The EESC is calling for stronger trade unions to help Europe close its productivity gap, especially with the United States. In a recently adopted opinion, it argues that productivity is not only about investment in technology and capital, but also about empowering workers, strengthening social dialogue and encouraging workplace innovation.

The EESC emphasises that productivity and wage growth can go hand in hand. Collective bargaining, consultation and worker participation can boost business performance, with trade unions well placed to improve practices and support training.

'By involving workers in shaping decisions, we are not just protecting rights, we are unlocking potential,' said rapporteur Philip von Brockdorff. 'Stronger trade unions can help businesses innovate, reduce absenteeism and retain skilled employees.'

The opinion highlights the positive role of workplace bodies such as works councils, which increase job satisfaction, raise wages and reduce staff turnover. It also calls for closer cooperation between employers, unions and governments a) to develop continuous training and upskilling programmes, particularly in sectors undergoing rapid transformation, and b) to set productivity benchmarks that reflect quality, sustainability and innovation rather than short-term cost savings.

The EESC underlines the fact that unions can contribute directly to fairer wage structures, stable employment and solutions to labour market challenges such as skills mismatches and limited mobility. Recognising their role in supporting workforce adaptation to technological change and digitalisation is vital.

The Committee concludes with a clear message: in today’s competitive global economy, workers are not a cost to be reduced, but rather a resource to be valued. Trade unions – through dialogue, participation and partnership – are essential for delivering fair wages, good jobs and sustainable growth. (tk)

Romanian non-profit organisation Ateliere Fără Frontiere (AFF) champions both social justice and the circular economy. It gives a chance to marginalised people, such as refugees, Roma or the homeless, to get into the world of work and it does so in an environmentally responsible way.  Its longest standing project ‘educlick’ has been employing vulnerable people since 2008, by having them refurbish used computers and other electronic devices, which are then donated to underfunded schools. In 2021, educlick won them the EESC Civil Society Prize.

In the past four years, AFF has not stood still – educlick went on to expand and the organisation has launched three more integration workshops. AFF’s managing director, Cristina Bîcîilă, told us more about her outstanding organisation.

Your project, educlick, earned you the EESC’s Civil Society Prize on climate action in 2021. Could you tell us more about the project and how it has evolved since?

educlick is the first workshop Ateliere Fara Frontiere set up back in 2008 to integrate vulnerable people into society by providing them with the professional and emotional support they need to access the labour market. Here they are part of a circular economy model that collects waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which is then sorted and directed towards either recycling or refurbishment. The reused devices are then donated to educational institutions in disadvantaged areas. 

Winning such a prestigious award has played a big role in our growth, as the EESC’s Civil Society Prize stood as a sign of recognition and value for our partners in the private and public sectors.

Since receiving the award in 2021, we have welcomed 56 new colleagues into our work-integration programme, with 26 of them already securing employment in the open labour market or enrolling in educational pathways aligned with their goals. In terms of environmental impact, we estimate that we prevented 720 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions in 2024 alone, thanks to the 4000 refurbished computers we donated to underfunded schools.

As for challenges, the war in Ukraine forced us to adapt quickly. We welcomed vulnerable Ukrainian men and women into our workshops, many of whom faced language barriers. To support them, we brought in Russian and Ukrainian-speaking counsellors to provide tailored assistance.

In your workshops, you employ marginalised people. How many have been given a chance to work with you so far? How do you find them? Do you follow up with them after the project ends? Do you have information on whether working with you has helped them to better integrate into the labour market and society?

So far, more than 300 marginalised people have found support at educlick, most of whom were referred to us by partners offering social services in both the public and private sectors.

At educlick, our colleagues join a multi-step social integration programme: starting with a needs assessment interview, we design a personalised pathway that includes accommodation, stabilisation, professional development and, ultimately, employment in the open market.

After this two-year process, we continue to monitor their progress for at least six months to support their integration. Our goal is to help them become independent and confident in their abilities, ready to enter the job market or pursue education aligned with their long-term goals.

