-scale gigafactory projects to produce batteries at high volumes in order to reindustrialise Europe and strengthen its strategic autonomy. However, these projects focus mainly on lithium batteries and largely neglect the emerging technology of their sodium equivalents. 

Unlike lithium, sodium does not expose the EU to the same geopolitical dependencies or supply chain vulnerabilities. Produced from abundant and widely available raw materials in Europe, sodium batteries can reduce dependence on critical imports, support EU climate and industrial objectives and create jobs through the development of gigafactories across the value chain.

The debate also highlighted the strong links between sodium batteries and both the EU’s Green Deal and the EESC’s EU Blue Deal initiative. ‘The EESC put water on the agenda because, in emergency preparedness, water, energy and food are the real raw material emergencies. The vast majority of the Earth’s water is salt water. By using the sodium from desalination processes, we can turn a largely untapped resource into a sustainable, circular industrial solution,’ said Paul Rübig, EESC rapporteur for the opinion on Enhancing EU strategic autonomy and developing a greener and bluer economy: the potential of the sodium battery manufacturing sector.

Europe must act quickly to avoid falling behind its global competitors, which are already advancing on sodium battery technology.  ‘Either we remain mere consumers, or we propose an ambitious plan for the next ten years and become one of the largest suppliers of sodium-based batteries. All European countries can participate in the construction process and benefit from a technology that promotes our independence while creating jobs in all regions,’ said Hervé Jeannin, co-rapporteur for the opinion. 

The EESC opinion on sodium batteries presents an overview of the current situation and the development potential of this emerging industry, it showcases the potential applications of such batteries in different sectors (e.g. by industry, local and regional authorities and private households) and sets out the way forward for the industry. (gb)

By the EESC Workers’ Group

Our world stands on the edge, trapped and sandwiched between old oligarchs and autocrats desperate to leave their mark on history before they disappear. Women’s rights, won with great hardship in many places, and still missing in many others, are under threat. These rights, from reproductive to political, are a good indicator of the state of human rights as a whole: those who take away the former will sooner or later abolish the latter as well.

While defending women’s rights, and human rights more broadly, is everyone’s duty, female representation is fundamental. The global stage increasingly resembles a playground full of insecure teenagers armed with nuclear weapons, while the technologies that increasingly shape how we think and interact are being designed within a troubling ‘techbro’ culture. 

AI-generated imagery and deepfakes are now widely used to create non-consensual content and enable harassment campaigns targeting women and girls online. These tools amplify forms of abuse that women have long faced on the internet, making such attacks easier and faster to produce, while proper moderation remains largely inadequate and access to justice often very limited.

This is why having women in positions of power is not just a matter of fairness (after all, women make up half the population), but also a better approach to governance and society. In an ideal world, this difference might not exist. In the real world, however, so many vital social functions, such as care, reproduction, feeding and other essential roles, have long been undervalued or ignored by a male-dominated society. So many of the key components that keep the world running are barely recognised, or are even openly treated as a burden, even in today’s society. The very fact that giving birth still disproportionately affects women’s careers and lives, and that the labour market continues to discourage it, despite its fundamental importance for society’s survival, is just one example. 

Building a better society must therefore be a collective effort – created with everyone and for everyone. This is one of our key priorities in the Workers’ Group, both within and beyond labour matters. It is also why we practice what we preach: we have Lucie Studničná as our President and we elected Marija Hanževački as EESC Vice-President, and we have finally achieved gender balance in our membership. We need every perspective in order to build a credible alternative to the outdated world of chest-thumping and muscle-flexing that is threatening to return. 

By Pavel Trantina, member of the EESC Civil Society Organisations’ Group

‘Every Contribution Matters’ is the guiding theme of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026 (IVY 2026), officially launched by the United Nations on 5 December 2025. This powerful message reflects a global reality: more than 2.1 billion volunteers worldwide give their time, skills and energy to foster solidarity, strengthen humanity and drive positive change. Their contributions are indispensable to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, responding effectively to humanitarian crises and building resilient, inclusive communities.

IVY 2026 is both a celebration and a call to action. It invites governments, United Nations entities, civil society organisations, academia and the private sector to deepen their understanding of volunteering, strengthen knowledge-sharing and better integrate volunteering into national and international development strategies. By doing so, volunteering can be fully recognised as a strategic force for sustainable development rather than a complementary activity.

Women play a particularly important role in volunteering worldwide. They represent a large share of volunteers and are often at the forefront of community initiatives, social services and humanitarian responses. At the same time, volunteering has been a powerful driver of progress for women’s rights and gender equality. Many volunteers devote their efforts to supporting women’s empowerment, combating gender-based violence, promoting equal opportunities and strengthening the voices of women in civic and public life.

