In the opinion, the ECO section

  • agrees with the need to align cohesion policy with pressing EU priorities such as competitiveness, defence, energy transition and water resilience. It welcomes the introduction of financial incentives and more flexible funding conditions to support these goals.
  • stresses that the overarching goal of cohesion policy—to reduce regional disparities—must remain central. It warns against disproportionately benefiting Member States with lower absorption rates and calls for equal access to incentives like 100% EU financing and extended eligibility.
  • sees the review as a preview of the next MFF and calls for greater use of financial instruments, long-term revenue reform, and a stronger territorial dimension to ensure strategic investments also contribute to regional convergence and EU unity.

… 

In the opinion, ECO recommends

  • Creating a permanent EU economic resilience monitoring system to anticipate and mitigate future shocks.
  • Establishing a permanent EU-level fiscal stabilisation tool, building on the experience of NextGenerationEU.
  • Launching a €700 billion annual investment strategy (1% of EU GDP) focused on infrastructure, energy security, and digitalisation.
  • Identifying and addressing the 20 most critical supply chain dependencies.

… 

In the opinion, the EESC

  • Calls for structured consultation process to be established at European level and meaningful involvement of civil society and social partners in economic policymaking, aiming to boost legitimacy, trust, and ownership across the EU.
  • Insists that Member States must implement Country-Specific Recommendations more effectively and speed up the implementation of Recovery and Resilience Plans, with better planning, coordination, transparency, and administrative capacity.
  • Urges coordinated public and private investment, Strategic Investment Fund to boost the EU's financing capacity and stresses the need to rapidly increase a massive mobilization of private savings through the completion of the Capital Markets Union and to increase the EIB’s financial capacity.

… 

In the information report, organised civil society

  • Calls for more transparent and structured consultation processes, including formalised procedures, early and meaningful involvement, adequate resources and training, and mechanisms to ensure that feedback results in tangible outcomes.
  • Shares key lessons from the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), stressing the importance of reducing administrative burdens, streamlining procedures, strengthening the role and the involvement of civil society and social partners, and enhancing coordination, planning, and monitoring.
  • Stresses the urgent need to address delays in Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) implementation through better planning, resource allocation, and simplified administrative processes. Recommendations include cutting unnecessary paperwork, embracing digital tools, and investing in training to boost project management capacity.

...

Ensuring health security for future generations within the EU

In this issue:

  • Members on ways to ensure (mental) health security
  • Guest articles by Lejla Šehić Relić (Centre for European Volunteering), Ian Mostert (Dutch Institute for Nature Education) and Christelle Savall (Young European Federalists)
  • Interview with rapporteur Miguel Ángel Cabra de Luna on how to address loneliness (EESC opinion SOC/813)
  • Information on conference 'The role of civil society organisations in ensuring the health security of children and young people within the EU', jointly organised with the Minister for Civil Society of the Republic of Poland on 15 May in Warsaw
  • Comments on the future of cohesion policy, EU-UK relations, Clean Industrial Deal and Omnibus packages, and the results of COP16
  • Civil Society Organisations' Bulletin - April 2025
Presentation by
Justyna Kalina Ochędzan
Organisation
EESC Member
  • Recommendations on the reform and investment proposals of the 2024-2025 European Semester cycle - Round table in Poland, 13.12.2024

Fragmentation of supply chains and impact on the cost of living

Download — EESC-2025-00037-00-00-PA-TRA — (REX/0596)

Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and Directive 2014/47/EU on the technical roadside inspection of the…

Download — COM180-2025_PART2_EXT — (TEN/0853)

Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and Directive 2014/47/EU on the technical roadside inspection of the…

Download — COM180-2025_PART1_EXT — (TEN/0853)

Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the registration documents for vehicles and vehicle registration data recorded in national vehicle registers and repealing Council Directive 1999/37/EC

Download — COM179-2025_PART5_EXT — (TEN/0853)