Apart from educlick, what are your other projects through which you employ people from marginalised communities, including refugees? Could you describe one you are especially proud of?

educlick is only one of our four work integration workshops, all of which are designed to offer the best available support for the employment of our vulnerable colleagues:

• ‘remesh’ collects meshes from advertising campaigns and repurposes them into clothing and home products. It is an upcycling model in a workshop that best suits women who are single mothers or victims of domestic violence searching for stability.
• ‘bio&co’ is a farm outside Bucharest where we grow organic vegetables and deliver them weekly to our urban customers to create healthy alternatives to the fast-paced life of the city (‘farm-to-fork’ model). Here our colleagues are mostly people from the local rural community where access to the job market is limited.
• ‘logitetic’ is our latest workshop where we respond to the increasing need companies have for logistics and packing. Here we hire people with disabilities, as the overall workplace is best suited to their needs,

Beyond our daily work in the four workshops, we are particularly proud of the projects we designed specifically for Ukrainian refugees. This was a new experience for us, and being able to act and adapt so quickly is something we're proud of, even though the very context of war goes against everything we stand for. Still, the stories and heroes we’ve met along the way have left a lasting mark on us and revealed the deeper role we can play in our community.

You are a grassroots organisation working to help vulnerable communities integrate into the labour market in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. Given the current political climate – especially the rise of right-wing parties and declining concern for the environment – do you observe less solidarity and growing prejudice towards these communities? Has there been any impact on your work? As an organisation working on the ground, what do you think would be a successful recipe for lasting inclusion?

To put it mildly, it’s a tough time for empathy. Unfortunately, we have also observed that the most vulnerable tend to be blamed for most of contemporary society’s problems.

However, our very foundation was based on acting in times of need: to be a model of coexistence between people who come from different backgrounds, despite all the animosity communities might have towards each other.

Therefore, we continue to do what we have always done: we see ourselves simply as a launchpad helping our colleagues in difficult situations regain their self-confidence and combat the stigmatisation they face by challenging themselves and taking responsibility for their future, choosing not the easiest path, but the most fulfilling one.

Cristina Bîcîilă is managing director at Ateliere Fără Frontiere, a Romanian non-profit and social enterprise dedicated to the socio-professional integration of vulnerable people through four social businesses that combine inclusion with circular economy solutions. She is also vice-president of the European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE).

At its July plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) backed new EU proposals to strengthen Europe’s defence readiness, while stressing the importance of preserving democratic values and building a long-term strategy for peace.

In a recently adopted opinion, the EESC expresses strong support for the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) Instrument, designed to finance joint defence procurement and reinforce the European defence industry. It urges Member States to make full use of SAFE, underlining its potential to boost investment in European-made technologies, improve security of supply and enhance strategic autonomy.

‘EU initiatives on defence industry must urgently strengthen the capacity of the EU and its Member States to safeguard peace and security,’ said EESC rapporteur Maurizio Mensi.

The SAFE instrument responds to growing geopolitical instability and the urgent need to scale up Europe’s defence capabilities in a coordinated and cost-effective way. The EESC stresses that funding should address the most urgent capability gaps while also strengthening the EU’s industrial base. High-value, complex systems should be sourced from within Europe to ensure control over product design and long-term adaptability.

The Committee also supports limited third-country participation in joint procurement, restricted to partners with formal defence agreements with the EU. Currently Ukraine, Norway and the UK are explicitly welcome, while wider participation is seen as a risk to Europe’s technological independence.

In a second opinion on the Joint White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2023, the EESC calls for broader action beyond SAFE. It highlights the need for a comprehensive EU defence strategy, warning that limited flexibility in national spending rules could create trade-offs between defence investments and essential social policies. Security, it argues, must go hand in hand with democratic resilience.