For the European Economic and Social Committee, and particularly for the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, volunteering is not a new topic. We played an active role during the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and its follow-up initiatives. We have supported the proper measurement of volunteering in line with the International Labour Organization methodology, contributed significantly to shaping the European Solidarity Corps programme, initiated several EESC opinions, commissioned a study on emerging trends in volunteering and organised multiple conferences on the topic. Throughout these efforts, we have consistently advocated stronger enabling environments for volunteers and their organisations.

IVY 2026 offers a new opportunity to build on this legacy. Our objectives are clear: to highlight the transformative power of volunteering, encourage sustained investment, create supportive policy frameworks and secure firm commitments from all stakeholders to strengthen volunteering ecosystems that enable community action to thrive.

Will you join us in making IVY 2026 a meaningful and lasting success?

By Christa Schweng, EESC Employers’ Group member, former EESC president

At a time of demographic decline, skills shortages and rapid economic transformation, Europe cannot afford to underuse its human capital. Women’s full participation in the economy and in the labour market contributes significantly to productivity, innovation and long‑term growth. This is why promoting gender equality is not a social add‑on, but a core economic concern.

Europe has made progress on gender equality, but the picture remains uneven. Economic participation still lags behind educational parity, and women remain under‑represented as entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders. Women account for only a minority of self‑employed people and an even smaller share of company founders and top decision‑makers. 

This represents a missed economic opportunity as many obstacles remain, one of which is access to finance: too many viable women‑led projects still struggle to obtain credit or investment, despite their economic potential. We need practical solutions to improve women’s access to financing, foster entrepreneurship and strengthen women’s role across the business ecosystem – as founders, managers and investors. Another obstacle is care for children or older family members, which is still mainly seen as a woman’s duty. Sharing care work more equally between women and men and providing public care-facilities will support women’s economic participation. 

Education, skills and career choices also matter. Gender gaps often emerge early, driven by stereotypes and lower numbers of women in technical and future‑oriented sectors. Encouraging girls and women to pursue diverse educational and professional paths, and supporting lifelong learning and access to training, is essential both to close these gaps and to meet labour market needs. At the same time, gender equality policies must be compatible with business reality. Measures should be effective, proportionate and workable for companies of all sizes, especially SMEs. 

By combining economic ambition with practical solutions, we will continue to support women’s empowerment as a strategic investment in Europe’s competitiveness, prosperity and resilience.

By Barbara Helfferich

Online harassment increasingly determines who participates in public life. Ensuring women can engage safely in democratic debate is not merely a question of equality – it is fundamental to democratic resilience.

A few weeks into her campaign for local office, a young European candidate posted a video outlining her priorities: better childcare, safer public transportation and support for local businesses. Within hours, the comments section was filled with insults about her appearance and questions about whether women should be in politics at all. The attacks quickly turned into threats. Not one comment addressed her policies.

This scenario has become alarmingly common. Across Europe, women entering the public arena – as candidates, journalists, activists, or officials – face online attacks that differ markedly in both tone and intensity from criticism directed at men. While social media has democratised political engagement, it has also weaponised misogyny, enabling coordinated harassment campaigns that specifically target women in public life.

The impact extends well beyond individual harm. With women already underrepresented in European political decision-making, prospective candidates witnessing such hostility often decide that the personal costs outweigh the benefits. Research confirms that digital harassment acts as a structural barrier, systematically discouraging women from entering or staying in politics.

Election campaigns particularly expose this dynamic. Attacks on women candidates routinely bypass policy discussions to focus on appearance, private lives, or family roles – reinforcing outdated stereotypes that frame politics as inherently male territory. The goal extends beyond political opposition: it seeks to delegitimize women’s very presence in public life.

Social media’s algorithmic design worsens the problem. Content that provokes outrage spreads faster and wider, giving abusive messages more visibility and normalising hostility toward women in politics. This creates a vicious cycle where harassment becomes not only common but also socially accepted.

For democratic societies, this represents a fundamental threat. When half the population faces disproportionate risks for participating in public debate, democratic representation suffers. Combating online violence against women thus becomes essential to protecting democracy itself.

The European Economic and Social Committee occupies a unique position to address this challenge. As the bridge between citizens and EU decision-makers, bringing together employers, workers and civil society organisations, the Committee can help ensure that digital governance, media regulation and gender equality are treated as interconnected elements of Europe’s democratic infrastructure.

