The 2026 Civil Society Week organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) concluded on Thursday 5 March with the achievement of an important milestone. The stage is now set for the EESC to take part in the Commission's Civil Society Platform and host its annual summit.
After 14 successful years, the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) has proven that it is no longer an experiment. With four initiatives surpassing the one-million-signature threshold in 2025, the ECI carries institutional responsibility. The key question, however, is how the political system can translate one million signatures into concrete EU legislation.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has launched the 2026 edition of Civil Society Week under the theme ‘People, Democracy, Resilience – Our Future’. From 2 to 5 March, the event will bring together more than 1 300 participants, including youth organisations, activists, organised civil society representatives from across Europe, journalists and EU policymakers. Discussions will focus on tackling poverty, combating social exclusion, fostering civic engagement and bridging divides between regions and between generations to rebuild trust and strengthen social cohesion.
The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026 (ESDR 2026), a new report released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), shows that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has stalled in Europe, with stagnation or even reversal on some environmental and socio-economic targets, and declining political prioritization of the SDGs within EU leadership.
Following the presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan by the European Commission last December, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has gathered together all relevant stakeholders at European, national and local level to take stock of the ongoing housing emergency and discuss the way ahead. The Committee aims to tackle speculation, address investment gaps and make sure businesses remain competitive.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) considers sodium batteries a strategically important technology for Europe and calls for them to become a key element of the EU’s industrial strategy, as highlighted during the Committee’s plenary session debate on the potential of these batteries, held on 19 February, and in its latest adopted opinion.
Ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) placed a strong focus on the war’s lasting and complex impact on children and young people. The EESC calls for coordinated European action, with strong involvement from civil society and international partners, to help young Ukrainians recover and look to the future with hope.
The 5th edition of the EU Organic Awards is now open for applications from 10 February to 26 April 2026. These awards celebrate leaders in the organic value chain who develop inspiring projects that enhance organic food production and consumption.
This year’s winners will be celebrated at the Awards Ceremony on the EU Organic Day, 23 September in Brussels.
Debates at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) plenary revealed strong alignment between the Cyprus Presidency’s five priorities and the Committee’s own work programme: security and preparedness, competitiveness, openness to the world, a Union of values that leaves no one behind, and a robust long-term EU budget.
EESC called for swift, concrete action to accelerate AI deployment across the EU, especially for SMEs and scale-ups. In a global AI race driven by speed and scale, Europe must position reliability and trustworthiness as its defining strengths.