The Committee therefore urges the EU to accelerate work on a common defence policy with stronger legislation, more funding and closer cooperation with global partners. It also calls for greater involvement of research institutions and more support for SMEs working in the defence sector. Defence readiness must be part of a wider strategic agenda that includes civil infrastructure, digital resilience and social cohesion.

Together, these opinions present a vision of EU defence policy that is pragmatic and forward-looking, focusing on readiness and anchored in peace, democracy and collective responsibility.

Marcin Nowacki, rapporteur for the opinion, concluded: ‘With rising threats and war on Europe’s doorstep, the EU must act now. Defence is more than weapons – it is innovation, industry and resilience. We must build our own defence technology – supporting industry and research, and cutting red tape.’ (gb)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) recently adopted an opinion welcoming the European Commission’s Industrial Action Plan, designed to help Europe’s automotive industry navigate a period of profound change. The shift to cleaner and more digital vehicles must be managed in a way that protects jobs, supports businesses and ensures no worker or region is left behind.

The automotive sector employs 3.5 million people directly and another 4.5 million in related services, with a trade surplus of nearly EUR 90 billion in 2024. However, it faces rapid technological change, evolving consumer expectations and rising global competition.

‘The automotive sector is moving from hardware to software, from mechanics to electronics, and from conventional to electric powertrains. The automotive industry should seize the opportunities of the green and digital transformation of the automotive ecosystem and turn it into a competitive advantage,’ said co-rapporteur Guido Nelissen.

While the EESC supports the EU’s climate goals, it warns that the transition to zero-emission vehicles requires strong social and economic measures. It calls for a European strategy centred on skills development, innovation, infrastructure and the circular economy, with special focus on SMEs, which form the backbone of the supply chain. Large-scale reskilling, backed by EU funds such as the Social Climate Fund, will be vital to avoid disruption. The Committee proposes an EU skills passport and stronger cooperation between industry and education.

Innovation is a key strength of the automotive sector, with 15% of its value added invested in R&D, but Europe still lags behind in software and digital technologies. The EESC therefore calls for more investment in batteries, autonomous and connected vehicles, and common software standards.

It also emphasises the need for better coordination of electrification policies, including faster deployment of charging infrastructure, integration of smart grids and support for the repair and maintenance sector.

The Committee highlights trade pressures, with imports from China challenging EU competitiveness. It calls for stronger trade defence, reshoring of key parts, and sustainable new trade deals. (gb)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has underlined its role as a frontrunner in youth participation, with EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef praising the body’s pioneering Youth Test during a debate in Brussels.

Speaking at the EESC’s July plenary session, Mr Micallef – Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport – said the Committee was showing how young people could be treated not just as consultees but as equal partners in shaping EU policy.

‘The challenges of housing, mental health, quality education and youth employment are not future concerns: they are today’s priorities. Trust from young people is not automatic; it must be earned with real power and responsibility’, he said.

The Youth Test, launched in September 2024, examines whether new EESC opinions adequately reflect young people’s needs. To date, 40 opinions have undergone the process, with 27 adopted, and more than 70 youth organisations from across the EU and candidate countries are now involved. The initiative has inspired the European Commission’s own forthcoming Youth Check in 2025, and has already been recognised by both the Commission and Parliament.

Commissioner Micallef pointed to new measures, including a proposed 50% increase in the Erasmus+ budget, as evidence of the Commission’s determination to move from consultation to concrete policies.

Oliver Röpke, president of the EESC, said the EESC’s Youth Group had been vital in driving change: ‘We must ensure that young and older people alike can fully participate in society and the economy. The future of Europe is not something we wait for – it’s something we build together’.

Set up in 2023, the Youth Group – made up of 12 EESC members – oversees the Youth Test and coordinates youth involvement across EU policy-making. Its president, Katrīna Leitāne, said the project had been demanding but was already ‘resonating across Europe’.

Youth leaders also pressed for deeper reforms. Rareș Voicu, head of the European Youth Forum, urged the EU to make the Youth Check a formal part of its Better Regulation toolbox, while Ozer Sahoglu, from the EESC president’s Youth Advisory Council, warned of worsening poverty, unaffordable housing and underfunded education and said that ‘young people must be prioritised, not just heard’.

