2.2.2017   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 34/58

Rapporteur:

Ioannis VARDAKASTANIS

1.1.

The EESC welcomes the 2030 Agenda as it includes an ambitious set of goals and targets to transform our world and marks a historic shift in the way that economic, social and environmental disparities are addressed worldwide. As the European Union (EU) plays an important international role in terms of diplomacy, the promotion of human rights, trade, development and humanitarian aid, as well as working with multilateral organisations and bilaterally with third countries, it can have a huge influence on the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at global level. However, the voluntary reporting may undermine the coherent, effective and measurable implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The EESC calls on the EU to approach the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as an obligation and opportunity to shape future EU policies and programmes. The EESC also points out that the EU should embrace the 2030 Agenda as it offers and provides a new forward looking narrative for making the EU a Sustainable Development Union and accordingly presents to EU citizens and the rest of the world a new vision for inclusive human development.

1.2.

The 2030 Agenda fully reflects the European values of prosperity for all, human rights, social justice, combating poverty, democratic governance, the social market economy and environmental protection. Therefore, the EU is expected to play a leading role in implementing the 2030 Agenda and to contribute to achieving the SDGs at global level. The EU will thus be acknowledged to be a leading actor in the promotion of environmentally, socially and economically responsible and sustainable development, as well as respect for human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination and support for vulnerable groups. The eradication of poverty should be an overarching priority in the EU’s policies and programmes. Furthermore, the principles of climate justice and ‘just transition’ should be fully and effectively mainstreamed and integrated into the EU’s overarching strategy for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

1.3.

The EESC points out that the EU will only be able to meet its commitment to sustainable development at global level and therefore to substantially and effectively promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda if it makes the necessary changes in order to adapt its policies and programmes to the three pillars of the SDGs in a balanced and inclusive way. The EU and the Member States have a moral and political obligation to both EU citizens and the rest of the world to address the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in a politically coherent and coordinated way. The EU institutions and the Member States urgently need to agree on the way forward at the highest political level through an interinstitutional agreement between the Commission, the Council and the Parliament in order to establish a robust basis for further political action (1). This agreement on the implementation of the SDGs should form the basis for an overarching strategy to mainstream the 2030 Agenda with the aim of making the EU a Sustainable Development Union.

1.4.

As it had done in an earlier opinion (2), the EESC calls for the establishment of a Sustainable Development Civil Society Forum to promote and monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in order to ensure consistency in the EU’s internal and external policies and programmes. In this Forum all stakeholders, including the Council, Commission, Parliament and civil society, should participate fully as key actors, making the Forum’s work transparent and accountable to European citizens. The EESC is ready to facilitate this process.

1.5.

The EU itself should proactively present a periodic voluntary review to the Session of the UN High Level Political Forum on its internal and external policies and programmes, starting in 2017. The EU will be the first regional organisation to do so. In addition, the EU should prepare annual thematic reports in line with the annual thematic reviews of the UN HLPF. Civil society should be fully included in this reporting process through the European Sustainable Development Forum. The EESC is ready to facilitate this process (3).

1.6.

The EU has an obligation to comply fully with international and European treaties and agreements safeguarding the environment, human rights and economic, social and cultural rights. Therefore, international and European legislation should underpin the EU’s approach to the implementation, monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda. The voluntary character of the 2030 Agenda should not undermine the obligation to fully and effectively mainstream and integrate its obligation to international and European law into the EU’s overarching strategy for the implementation of the SDGs. This The EU’s international obligations should be applicable to all EU’s policies and programmes.

1.7.

The European Commission needs to address the way in which the instruments of external action factor in the 2030 Agenda. The mapping exercise of external policies is the first step, but this is not enough and needs to be flanked by a detailed and comprehensive gap analysis and assessment in order to identify the real gaps that exist between current external policies and programmes and the future ones that should fully include, mainstream and integrate, in a balanced and fair way, the economic, social and environmental pillars of the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, the EESC calls on the Commission to take specific action to include this in the forthcoming communication on the implementation of the SDGs.

1.8.

The European Commission needs to fully integrate and mainstream the 2030 Agenda into the external action of the European Union. The EU is a major actor in the world, interacting with other stakeholders (public, intergovernmental, private and non-governmental) through its external action and instruments. Therefore, the European Commission should fully utilise key areas, such as trade and development policies, neighbourhood policy, environment policies and climate action, foreign and security policy, social and solidarity economy, human rights promotion, humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction and technology transfers, to proactively push forward the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The European Commission needs to fully integrate and utilise the 2030 Agenda in the European Consensus on Development, and the EESC regrets that it has not been sufficiently included in the EU’s Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy (4). The European Commission should include in the long awaited and much delayed Communication on the 2030 Agenda a meaningful programme to achieve policy coherence and policy coordination in its external actions and programmes in order to guarantee a sustainable development approach which is mainstreamed into all external policies.

