EESC to discuss resilience in Europe's Eastern border regions with leader of Belarusian democratic forces Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at June plenary

17-18 June 2026

European Commission, Charlemagne building (Alcide De Gasperi room), Rue de la Loi 170, 1040 Brussels

Web stream click here

Lunchtime debate

EESC, Jacques Delors building, Communication Space, 1^st floor

Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels

Wednesday 17 June 2026 from 12:30 to 14:00

Beyond the Myths: Understanding Belarus in Today's Europe

with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, opened by Séamus Boland, EESC President and moderated by Amanda Paul, European Policy Centre

Please confirm your presence by Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 13:00 at press@eesc.europa.eu

Debates

Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 15:00

Driving a just, competitive and ecological transition towards a circular and climate neutral economy

with Teresa Ribera, European Commission's Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition

linked to NAT/986 - Circular Economy Act - Circular economy and responsible resource consumption within planetary boundaries

Wednesday 17 June 2026 at 16:00

Building resilience in Europe's Eastern border regions

with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the democratic forces of Belarus; Neringa Rinkevičiūtė-Laurinaitienė, Vice-minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania; and Hugo Sobral, European Commission's Deputy Director-General for Regional and Urban Policy

linked to ECO/697 - Strategy to support the eastern border regions to address their specific challenges and support them in the reorientation of their local economy

Thursday 18 June 2026 at 09:00

EESC Resolution on the Committee’s contribution to the European Commission’s 2027 work programme

Rapporteurs: Marcin Nowacki (PL-I), Carlos Manuel Trindade (PT-II), Corina Andrea Murafa Benga (RO-III)

Thursday 18 June 2026 at 09:30

From the EU Blue Deal and water resilience to global water action

with Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy; Hildegard Bentele, Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Development (DEVE) and Chair of the MEP Water Group (remotely); and Pedro Arrojo Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

linked to CCMI/254 - EESC Contribution to the UN Water Conference 2026: from the EU Blue Deal and Water Resilience Strategy to global water action and CCMI/261 - Blue Deal Accelerator Future

Opinions in the spotlight

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Strengthening EU economic security (REX/614, rapporteur: Milena Angelova (BG-I))

In this opinion, the EESC argues that economic security should be a core strategic objective of the EU and requires urgent, coordinated action across many policy areas. It highlights the importance of investment and financing calling for stronger public and private support for innovation, industrial development and secure value chains. More

DIGITAL

Digital Networks Act (DNA) (TEN/879, rapporteur: Maurizio Mensi (IT-III))

The EESC assesses the Commission's Digital Networks Act (DNA) proposal and says thata regulation as the legal instrument for the DNA is the appropriate choice for the purposes of removing internal market barriers and ensuring uniform rules. An effective governance is essential, with a clear allocation of competences between EU and national authorities, which avoids overlaps and institutional duplication. More

 HOUSING

 Implementing the New European Bauhaus (TEN/873, rapporteur: Rudolf Kolbe (AT-III))

The EESC emphasises that the New European Bauhaus is one of the EU’s most ambitious recent initiatives and connects the European Green Deal with people’s everyday lives through three values: sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion. The New European Bauhaus translates policy into tangible and people-centred solutions and, for this reason, it is important to develop Key Performance Indicatorsfor the horizontal cross-cutting implementation of its values and principles in new and revised EU policies and regulatory acts. The New European Bauhaus and affordable housing policies cannot be separated and the next implementation step must focus on investment in sustainable, affordable and quality housing. More

SOCIAL AFFAIRS

 Whistleblower Protection Directive (evaluation report) (SOC/847, rapporteur: Giulia Barbucci (IT-II)) 

The EESC considers that the Whistleblower Protection Directive has improved legal clarity, reporting channels and awareness, strengthening the enforcement of EU law and the protection of reporting persons, but highlights a persistent gap between formal safeguards and their practical effectiveness. The Committee calls for stronger and more accessible protection, including broader material scope, effective preventive measures against retaliation, adequate financial and legal support, and sufficient resources for competent authorities. More

INTERNAL MARKET

Observations from the Business Community and Civil Society on the Revision of Regulation EU n. 651/2014 on State Aid (General Block Exemption Regulation – GBER) (INT/1122, rapporteur: Giuseppe Guerini (IT-III))

In the opinion which analyses one of the EU's cornerstone instruments for state aid, the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER), the EESC supports the Commission's aims to modernise and simplify state aid exemption, expand eligible categories and improve clarity and legal certainty. However, it notes the text remains technically demanding and calls for stronger implementation support in the form of training and capacity-building. More

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Circular Economy Act - Circular economy and responsible resource consumption within planetary boundaries (NAT/986, rapporteur: Cillian Lohan (IE-III))

The Committee calls on the European Union to show global leadership in accelerating the circular transition through a strong Circular Economy Act. The Act should provide a coherent framework for existing legislation, strengthen secondary raw material markets and circular business models, and ensure that citizens, social enterprises, and civil society are active partners in delivering a fair and competitive circular economy. The opinion also highlights the importance of traceability, standards and innovation, while recognising the contribution of young people through the EESC Youth Test process. More