The EESC has a long track record of youth initiatives, including its Youth Delegate to COP scheme and the Your Europe, Your Say! programme. Its COP delegate scheme, launched in 2021, remains unique at EU level and drew almost 500 applications this year. (ks) 

The EESC is the first EU body to offer concrete recommendations on using digital tools to improve law-making – an area still plagued by complexity and opacity

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has issued a set of recommendations to EU institutions on the responsible use of digital tools in law-making.

In an opinion adopted at its July plenary, the EESC called for the benefits of technologies such as AI and automation to be harnessed to improve transparency and efficiency, while putting strong safeguards in place to prevent discrimination, bias and inaccuracies in the legislative process.

This could significantly enhance legal consistency, reduce single market barriers and administrative burdens and, most importantly, improve compliance and increase trust in public institutions.

‘In the era of cloud computing and AI, it is paradoxical that Europe’s legislative machinery still operates with a mindset reminiscent of Napoleonic times’, said the rapporteur for the opinion, Alena Mastantuono.

Over the decades, laws have accumulated, creating unintended bureaucratic burdens and rendering the system increasingly opaque.

Figures show that the EU generates 18 000 pages of new binding legislation every year. It would take the average citizen about 720 hours a year to read all these legal texts – that’s equivalent to two hours per day. In 2022 alone, recurring administrative costs across the EU were estimated at €150 billion.

Ms Mastantuono highlighted that the EESC was the first EU institution to set out how digital tools should be used in making laws: ‘The EESC offers solutions and puts forward recommendations on how the EU’s law-making process should evolve – leveraging digital tools and mapping legal obligations more effectively.’

‘A general review of EU law should be citizen-focused and data-driven. We must ensure that laws remain fit for purpose – for citizens, SMEs and the environment,’ said the co-rapporteur Tymoteusz Zych.

The EESC recommended that all new legal acts – be it at EU, national, regional or local level – come with an easy-to-understand and concise summary of what they require. These summaries, written by regulators to ensure accuracy and clarity, would also be formatted to work with digital tools. This would allow artificial intelligence to step in – spotting overlaps, inconsistencies and gaps by connecting related rules and showing how different legal norms interact. The same should be done for existing legislation to make it more accessible to the public.

Another recommendation is to set up a unified, interoperable EU digital platform for law-making, which would centralise texts and metadata, enable real-time consistency checks and encourage the use of harmonised language. (ll)

The Homeless World Cup Foundation has been changing lives through football since 2003. Its mission? Using football to support and inspire homeless people to transform their own lives; and to change the attitudes towards people experiencing homelessness. A charity registered in Scotland, it operates a global network of some 70 grassroots organisations whose year-round work culminates in the Homeless World Cup, the landmark women’s and men’s international street football tournament. The movement, which has so far helped over one million people globally, has served as inspiration for the Netflix film The Beautiful Game.

EESC Info spoke with the co-founder and president of the Homeless World Cup, Mel Young, about this extraordinary movement.

How does the Homeless World Cup use football as a tool for social inclusion, and what kinds of changes have you seen at grassroots level?

The Homeless World Cup uses football as a powerful and universal tool to engage people who are experiencing homelessness or social exclusion. By participating in structured training sessions and eventually in the Homeless World Cup, a global international tournament, players rebuild confidence, develop discipline, reconnect with others and often begin to see a path forward.

At the grassroots level, we’ve witnessed remarkable changes: individuals recovering from addiction, finding stable housing, pursuing education and securing employment. Many players also return as volunteers, coaches or mentors, helping others on their journey. Football provides a sense of belonging and routine, which is often lacking in the lives of those affected by homelessness.

One of your goals is to challenge public attitudes towards homelessness. Have you seen a shift in perception as a result of your work?