1.9.

The European Commission and more particularly the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy should establish effective mechanisms to coordinate official development assistance and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in a coherent way, so as to ensure that ODA goes to partnerships and specific programmes and projects that are developed in accordance with the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda, fully taking into account the principles of poverty eradication, ‘no one is left behind’, climate justice, just transition, inclusive growth and development, promoting modernisation, infrastructure development and sustainable businesses, combating inequality and ensuring respect for human rights.

1.10.

The EESC recommends that the European Commission utilise the conditionality approach of the European Structural and Investment Funds during the process of mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda into instruments for external action and therefore a similar 2030 Agenda conditionality approach should be applied to all SDG-related policies and programmes.

1.11.

The EU delegations in third countries should conduct surveys in order to measure public awareness and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals. The European Commission should organise and carry out awareness-raising activities and campaigns to make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a European Agenda. The European Commission should undertake periodic Eurobarometer surveys in order to measure awareness and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals among EU citizens. Civil society organisations have a crucial role to play in this process.

1.12.

The EESC calls on the European Commission to issue an annual report on the implementation of external action and funds in regard to the 2030 Agenda. This should be part of the planned annual EU reports on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The European Commission should also draw up and include a set of 2030 Agenda indicators and benchmarks in its external policies and programmes in order to facilitate evaluation, assessment and reporting on how effectively the EU external instruments channel funding towards SDG-related projects and programmes, and specifically how the economic, social and environmental pillars of the 2030 Agenda are taken on board in the EU’s external action instruments.

1.13.

The European Commission should promote the multi-stakeholder-led governance model in its external policies and programmes, making civil society organisations in third countries real partners in the implementation of the SDGs. Transparency, accountability and partnership should underpin this new approach to consultation and participatory decision making. The democratic implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires full inclusion of civil society organisations at all stages, including monitoring and review.

1.14.

The EESC calls on the European Commission to mainstream capacity building of civil society organisations in its funding instruments and in its external policies and programmes. The Commission should set up a specific programme and funding line to support the capacity building of civil society organisations (CSOs) so that they can participate fully in this process. Existing capacity-building programmes need to be more explicitly opened to CSOs that are building bridges between local issues and governance issues (5).

1.15.

As the EESC interacts with a wide range of partners in many countries around the world, the EESC is ready to facilitate the real and meaningful involvement of all partners (mainly from civil society) in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and to this end it undertakes to facilitate the participation of civil society in implementation at national level.

2.1.

The EESC welcomes the commitment entitled ‘Transforming our world’ made by the world’s leaders on 25 September 2015 to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which establishes a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. Therefore, the 2030 Agenda is expected to promote the creation and establishment of strong and inclusive partnerships between all stakeholders and so to strongly support the delivery of a new governance model at global level.

2.2.

The 2030 Agenda is characterised by its universal, indivisible and integrated approach to the economic, social and environmental pillars, thus striking a unique balance between the three dimensions of sustainable development. That is why the 2030 Agenda constitutes a historic change in the way that economic, social and environmental disparities around the world are addressed.

2.3.

The 2030 Agenda is a plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity. It sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets equally addressing the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainable development in order to ensure prosperity for all, build on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals, address the MDGs’ deficits and shortcomings, and offer to the world a new vision for sustainable development and inclusive growth which will benefit all parts of the population. The 2030 Agenda also aims to protect, promote and deliver human rights and equality for all, with more emphasis on gender equality (Goal 5).

2.4.

The EESC embraces and fully supports the importance of the principle ‘no one is left behind’, which applies to all SDGs and targets and which therefore should be fully mainstreamed when developing partnerships, policies and action to implement and monitor the 2030 Agenda.

2.5.

The 2030 Agenda established a high-level governance structure at the UN level called the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), a multi-stakeholder platform mandated to carry out systematic reviews and follow up on the 2030 Agenda’s implementation. The first meeting of the HLPF, after the signing of the 2030 Agenda, took place in July 2016 and 22 governments, including four EU Member States, submitted the first ever Voluntary National Reviews (NVR), reporting on efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in their countries (the countries were Estonia, Finland, France and Germany as well as China, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Madagascar, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, Uganda and Venezuela).

2.6.

