Press Summaries

The EESC:

• welcomes the proposal but also realises that the EU needs to prioritise the phase-out of Russian gas and oil in 2026, ensuring full and definitive completion by the end of 2027 at the latest, and recognises the urgent need to cease funding Russia’s war effort and place the EU’s security above the perceived short-term financial gains of a handful of Member States. The new article 7 that the EESC proposes would put oil imports on an equal footing with gas imports.

The EESC:

• welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive to extend the exemption period during which zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles (ZEVs) benefit from significantly reduced or exempted infrastructure or user charges as a timely and necessary measure to support the decarbonisation of road transport and supports the proposed extension until 30 June 2031, as it provides legal and investment certainty, aligns with the CO2 performance standards and offers a concrete demand-side incentive for operators to shift towards cleaner technologies;

The EESC:

• considers road safety a top priority, with the overarching goal of achieving zero road casualties by 2050. Protecting life, reducing the number of injuries and preventing damage to people, goods and infrastructure are essential components of this effort. Road safety is not only a matter of technical standards but also of social responsibility and good governance, and it must lie at the core of sustainable mobility strategies.

In this opinion the EESC:

• stresses that the Pact should integrate recent ministerial declarations, the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2016–2025, and the Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood including its Economic and Investment Plan;
• calls for the Pact to actively promote peace, democracy, good governance, the fight against corruption, the rule of law, inclusive prosperity, civic spaces, and respect for international humanitarian law, as foundations for cooperation in the Mediterranean region;
• recommends that young people from diverse backgrounds must be involved at all policy stages, with robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure their voices influence the Pact's development;
• proposes that EU programs like Erasmus+ and Interreg should include dedicated civil society funding with simplified applications and long-term financing;
• emphasises that the Pact must incorporate marginalized groups, support social dialogue mechanisms like Economic and Social Councils, and include participatory monitoring and evaluation involving civil society. 

In this information report the EESC:

• underlines that social media platforms and AI algorithms decisively shape public debate and the information seen by Europeans;
• emphasises that the information space in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is particularly vulnerable: disinformation is tailored to local languages and content, and takes advantage of the dominance of Russian-language content on the Internet due to algorithmic choices;
• believes that, while instruments like the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, and the European Media Freedom Act aim to enhance transparency and accountability, enforcement is uneven and gaps remain. Linguistic and narrative biases – such as the continued use of the term ‘post-Soviet countries’ – further distort diverse identities and histories;
• supports the development of frameworks ensuring visibility for high-quality, locally rooted content from Eastern Europe;
• advocates stronger media literacy, algorithmic accountability, and cross-border cooperation to counter disinformation and uphold democratic values.

In the opinion the EESC: 

• recommends adopting one definition at EU level for climate-induced migration;
• calls on the European Commission to develop a compendium of relevant case law and highlights the need to encourage the use of the Practical Toolkit on International Protection for people displaced across borders in the context of climate change and disasters;
• calls for efforts to encourage the creation of synergies between the EU’s environmental and migration policy by integrating the Humanitarian Development-Peace nexus further into climate mobility policy and embedding migration as adaptation in its approach to climate mobility;
• recommends encouraging and funding further research of projects, recognising the complexity and multi-faceted aspect of migration, and to investigate the possibility of amending data collection protocols for people entering countries of destination;
• calls on the European Commission to further shape its cooperation with partner countries, to facilitate access to international funds to support partner countries in climate resilience and preparedness, and to pursue the commitments made.

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In the opinion the EESC:

• calls for the identification and removal of gender-related structural barriers in education, labour markets, and entrepreneurship, alongside awareness-raising campaigns to promote the benefits of diversity and to highlight female role models and achievements;
• recommends encouraging girls and women to pursue STEM fields and acquire digital and financial skills, leveraging online and mobile learning to reduce regional disparities and improve equal access to training and education in remote areas;
• calls for improving working conditions and opportunities for young people and women, preventing discrimination and harassment, and enabling their participation and leadership in politics, business, and civil society;
• stresses the necessity of providing women and young entrepreneurs with proper access to finance, infrastructure, natural resources, legal ownership rights, and networks, including innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial hubs, to enable their success.

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