Concrete solutions are emerging. Europe must strengthen platform accountability and ensure regulatory frameworks explicitly address gender-based online violence. Political parties and institutions need to provide comprehensive support for women candidates – including digital security training and rapid-response mechanisms for coordinated attacks. Media organisations and public institutions must actively highlight women’s leadership and policy contributions, shifting focus from personal attacks to substantive debate.

Europe has made significant progress in gender equality, but political representation is still uneven. Ensuring women can participate in public discourse without facing systematic intimidation goes beyond fairness – it is vital for creating resilient, inclusive democracies that accurately reflect all citizens.

The choice is clear: either we accept online harassment as the price of women’s political participation, or we recognise it as an attack on democracy itself and act accordingly.

Barbara Helfferich is a political scientist and gender equality expert focusing on democratic participation, inclusive governance and combating anti-gender movements across Europe. As co-founder and vice president of Gender Five Plus, a feminist think tank based in Brussels, she works to promote gender equality in European policymaking. In 2024, she received the International European Leadership Award for her work in advancing women’s rights and democratic values.

To mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) placed a strong focus on the war’s lasting and complex impact on children and young people. The EESC calls for coordinated European action, with strong involvement from civil society and international partners, to help young Ukrainians recover and look to the future with hope.

The debate on The lasting scars of Russia’s war against Ukraine – its devastating toll on children and youth aimed to raise awareness of the impact of the prolonged war on children and young people, and to trigger civil dialogue and actionable responses. 

Reaffirming the Committee’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, Séamus Boland, EESC President, urged all players to work together to ensure that this generation can heal, rebuild and look towards a secure and hopeful future.

Figures speak louder than words. As the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (speaking remotely) underlined, 684 children have been killed and more than 2 000 wounded over the last four years. According to UNICEF, 73% of children feel unsafe, and 54% report feelings of sadness. Around 43% of children experience severe psychological distress, including anxiety, fear and difficulties with concentration. 

The Olena Zelenska Foundation puts children and young people at the heart of its work. The Foundation, in collaboration with UNICEF and other organisations, is developing a system for psychological support and rehabilitation. ‘Ukraine is now a hub of innovative social and humanitarian projects and ideas. And every initiative can and should be supported’ said Ms Zelenska.

During the debate, the participants heard the testimony of Yaryna Bohun, a Ukrainian student and of Olha Fozekosh, a Ukrainian teacher in Belgium, who shared the impact of the war on children who fled Ukraine: ‘Although these children may appear calm, the scars are evident. Every day I witness what war does to their hearts’, said Ms Fozekosh. 

The situation is even more severe for the almost 20 000 children who have been abducted by Russia. On this subject, Baiba Tavaresa, Head of the European External Action Service’s Ukraine Division, underscored that the return of Ukrainian children remained a top priority for the EU. Ms Tavaresa announced that the EU, together with Ukraine and Canada, is to host an International Summit on the Return of Ukrainian Children in the spring. 

The speakers from International and Ukrainian organisations stressed during the plenary debate that raising awareness would not be enough. They drew attention to the fate of 1.6 million Ukrainian children living in territories occupied by Russia, who have been subjected to forced ‘Russification’ indoctrination and militarisation. 

The debate concluded with a strong call for European civil society organisations to contribute funding and initiatives to help Ukrainian civil society in its effort to support its children and young people. (at)

The 2026 European Semester is a turning point. If the EU wants to be able to respond to new global challenges, it needs to completely redefine its economic strategy and overturn its chronic lack of investment, which undermines productivity, innovation and its strategic sovereignty.

With its opinion 2026 European Semester – Autumn Package, drawn up by Luca Jahier and adopted at the February plenary session, the EESC takes a firm stand and is ready to fully support a European Semester which is worthy of common ambitions.

‘Europe cannot compete, innovate or protect its citizens without more investment’, said Mr Jahier, rapporteur for the EESC opinion. ‘Environmental, technological and demographic challenges are all interconnected and require a comprehensive and robust response’.

In the EESC’s view, the EU must offer a united response to the multiple challenges that it is currently facing, such as geopolitical instability, the climate crisis, the technological and digital gap and the demographic challenge.

More specifically, the Union must be ambitious and focus on competitiveness, resilience and social and territorial cohesion, all feeding into each other and working towards European sovereign sustainability.

To this end, in order to improve the 2026 European Semester Autumn Package, the Committee puts forward a set of 18 solid recommendations which can be summed up in five key political priorities: large-scale investments, integrated capital markets, strengthened economic and social governance, human capital as strategic infrastructure, and European cooperation on defence. (mp)