During the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, more focus should be placed on action, policies, programmes and the creation of multi-stakeholder, transparent and participatory partnerships aiming to eradicate the economic, social and environmental disparities around the world based on the principles of universality, indivisibility, transparency, accountability and human rights.

2.7.

The universal and indivisible nature of the 2030 Agenda applies equally to developing and developed countries and its implementation requires transformational economic, social and environmental changes on all sides. As the EU is expected to lead by example in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the EU and the Member States should align all policies and programmes to meet the objectives of combating poverty and inequality, preserving the planet and creating inclusive economic growth in a balanced and coherent way, benefitting all parts of the population equally, and integrating and mainstreaming the three pillars of the SDGs.

2.8.

The EU institutions will need to initiate high-level processes that will result in high-level political decisions to make the EU a Sustainable Development Union. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that an overarching strategy for the implementation of the SDGs be developed to promote, deliver and mainstream coherence and coordination in the EU’s policies and programmes in a balanced way, taking equally into account the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda.

3.1.

The greatest challenge of the 2030 Agenda’s implementation is the eradication of poverty in all its forms, including extreme poverty. This is also a key cross-cutting principle and value enshrined in the Treaties of the European Union, and is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development (Goal 1). The EU has a strong global presence and thus de facto has become a major actor with a heavy influence on economic growth and development policies worldwide. Therefore, it has a unique opportunity to gear its external policies and programmes towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at global level by ensuring that the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda are integrated in a balanced way in all EU external action instruments. Given the universality and indivisibility of the 2030 Agenda, the EU should expect to be strongly scrutinised, first and foremost on how well it deals with this challenge.

3.2.

The EU should look for mechanisms to share the burdens and benefits of climate change as it has an impact on human rights, poverty and equality. One such mechanism is ‘climate justice’, which is used to frame global warming as an ethical and political issue, rather than solely as an environmental or physical one. This is done by relating the effects of climate change to concepts of justice, particularly environmental justice and social justice, and by examining issues such as equality, human rights, collective rights and the historical responsibilities for climate change. A fundamental proposition of climate justice is that those who are least responsible for climate change are hit hardest by it.

3.3.

It is equally crucial to mainstream and integrate into external and internal EU policies and programmes the concept of ‘just transition’ that helps safeguard people’s and workers’ rights (e.g. decent work), while modernising and making national economies and business actors environmentally friendly and socially responsible through EU external instruments.

3.4.

The fair implementation of the economic, social and environmental pillars of the 2030 Agenda through the EU’s external action should include strategies to promote the low-carbon, circular and collaborative economies, sustainable food production and consumption, investing in innovation and long-term infrastructure modernisation and encouraging sustainable businesses (6).

3.5.

The 2030 Agenda is based on the volunteering principle and approach and this may hamper its full and swift implementation. However, the EU should make the implementation of the 2030 Agenda both internally and externally a mandatory process; its 17 Goals are fully compatible with the principles and values of the EU as they are enshrined in its Treaties and therefore need to be mainstreamed and implemented by means of the EU’s policies and programmes. The external action of the EU should be rooted in these principles and values.

3.6.

The full implementation of the 2030 Agenda by the EU requires real commitment at the highest political level by the EU institutions and the Member States in order to effectively and swiftly mainstream, integrate and include the SDGs in all EU policies and programmes.

3.7.

The universal nature of the 2030 Agenda and the commitments made by countries around the world, regardless of their level of economic and social development and their living standards, pose a very significant challenge to the EU to provide leadership and guidance for the progressive implementation of the 2030 Agenda at global level. However, in order to achieve this and make the EU a 2030 enabler, it needs to take the necessary decisions and make the needed changes in its policies and programmes.

3.8.

It should be noted that a year has passed since the 2030 Agenda was agreed, with the European Commission dealing with the implementation of this Agenda in a very incoherent and uncoordinated way. The first session of the HLPF took place in July 2016 at the UN, where four Member States (Estonia, Finland, France and Germany) presented their voluntary reviews. The EESC regrets that the European Commission did not present a coherent and coordinated strategy to the first session of the HLPF in order to facilitate better coordination and delivery of synergies both between EU Member States and between Member States and the EU institutions.

3.9.

This lack of coordination is also reflected in the consultation documents for both the Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy and the new Consensus on Development which reflects the limited integration and mainstreaming of the 2030 Agenda. At the beginning of the year, the European Commission initiated consultation on the European Pillar of Social Rights with no reference to the 2030 Agenda and more specifically to its Social Pillar. It should be noted that the EESC is currently preparing an opinion on the European Pillar of Social Rights which sets out the Committee’s views. The EESC strongly underlines that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development cannot, and should not, be implemented by the EU in silos.