Yes, absolutely. By showcasing the talents, resilience and humanity of people experiencing homelessness, the Homeless World Cup challenges the often-negative stereotypes associated with this issue. When spectators, media and communities see players representing their nations, united through football, it humanises the issue in a unique and powerful way.

We’ve seen shifts in how local communities, media outlets and policymakers discuss homelessness – moving away from blame and stigma and towards empathy, support and action. The tournament acts as a platform not only for players but also for social change.

Cities Ending Homelessness is an initiative we introduced in 2023 with an ambitious aim – to bring together policymakers, social innovators, those with lived experience and academics from across sectors to discuss how to end homelessness. In Oslo, we held a forum over the 7 days of the tournament.

What kind of support structures are in place for players once the tournament ends? How do you help them stay connected and involved throughout the year?

The tournament is only one part of the broader Homeless World Cup movement. Each member country (team and players) which is part of the Homeless World Cup network works year-round to support players through housing assistance, education, employment pathways, mental health support and addiction recovery programmes.

After the tournament, players often remain connected through local leagues or volunteering opportunities, or by taking on ambassadorial roles. Some return as staff, coaches or part of future delegations at tournaments. The network ensures that participation in the tournament is not the end but a launchpad for longer-term transformation.

Your network relies on a strong civil society backbone. Could you share how local organisations help make participation in the tournament possible?

Local partner organisations in our 70 member countries across the world are at the heart of the Homeless World Cup. They deliver grassroots programmes in their communities, identify and support players, provide coaching and life-skills training, and manage all the preparation involved in sending a team to the Homeless World Cup tournament.

These organisations understand the unique challenges in their local context and ensure that support is sustainable. They are also crucial in maintaining long-term relationships with players and providing continuity well beyond the tournament. Without our member countries and the work they do, the Homeless World Cup simply wouldn’t be possible.

Based on your experience, is there anything you believe the EU institutions or the Member States could do to better support inclusive sport initiatives?

Firstly, there needs to be a policy shift in terms of the role of sports as a force for change. Initially, when we started the Homeless World Cup, no one could understand why we were using football as a mechanism for changing the lives of the most marginalised people. Yet we have proved year on year that it has a widespread and qualitative impact. There is plenty of evidence from other NGOs working in the ‘sports for development’ sector showing how successful this work can be.

Evidence needs to be collected that demonstrates the impact across the sector. Policy then needs to shift so that governments include ‘sport and development’ initiatives within their plans to tackle poverty and marginalisation.

Secondly, sport needs to be integrated across other departments more widely. Too often, the department become isolated and underfunded because it is seen solely as being about high performance; yet sport has much to offer. For example, it should be part of health departments because, once again, there is plenty of evidence to show that sport encourages people to keep active, which is much better for health and in turn reduces the pressure on overall budgets. Sport should be integral to every aspect of government policy.

Mel Young is a serial social entrepreneur who founded the Homeless World Cup in 2003, along with Harald Schmied. Chair of the Homeless Word Cup, he co-authored the 2017 book Home Game, which tells the story of the movement and went on to inspire the Netflix film The Beautiful Game. Passionate about the power of sport to change lives, he has set up various social initiatives over the years. 

At its July 2025 plenary, the EESC adopted a landmark opinion urging the European Commission to develop a robust, rights-based EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. Poverty is framed not as an economic by-product but as a systemic injustice and a violation of fundamental rights.

The strategy calls for a multidimensional approach – addressing not only material deprivation but also social, psychological and gender-based inequalities. It proposes ambitious targets, including halving poverty by 2030 and improving measurement tools like AROPE and EU-SILC.

‘21% of people living in the richest part of the world are experiencing poverty: this is extremely unjust and a serious blow to human dignity. The aim of the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy should therefore be the eradication of poverty – here and now!’, said rapporteur Krzysztof Balon.

‘National governments need to finally take responsibility and step up measures to tackle poverty. Work should provide a solid foundation, which is why we call for active labour market policies, quality jobs and living wages. At the same time, access to services of general interest – such as water, electricity, housing and healthcare – should be guaranteed,’ co-rapporteur Sophia Reisecker stated.

