This exploratory opinion on the request of the Cyprus Council presidency is focused on the implementation of the Startups and Scaleup Strategy, with particular emphasis on the forthcoming European Innovation Act (EIA), planned for 2026. The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy seeks to make Europe the leading hub for launching and expanding global technology-driven companies, including deep tech ventures.
The construction sector is a strategic pillar of the EU economy and a key enabler of the green and digital transitions. It has a direct impact on housing, transport, energy and climate-resilience infrastructure across Europe. Strengthening innovation and digitalisation is therefore essential not only to decarbonise the economy by 2050, but also to reinforce the EU’s industrial autonomy, productivity and global competitiveness in a sector that underpins many strategic value chains.
In this Opinion, the EESC fully supports the Culture Compass as a transversal strategy to promote culture, democracy and European values across all policy areas. It calls for strong, cross-cutting funding in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including adequate budgetary targets, alongside effective implementation, clear governance and broad stakeholder involvement. The EESC highlights culture’s economic and social role, urging fair conditions for artists, improved access to finance, dedicated AI safeguards, and a reinforced international dimension and cooperation.
The Commission proposal is an important element of the Savings and Investments Union agenda. The EESC recognises the benefits of a multi-pillar pensions system, calls for a holistic approach, proposes a number of amendments to the legislative proposals to better serve its objectives, and explores changes on governance.
Our social, political and economic strength comes from our unity in diversity: Equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights in the EU. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomes the Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 as a vital framework but finds that persistent discrimination, violence, weak enforcement and growing anti-LGBTIQ+ backlash continue to undermine progress across the EU. It stresses that implementation gaps, insufficient funding, legal fragmentation and lack of reliable data limit the Strategy’s effectiveness, particularly for trans, non-binary and intersex persons and those facing intersectional discrimination.
This exploratory opinion requested by the incoming Cypriot Council Presidency positions youth entrepreneurship as a strategic driver of EU competitiveness, innovation, and social inclusion. Despite strong interest among young people, significant barriers, particularly in access to finance, administrative complexity, and skills development, continue to hinder business creation. The European Economic and Social Committee advocates a holistic approach combining financial support, education, mentoring, and regulatory simplification to unlock this untapped potential. Strengthening entrepreneurship education, improving access to diverse funding instruments, and fostering supportive ecosystems, including networks, internationalisation opportunities, and digital skills, are essential to enabling young entrepreneurs to thrive.
In response to the successful European Citizens' Initiative, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted an own-initiative opinion calling on the European Commission to introduce a legally binding EU-wide ban on conversion practices by including such practices as 'EU crimes' and recognising them as hate crimes. The EESC strongly condemns any practices aimed at changing, suppressing or erasing a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, considering them incompatible with human dignity and in breach of the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The EESC calls for a comprehensive and precisely defined ban covering both children and adults, all public and private actors, and the advertisement of such practices. It recommends that the prohibition explicitly includes sex characteristics, in order to protect intersex individuals from non-consensual and non-therapeutic interventions.
This opinion explores the potential of the bioeconomy and how policies can ensure its long-term competitiveness and investment security, while safeguarding nature. It will present civil society's views on further goals which include increasing resource-efficient and circular use of biological resources, securing a sustainable supply of biomass, both within the EU and from international sources, and strengthening the EU’s position in the rapidly expanding global bioeconomy.
The exploratory opinion examines territorial supply constraints as an ongoing obstacle to the effective functioning of the EU Single Market. Taking into account the EESC’s work on Single Market integration and enforcement, the opinion responds to renewed political efforts to remove market fragmentation, with a focus on strengthening enforcement against barriers to cross-border trade.
The exploratory opinion examines how to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the protection of local communities by regulating short-term rentals, mitigating over-tourism, strengthening connectivity, and promoting sustainable, inclusive tourism across Europe.
The opinion contributes to the revision of the EU standardisation framework by underlining its strategic importance and advocating for an inclusive, competitive and socially balanced system.
The initiative revises the Cybersecurity Act to clarify ENISA’s mandate, strengthen EU cybersecurity certification, simplify legislation, and support a secure and resilient European supply chain and industrial base.
The opinion examines the 2030 Consumer Agenda, a new five-year strategy for EU consumer policy. The Agenda addresses four key priority areas: a) an action plan for consumers in the single market; b) digital fairness and consumer protection online; c) sustainable consumption; d) effective enforcement and redress.
The upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU has asked the EESC to draw up an exploratory opinion aimed at providing insight and recommendation on the establishment of the European centre of clinical excellence for pharmaceuticals, with the view to serve as a unified, evidence-based authority issuing pharmacotherapy recommendations, guidelines, and protocols for a wide range of diseases.
Chips Act 2, the revision of the EU Chips Act, aims to further strengthen Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and competitiveness across the full value chain, with a particular focus on advanced manufacturing and AI chips.
