Growing resource use is driving the triple planetary crisis, pushing the EU beyond planetary boundaries and leaving many Member States off track for the 2030 circular material use target. Demand-side measures and ambitious primary material reduction policies are essential to reverse this trend and strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy.
This exploratory opinion will feed into the work of the European Commission during the preparations of the Circular Economy Act.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Strategy to support the eastern border regions to address their specific challenges and support them in the reorientation of their local economy
Download — Information report: The point of view of organised civil society in the EU Member States on national reform and investment proposals and their implementation (2025-2026 European Semester cycle)
Download — Opinia EKES-u: EESC Contribution to the UN Water Conference 2026: from the EU Blue Deal and Water Resilience Strategy to global water action
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.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: A comprehensive strategy for nature-based biodegradable materials to foster circularity and resource efficiency, strengthen the agri-food sector and scale-up the EU bioeconomy
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Equivalence of field inspections carried out in third countries on seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of seed produced in third countries
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 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.
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 initiative aims to simplify EU legislation on medical devices and diagnostics to enhance competitiveness, foster innovation and ensure proportionate, cost-effective safety requirements while maintaining high levels of patient protection and public health.
This initiative seeks to revise EU CO₂ emission standards for new cars and vans to support a fact-based, economically viable and socially fair transition toward zero-emission mobility.
