EU Sustainable Development

Strategy

Vleva - Liaison Agency Flanders Europe 17.12.2009

Lea Vatanen European Commission, Secretariat-General, D-2

Sustainable development It is a fundamental objective of the EU.

Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union:

The Union shall establish an internal market. It shall work for the sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. It shall promote scientific and technological advance.

It shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection, equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the child.

It shall promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, and solidarity among Member States.

It shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.

EU SDS First strategy in 2001

Revised strategy in 2006 Progress report every two years

First report in 2007 Second report in 2009

Revised 2006 EU SDS Covers 7 cross-cutting challenges

1. Climate change and clean energy2. Sustainable transport3. Sustainable consumption and production4. Management of natural resources5. Public health6. Social inclusion, demography and migration7. Global poverty

Revised 2006 EU SDS Includes 4 horizontal issues

1. Education2. Research and development3. Financial instrument 4. Communication and closer monitoring of the

strategy itself

EU SDS – second progress report

The Commission adopted the second progress report on 24 July 2009 – COM (2009) 400

Communication is divided in three parts:1. Development of the concept of sustainable

development2. Policy progress at EU level since October 20073. Input for reflection and debate on how to bring the

sustainable development into the future

1. Development of the concept of SD

EU has mainstreamed the sustainability dimension into a broad range of policies

Better regulation and impact assessment system Revised social agenda External cooperation Corporate social responsibility …

2. Policy progress Positive policy progress in all areas covered by

the Sustainable Development Strategy Unsustainable trends persist – efforts need to

be intensified Eurostat monitoring report 2009, based on

Sustainable Development Indicators, has been published in December

2. Policy progress Examples of EU actions:

EU's climate and energy package of December 2008 Actions for greening of transport and more intelligent

transport systems Improvement of energy efficiency of buildings Revisions of eco-design and eco-label directives Setting up an integrated maritime policy framework and

EU health strategy Work on migration Fight against poverty and exclusion

3. Input for reflection Input for reflection on how to bring the sustainable

development into the future – several ‘pistes’ for reflection

Link to post-Lisbon strategy reflections

EU SDS Role of the EU SDS

The only cross-cutting EU instrument to look at sustainable development from a wide, long-term perspective

Provides a political space to discuss out of short-term thinking

Can help preparing policy responses to long-term challenges

How has the EU SDS been useful?

EU SDS promotes the overall objective of sustainable development; concept of SD has been mainstreamed in wide areas of policies

In practice sustainable development is promoted and monitored in the context of individual policies

EU SDS has helped to develop and update National Sustainable Development Strategies

EU SDS vs. Lisbon and other Strategies Lisbon Strategy and EU SDS serve different but

complementary purposes: Lisbon: dynamic strategy for growth and jobs, with an

environmental component promotes the overall objective of SD by improving

competitiveness, economic growth, job creation (role of economic development towards a more sustainable society)

EU SDS: framework for guiding and reporting on long-term broad developments and promoting forward-looking reflection on sustainability

Other strategies: Integrated Maritime Policy, Climate Change and Energy Package, Health Strategy…

EU SDS vs. Lisbon and other Strategies Merging the cross-cutting strategies does

not seem feasible as they fulfil different roles

Instead: Clarification of the specific role of the EU SDS

in relation to other EU strategies Further streamlining?

Monitoring of the Strategy Points for consideration:

Greater synergy with Lisbon and other cross-cutting strategies; better coordination

Streamlining vs. keeping overarching nature Mechanisms for monitoring Facilitating the exchange of best practices between

the Member States New challenges Further development of Sustainable Development

Indicators NB. Also a communication ‘GDP and beyond –

measuring progress in a changing world’ (COM(2009)433 of 20.8.09)

Other points?

EU SDS – further streamlining?

Currently the Strategy has a wide scope -> need for stronger focus?

Streamlining to help to achieve long-term objectives?

Low-carbon and low-input economy, based on Energy and resource-efficient technologies Sustainable transport

and sustainable consumption behaviour Protection of biodiversity Promotion of social inclusion Strengthening the international dimension

EU SDS – latest developments

‘Friends of the Presidency’ report 1.12.2009 European Council conclusions of 10/11

December: EU SDS provides a long-term vision and overarching

policy framework Unsustainable trends require urgent action Priority actions more clearly specified in future reviews Governance should be reinforced for example through

clearer links to the future EU 2020 strategy and other cross-cutting strategies

Future steps Immediate priority is to integrate

sustainbility objectives in the future EU 2020 strategy. EU 2020 aims to deliver greener and socially

inclusive growth The consultation document sets out three

priorities: Creating value by basing growth on knowledge Empowering people in inclusive societies Creating a competitive, connected and greener

economy

Future steps EU 2020:

Public consultation ongoing until 15.1.2010http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/

A proposal for the EU 2020 strategy early next year, with a view to the EU's Heads of State and government adopting the strategy at their spring 2010 meeting

EU SDS: EU SDS foresees that at the latest by 2011 the

European Council will decide when a comprehensive review needs to be launched

For more information Sustainable development website

http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm

Thank you

contact: Lea.vatanen@ec.europa.eu