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 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, JoanRoget 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)
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The EESC says that the European Union needs a sustainable, secure and affordable energy supply and that it must be seen as a public good for EU prosperity, economic and social development and competitiveness.
The EESC says that the European Union needs a sustainable, secure and affordable energy supply and that it must be seen as a public good for EU prosperity, economic and social development and competitiveness.
In the opinion adopted at the March plenary session and drafted by Thomas Kattnig, the EESC stresses the economic importance of the energy system, as mentioned in the Draghi report. Energy prices play a pivotal role in overall inflation; therefore, it is essential to lower network costs to avoid further increases in grid tariffs.
‘Europe needs strong, smart and secure electricity grids,’ said Mr Kattnig during the plenary session. ‘They must be organised as a public good that guarantees security of supply, sustainability and affordability.’
In the opinion, the EESC underlines that grid development should be well coordinated with the current requirements arising from renewable energy integration as well as with the targeted energy mix and the structure of electricity generation.
The EESC also adds that it is essential to prioritise the efficient use of existing grids, placing optimisation before expansion, supported by flexibility solutions.
More specifically, the EESC supports expanding decentralised energy generation, which can lower the pressure on the grid – and so reduce the need for grid expansion – and increase public acceptance of the energy transition.
At the same time, the EU needs better coordination on electricity grids. This is why the EESC calls for stronger EU coordination in grid governance while maintaining Member States’ responsibility for planning and oversight as the costs of grid expansion, congestion management and stability are primarily borne by the Member States.
The Committee also underlines the importance of accelerating the digitalisation of electricity networks and ensuring that network development plans align with national energy and climate plans (NECPs). (mp)
The EESC urges the European Commission to maintain a clear and credible long-term signal in favour of zero-emission vehicles. At the same time, when used primarily in an electric mode, low-emissions vehicles can act as a short and mid-term enabler of alternative fuel infrastructure and support industrial adaptation.
The EESC urges the European Commission to maintain a clear and credible long-term signal in favour of zero-emission vehicles. At the same time, when used primarily in an electric mode, low-emissions vehicles can act as a short and mid-term enabler of alternative fuel infrastructure and support industrial adaptation.
In the opinion adopted at the March plenary session and drawn up by Corina Murafa Benga, the Committee assesses the European Commission’s proposal on Clean Corporate Vehicles.
In the EESC’s view, the proposed Regulation should prioritise zero-emission vehicles but also recognise the transitional role which low-emission vehicles can play by supporting industrial adaptation in the short and medium term, preserving quality jobs and maintaining the European automotive sector’s competitiveness.
This approach provides companies and workers with the time needed to invest, innovate and reskill, facilitating an orderly transition towards full electrification while safeguarding Europe’s industrial and social fabric.
The EESC takes note of the proposed EU-wide, demand-side approach to clean corporate vehicles. However, it underlines that national targets should not be lower than what the market is already delivering, must not turn into company-based targets when the Regulation is introduced, and must be accompanied by an effective roll-out of supporting charging infrastructure and adequate capacity of the electricity grids, to safeguard business competitiveness.
The Committee also calls on Member States to consider tax incentives for decarbonising corporate fleets, including by removing direct and indirect advantages for fossil-fuel company cars.
National tax frameworks for corporate vehicles remain one of the most powerful demand-side levers. Aligning company car taxation, benefit-in-kind rules and depreciation schemes with the Regulation’s objectives can speed up purchasing decisions, influence vehicle use patterns and support timely fleet renewal. (mp)