3.10.

Development aid from the EU and the Member States goes to around 150 countries; they are the largest donors of official development assistance (ODA) which amounts to more than 50 % of the total global ODA donated every year. Preliminary figures show that total EU ODA (EU institutions and Member States) increased to EUR 68 billion in 2015 — growing for the third year in a row, increasing 15 % from 2014 and reaching its highest level to date. The EESC calls on the EU and the Member States to increase total ODA: in 2015, this came to 0,47 % of the EU’s Gross National Income (GNI), and needs to achieve the target of 0,7 %.

3.11.

The Eurobarometer survey shows that ‘almost nine out of ten EU citizens support development aid (89 % — a 4 percentage point increase since 2014). More than half say that promised levels of aid should be delivered by the EU’ (7). European citizens expect the EU to meet its commitments to sustainable development goals, providing a new vision for a sustainable Europe, and to fulfil its implementation obligations.

3.12.

The European Commission should undertake the review of policies and programmes focusing on third countries to ensure that they are compatible with the 2030 Agenda. The mapping exercise that the European Commission is carrying out should be flanked by a comprehensive and detailed gap analysis in order to identify shortcomings and inconsistencies between EU policies and programmes geared to third countries and with the Sustainable Development Goals.

3.13.

There is a lack of reliable and disaggregated data on the situation of vulnerable people in the world. Therefore, the European Commission should support the work of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators. Eurostat needs to enhance its capacity to measure the impact of the 2030 Agenda on vulnerable groups inside the EU. The EESC calls for an annual report to be issued on the implementation of actions and funds in regard to the 2030 Agenda. This should be part of the planned annual Eurostat reports on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals for Europe.

3.14.

The EU institutions should take the necessary steps to be able to meet the challenge of putting the principle of ‘No one is left behind’ into effect and fully integrate this principle into its policies and programmes. In order to achieve this, a significant level of disaggregated, reliable and accessible data is required.

3.15.

The European Commission should always involve and consult civil society when conducting the comprehensive review or establishing processes to monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. However, the EESC considers that the European Commission should mainstream capacity-building activities for civil society into all of its policies and programmes and thus make civil society a real partner in the implementation of the SDGs by providing funding for international cooperation for EU-based civil society and other regions’ civil society organisations. To this end, the EESC calls on the European Commission to endorse the establishment of the European Sustainable Development Forum as recommended in the EESC opinion on A European Sustainable Development Civil Society Forum  (8).

3.16.

The EU institutions should establish an inter-institutional coordination mechanism to effectively, swiftly and coherently mainstream and integrate the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda into all EU external action policies and programmes. Comprehensive engagement in the SDGs’ implementation at global level by the EU requires strategic planning for the future of the EU’s external policies and programmes. The EESC therefore calls on:

3.16.1.

the European Commission to present in the forthcoming Communication on the 2030 Agenda a meaningful programme to achieve policy coherence and coordination in its external action and programmes. A Communication without a meaningful plan to transform EU external policies into 2030-driven policies will fall short of the expectations of people around the world. This plan should be part of an overarching EU strategy covering the necessary measures and making the needed changes in order to implement the 2030 Agenda coherently in EU policies and programmes at global level. The multi-stakeholder governance model should be a basic component of the overarching strategy, ensuring the full involvement of civil society organisations in the implementation of the SDGs (9);

3.16.2.

the European Commission to ensure that the EU’s Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy is a broader mechanism, so as to embrace the 2030 Agenda in areas such as trade, development, democracy, human rights, humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction, technology transfers and climate action;

3.16.3.

the European Commission to ensure that the proposal for the future Consensus on Development establishes real coordination between EU institutions and Member States, providing assistance to third countries. This coordination should include pooling resources. The Consensus should include effective bilateral coordination between EU and Member States on their national priorities, partnerships with the EU and inclusion of other public and private donors. This is expected to have a multiplier effect for achieving the 2030 Agenda and will diminish the negative impact of fragmentation and overlapping of aid, as is currently the case;

3.16.4.

the European Commission to promote the social and solidarity economy through its external policies and programmes. The EESC considers that the social and solidarity economy is fully aligned with achieving the SDGs and therefore this sector of the economy can be instrumental in the balanced implementation of the economic, social and environmental pillars of the 2030 Agenda.

3.16.5.

the European Commission to clarify and specify the means to be used to implement the 2030 Agenda, while looking for strong synergies with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Financing for Development Forum.

