believes that in order to close the innovation gap between EU Members States, three major issues need to be addressed: (1) ensuring access to research and innovation funding in all Member States, (2) providing access to adequate research support infrastructure and professionals, and (3) tackling co-financing burdens;
calls on the European Commission to develop, with the involvement of companies, trade unions, CSOs and regions, a Bureaucracy Reduction Action Plan in order to identify overlapping regulations, and to reduce compliance burdens and reporting obligations;
calls on the European Commission to follow up on teaming for excellence actions and on closing the innovation gap between Member States, particularly in Widening Countries (15 Member States at a disadvantage in R&I), including in view of the preparation for the next research framework programme.
regrets that exclusion from the labour market is still a widespread issue, especially affecting women with disabilities and people with the most severe disabilities and believes that solutions such as sheltered employment often end up perpetrating segregation;
urges Member States to promote policies and measures that strengthen access to the open labour market and the Commission to implement the related policy actions under the Disability Employment Package;
calls on the Member States to step up the employment of persons with disabilities, for example through a joint fund for reasonable accommodation. Such fund would be financed by private and public employers who fall short of any set quotas.
asks the Commission and Member States to adopt policies reducing economic and educational inequalities, as these factors hinder cultural participation, particularly in rural areas. It also recommends creating and strengthening programs to eliminate various barriers (physical, economic, linguistic, etc.) to ensure inclusive cultural participation, with a focus on marginalized and discriminated groups;
proposes that the EU and Member States adopt budgetary strategies for supporting cultural policies in sparsely populated rural areas as a key pillar for sustainable development. It recommends integrating public investment and infrastructure development into a broader strategy to revitalize rural regions, attracting private investment and increasing cultural participation;
recommends integrating more cultural and artistic training in school curricula, and encourages specialised cultural professionals to settle in rural areas to drive local development.
points out that there is still a long way to go to reach the final objectives of decarbonisation and transition to a more sustainable economy, objectives that were set out by the Commission in its original Green Deal formulation. Companies need much more certainty, global agreement, guidance, sophisticated accountability methods and, ultimately, support from legislators;
highlights the urgent need for public funds to be strategically allocated to goals that are jointly agreed on by European policy-makers and civil society. This initiative must be closely interlinked with the industrial strategy;
emphasises that Member States need EU-level support and civil society input to assist companies through guidance, benchmarking and shared learning capacities to adopt and carry out the structural reforms flowing from the Green Deal: bolstering employment rates, enhancing access to skills and labour, and promoting flexibility and efficiency in labour markets.
calls on the European Commission to adopt a coordinated, cross-cutting EU approach to intergenerational solidarity, ensuring the rights of both young and older people. Moreover, intergenerational solidarity should be one of the criteria for assessing whether legislation and other EU instruments contribute to the aims set out in Article 3(3) TEU: ‘The Union (...) shall promote (...) solidarity between generations;
welcomes the intention to appoint an EU Commissioner with responsibility for intergenerational fairness. The EESC will consider hosting an Intergenerational Solidarity Forum for the exchange of information and experience, evaluating existing and developing new concepts of and strategies for intergenerational solidarity as well as, in cooperation with the European Commission, to monitor the implementation of the opinion's recommendations. Civil society organisations and social partners’ involvement is key in implementing the recommendations, given their important role in promoting intergenerational solidarity;
calls on the European Commission to publish a Green Paper on Intergenerational Solidarity, which may include, within the context of the Welfare State, challenges, opportunities and solutions in the various fields mentioned in this opinion. Requests establishing intergenerational solidarity as one of the objectives under the European Social Fund in the 2027-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework and its implementing regulations.
believes that mental health literacy for the whole of society is needed, both to fight stigma and to facilitate an early intervention and diagnosis of mental health conditions;
considers that relevant policies should aim for an integrated mental health system based on cooperation among the sectors of education, employment, social care and mental health care;
believes empowerment and support for self-representation are key to ensuring the full participation of people in what concerns them and to co-producing strategies and programmes. This involves the planning, design, provision and evaluation of care. It should be accompanied by technical and financial support for forms of self-management.
while fully supporting the Green Deal and its objectives, points out the need to assess it in order to gauge its response to exogenic shocks, the geopolitical situation, and technological, social and economic developments, as well as to measure progress achieved thus far;
calls on the European Commission to initiate the mapping of measures adopted under the Green Deal to address overlaps, conflicts and the cumulative administrative burden and to provide a publicly available online dashboard recording each Member State's progress in this domain;
points out that the EESC itself should be empowered and endowed with the necessary resources to play the role of independent monitor of Green Deal implementation, since it is in a position to create a fact-based picture of the progress achieved within the different pillars of the Green Deal.
recommends that measures to address deforestation must cover all the main commodities posing risk for forests, and must involve action on both supply and demand sides;
believes that a balanced agreement between Mercosur and the EU would create a stable framework to foster trade while securing the environmental and labour aspects, including the fight against deforestation;
Supports the EU climate diplomacy and work together with partner countries towards increasing their climate ambitions while supporting the most vulnerable;
serving as a bridge between the European institutions and organised civil society, can play a facilitating role by developing meaningful dialogue with counterparts in Latin American countries and by building trust that the transition to sustainable use of resources can be a move towards greater prosperity.
as the first EU body to have involved representatives from candidate countries in its daily work, calls upon the other EU institutions to make the best use of the new accession methodology by involving representatives of the candidate and potential candidate countries in their work;
asks the input from the social partners and civil society organisations to be sought in a timely manner for the implementation of the Reform and Growth Facility Plan for the Western Balkans;
emphasises the need to address the social dimension of the green transition to an inclusive and just economy and society and calls for EU programmes and regional structures to be bolstered, with the aim of reaching more young people in the Western Balkan;
stresses the importance of systematic, meaningful and timely inclusion of the social partners and civil society organisations in the EU accession negotiations, pointing out to the important role of civil society joint consultative committees (JCCs);
urges the Commission to address evident attempts to suppress the civic space, and to reflect these issues more prominently in the enlargement strategy and country reports;
highlights the importance of the digital economy for the EU economy and the benefits of interconnectivity for homes, public transport, health and personal relationships;