EU BLUE DEAL

EESC Contribution to the UN Water Conference 2026: from the EU Blue Deal and Water Resilience Strategy to global water action (CCMI/254, rapporteur: Paul Rübig (AT-I), co-rapporteur: Hervé Jeannin (FR))

The EESC points out the importance of the UN Water Conference 2026 to make water resilience a global priority and calls for a worldwide paradigm shift from linear water use to circular systems, recognising water as a public good with social, environmental and economic value. The Committee also calls for a horizontal governance approach integrating water across sectors and levels of government at global level with the transversal involvement of civil society. More

Blue Deal Accelerator Future (CCMI/261, rapporteur: Magdalena Rzeczkowska (PL-I), co-rapporteur: Lea Appulo (IT-Cat.3))

The Committee calls for water to be recognised as a critical production factor underpinning competitiveness and strategic autonomy, on a par with energy, and to be treated as a standalone strategic priority across all EU policies. The EESC also proposes the establishment of a Blue Deal Accelerator as a comprehensive implementation framework linking industrial transformation, water‑smart technologies, skills and investments. More

EUROPEAN SEMESTER

 National reform and investment proposals and their implementation (2025–2026 European Semester cycle) (ECO/691, rapporteurs: Gonçalo Lobo Xavier (PT-I), Andrea Mone (IT-II), Luca Jahier (IT-III))

This information report examines how social partners and civil society organisations across the EU assess the implementation of the 2025 country-specific recommendations (CSRs), Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) measures and national fiscal-structural plans. While stakeholders generally consider the CSRs relevant and aligned with national challenges, many report shortcomings in their translation into concrete policies, particularly regarding social issues such as wages, inequality, and labour market conditions. The report also highlights persistent concerns about the limited and often procedural involvement of organised civil society in the European Semester process. Looking ahead, respondents see potential benefits in linking the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to the European Semester, but warn against excessive centralisation, conditionality and reduced democratic participation. Overall, the report calls for stronger implementation, greater transparency and a more meaningful role for social partners and civil society throughout the policy cycle. More

Resolution on the EESC's recommendations on the reform and investment proposals formulated as part of the 2025-2026 European Semester cycle (ECO/692, rapporteurs: Gonçalo Lobo Xavier (PT-I), Andrea Mone (IT-II), Luca Jahier (IT-III))

This resolution complements ECO/691 information report, based on stakeholder consultations, and sets out the EESC’s policy recommendations for the 2025–2026 European Semester cycle. It calls for stronger integration of the Single Market into the Semester and Country-Specific Recommendations, with enhanced political accountability for enforcement. It promotes a shift from punitive macroeconomic conditionality towards positive incentives, using the Semester to identify structural bottlenecks and the EU budget to support targeted investment. The resolution also stresses the need to strengthen defence readiness within a stable regulatory framework, expand fiscal space for social priorities including the Social Investment Hub, and rebalance economic coordination to better reflect social objectives. Finally, it underlines the importance of more meaningful involvement of social partners and civil society, improved consultation processes, and a mandatory assessment of partnership effectiveness, alongside simpler and more proportionate implementation mechanisms. More

BUDGET

Strategy to support the eastern border regions to address their specific challenges and support them in the reorientation of their local economy (ECO/697, rapporteur: Katrīna Zariņa (LV-I), co-rapporteur: Ionuţ Sibian (RO-III))

This opinion welcomes the European Commission’s strategy for the EU’s eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, recognising these areas as strategic frontiers essential to Europe’s security, resilience and territorial cohesion. The EESC argues that eastern border regions face unique challenges, including hybrid threats, demographic decline, economic disruption and reduced investment attractiveness, which require dedicated EU support beyond existing funding instruments. It calls for stronger investment in security, connectivity, innovation, administrative capacity and social infrastructure, as well as targeted measures to retain population and create quality jobs. The EESC also stresses the need for additional funding under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), greater flexibility in State aid rules, and stronger involvement of local authorities, social partners and civil society. Overall, the opinion advocates a long-term, place-based strategy that balances security concerns with sustainable economic and social development. More

EU Budget expenditure tracking and performance framework (ECO/698, rapporteur: Konstantinos Diamantouros (EL-I), co-rapporteur: Dominika Biegon (DE-II))

In this opinion, the EESC supports the European Commission’s proposal to create a common performance framework for the EU budget, including harmonised indicators, a single annual performance report and a unified information portal to improve transparency, consistency, and accountability. However, the EESC warns that the proposed framework is not merely a technical monitoring tool but a political instrument that could shape funding priorities and eligibility. It calls for more robust and meaningful indicators, greater flexibility for Member States, and safeguards to ensure that social investments are not disadvantaged by an overly results-based approach. The EESC also advocates stronger social conditionalities, better monitoring of civil society participation, clearer application of the “do no significant harm” principle, and greater visibility for biodiversity and social objectives. Overall, the opinion seeks to ensure that performance measurement strengthens, rather than restricts, the effectiveness, fairness, and democratic legitimacy of EU spending programmes. More

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EESC Press Unit

E-mail: press@eesc.europa.eu 

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