3.17.

The new holistic approach of the 2030 Agenda, with the universal and indivisible nature of the three interrelated pillars, points to a more comprehensive model of human development and therefore the results of the 2030 Agenda implementation cannot be measured in the traditional way, using exclusively GDP to measure economic growth and inclusive development.

3.18.

The European Union should devise and implement specific policies and programmes, with the aim of fully implementing the 2030 Agenda, with a particular focus on promoting democracy, human rights, environmental policies, the rule of law and inclusive growth with real improvement of the living conditions of vulnerable groups. These should be basic components of the EU’s external action, policies and programmes, with an emphasis on promoting the balanced implementation of the three pillars of the 2030 Agenda.

3.19.

The External Action Service should also devise and implement a coherent plan to include measurable action and initiatives. The aim should be that by playing a leading role in mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda consistently in its action, policies and programmes, the EU will be regarded by the rest of the world as paving the way towards balanced and fair implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

3.20.

The European Commission should establish a 2030 Agenda conditionality to be shaped by the 17 goals, and this conditionality should be included in all policies and programmes funded by the EU through its external action. The recipients of these programmes should be responsible for meeting this conditionality when implementing them. Undoubtedly, the 2030 Agenda conditionality needs to be equally and fully applicable to all EU policies and programmes. The conditionality principle has already been included in the regulatory framework of the EU Structural and Investment Funds (10).

3.21.

It is widely accepted that the 2030 Agenda brings a paradigm shift to the development agenda and that this should be fully reflected in EU Development Cooperation programmes. Therefore, the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda should be fully mainstreamed, integrated and included in the EU Development Cooperation Agenda. The EU should also fully respect and take into account international treaties, including environmental and human rights treaties, when developing and implementing external action (11).

3.22.

The European Commission should include in its external policies and programmes measures to gauge people’s understanding and perception of the impact of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, the European Commission should carry out a Eurobarometer survey in the EU Member States and relevant surveys in the partner countries. It should be noted and underlined that according to Eurobarometer, only ‘one third of Europeans have heard or read about the Sustainable Development Goals (36 %)’.

4.1.

The 2030 Agenda calls on the world to move towards a multi-stakeholder governance model, with a greater role for civil society. This entails new, more collaborative and inclusive ways of working, built around participatory decision making.

4.2.

The process of negotiating the 2030 Agenda has mobilised and attracted new actors from civil society and therefore this involvement of civil society needs to be capitalised on, reinforced and formalised during the implementation process. In fact, the positive and effective contributions of civil society organisations during the negotiations on the 2030 Agenda have made civil society’s role in the implementation of this Agenda indispensable, thus making civil society a de facto partner in this process.

4.3.

Civil society has to play a crucial role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at global, regional and national level. It must be ensured that civil society also plays an effective role at national level in the EU Member States and in the partner countries. In order to make this participation and partnership a reality, the EESC calls on the European Commission to mainstream, integrate and include civil society capacity-building activities in its policies and programmes.

4.4.

The EESC is aware of the restrictions, barriers and obstacles facing civil society organisations in many parts of the world and that this regrettable situation hampers their real and effective participation in this process. Therefore, it calls on the European Commission to make it obligatory for the partner countries to facilitate the real participation of civil society through systematic consultation and involvement in the planning, implementing and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda related to projects and programmes, especially those funded by the EU. To achieve this, the EU delegation in partner countries should closely monitor this and report to the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The UN delegations in partner countries should also organise consultation meetings with civil society organisations concerning EU funding programmes.

4.5.

However, civil society should proactively seek to adapt to the requirements of the 2030 Agenda in order to effectively influence its implementation. It is clear that the 2030 Agenda calls on civil society organisations to become a real propelling force for its implementation and this means that civil society should approach this process as a paradigm shift in the way it is organised and works. This can be achieved only if civil society prepares and restructures itself so as to be capable of participating fully in the decision-making process. Civil society organisations should be representative, democratic, transparent and accountable.

4.6.

The future establishment of the Sustainable Development Forum in the EU is a good model of a platform which could be replicated in other regions and countries of the world, tailored to local conditions (12).

4.7.

The EESC is ready to facilitate the meaningful involvement of civil society organisations in the implementation, monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda at global level. The EESC can support this by fully utilising its wide network of contacts, partners and stakeholders in many regions of the world. It also calls on the European Commission to integrate and mainstream structural and meaningful support in its external policies and programmes in order to enable civil society organisations in third countries to participate as full partners in the 2030 Agenda’s implementation process.