Boland reflects on his first year in top EU role

On the first anniversary of his appointment as the president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Seamus Boland has described the last twelve months as a "dream".

A farmer from The Island, Ballycumber, in the parish of Rahan, the former CEO of the Moate based Irish Rural Link organisation was appointed to the prominent role at the EU Parliament in Brussels on October 22, 2025.

He is the lead voice of organised civil society in Europe, representing employers, workers and civic society organisations, with a mandate until March 2028.

During his inaugural ceremony address in Brussels, Boland outlined his intended programme of work during his EESC presidency, one to be built on three pillars; a union of opportunities, a union of security, and a union of resilience.

In the intervening time, Boland has maintained a "people-centred" focus to the job, one in which the EESC "takes a leading role in positioning civil society at the heart of the EU".

Over the course of his term in the role, he aims to help tackle homelessness, poverty, defend democracy, strengthen civic participation, and ensure a fair and green transition that reaches all communities. To that end, he has been working with EU colleagues and governments to ensure such issues are addressed accordingly for the betterment of society.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week, Boland reflected on the first 12 months in his EU role and how he has adapted to the challenges of the presidency.

Having set out an ambitious programme for his term of office, Boland said progress has been made on a "number of fronts", with a "systemised" and "structured" approach now in place for all civil society groups.

He has worked with EU Commissioner Michael McGrath to ensure civil society groups "are given a platform" at EU level.

"These groups are at the heart of all that is good in our society and must be recognised as so. Civil society groups are the glue in so many communities, particularly in our own country, and they must be supported in their work," Boland said.

On matters poverty and housing, he continues to press his concerns within the EU parliament. A focus on poverty eradication has been chief on his mind since taking office, and Boland is now working at a "high level" with the EU Commission to address the issue and reduce its impact on society.

Boland has engaged in discussions with the President of the EU Council, Antonio Costa, on homelessness and has called on the EU to "declare an emergency on housing". He will attend a series of housing conferences in November, where the focus will be on addressing the housing crisis across Europe.

Although he hold fears of what impact of a "watered down" Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would have on Ireland's rural communities, Boland is hopeful discussions will ensure this is not the case and that a strong relationship between the EU and farmers can be managed.

"I am continuously highlighting the rural agenda at every meeting I attend and hopefully I can play a role in ensuring that CAP negotiations favour farming communities, particularly in the Midlands," Boland added.

He is also hopeful the EU-funded LEADER programme is "protected" to enable community‑led rural development initiatives continue, and he feels a "doubling" of the Just Transition funding, allocated from the EU, is a "necessity".

He spoke about the rising cost of living, saying there "seems to be no immediate end" to the pressures facing families.

"If we don't control the situation in the immediate future, I am of the view that poverty levels will increase by approximately 25% within a year," Boland said.

He added that this could lead to the recent scenes of public unrest in France being replicated across the EU, acknowledging that Ireland "saw a touch of unrest" in Spring.

Although the focus for Boland has been on creating a Europe that "doesn't leave any person behind," he said his term so far as EESC president has also provided him with an immense sense of fulfilment.

A highlight during the first year of his role was meeting Pope Leo XIV. Boland described their interaction as the "best 35 minutes" of his year as president.

"I was honoured to gave a meeting with Pope Leo and what stood out for me during our conversation was his concentration on the dignity of the person, which, he believes, matters above all else," Boland said.

Boland also took great pride in welcoming two EU Commissioners, Marta Kos and Jessika Roswall, to his farm in Ballycumber, allowing his EU colleagues to "see what it's like on the ground" for rural communities.

As he enters the second year of his term, Boland said that he is "glad to lead" and is looking forward to progressing his mandate as EESC president as he strives to help build a "union of opportunities, of security and of resilience".