The EESC supports full implementation of the Council Recommendation on Adequate Minimum Income and urges action on non-take-up of benefits due to administrative and digital barriers.

The opinion highlights growing in-work poverty and calls for fair wages, secure contracts and inclusive labour market policies. It also advocates lifelong learning and equal opportunities amid green and digital transitions.

Universal access to services is key, with support for the European Child Guarantee and an EU homelessness strategy. The EESC warns against digital exclusion and energy poverty, calling for inclusive national plans.

Intersectional vulnerabilities – linked to gender, migration, disability and age – require better data and anti-discrimination safeguards. The Committee opposes criminalising poverty and calls for equal access to justice.

To ensure impact, the EESC proposes appointing an EU Anti-Poverty Coordinator, aligning funding with progressive taxation and involving affected communities in policy-making.

With over 93 million EU citizens at risk, the EESC calls for bold, coordinated action to build a fairer, more inclusive Europe. (lm)

On 29 July, a roundtable in Bratislava brought together youth leaders, policy-makers and civil society to explore integrating the EU Youth Test into Slovakia’s national decision-making. Developed by the EESC in 2024, the Youth Test assesses how legislation affects young people and promotes their structured involvement in policy design. The Youth Test was the focus of a high-level debate during the last EESC plenary in July.

The event in Bratislava, co-organised by the EESC and the European Parliament’s Liaison Office in Slovakia, marked a key step in adapting the EU-level initiative locally. Over 30 participants discussed barriers and opportunities for deploying the Youth Test in Slovak ministries and agencies.

‘We must ensure that young people are not just a target group but active participants in the design of future-facing policies,’ explained EESC member and co-host of the Bratislava roundtable, Miroslav Hajnoš.

‘Young people are experts on their reality, and our policies should reflect their lived experience – not only their future, but their present,’ said Lucia Yar, Member of the European Parliament.

Ján Hrinko, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, stressed that youth participation enhances policy legitimacy. Civil society leader Juraj Lizák praised the Youth Test for deepening cooperation between grassroots organisations and institutions.

The Youth Test is built on three pillars: meaningful consultation, impact assessment and mitigation of negative effects. It has already influenced EU bodies, prompting initiatives like the European Commission’s Youth Check. Since its launch, 40 EESC opinions have undergone the Youth Test, with 27 adopted, supported by a network of over 70 youth organisations.

The Bratislava roundtable demonstrated strong engagement, even during summer, reinforcing the relevance of youth participation. Plans are underway for further joint activities to strengthen democratic involvement. (lm)

In July 2025, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted a pivotal opinion urging the European Commission to develop a comprehensive EU strategy to support, protect and empower civil society. This comes amid growing threats to democratic values and shrinking civic space in several Member States.

The EESC’s strategy proposes three pillars:

1. A safe and enabling environment – legal protections and safeguards to prevent erosion of civic space
2. Sustainable and independent funding – multiannual, flexible financial support and removal of legal and administrative hurdles
3. Strengthened civic participation – a new interinstitutional agreement and a civil society platform hosted by the EESC to foster dialogue on democracy, rights and the rule of law.

‘Civil society is a cornerstone of democracy. We must ensure it has the space, resources and recognition it needs to thrive,’ said rapporteurs Pietro Barbieri, Peter Schmidt and Christa Schweng.

The proposed platform would host annual conferences, monitor progress via a scoreboard and biennial reports and be piloted jointly by the European Commission, the EESC and its Liaison Group.

Positioning itself as the EU’s ‘house of participatory democracy’, the EESC calls for regular reviews with the Commission, stronger engagement from the European Parliament and Council, and clear benchmarks to assess the quality of civil dialogue.

The opinion affirms that civil society is central to democratic renewal. By investing in structured dialogue and empowering CSOs, the EU can build a more inclusive and resilient EU. (lm)