11/02/2016 – From June 2015 onwards, a considerable number of EU-based Civil Society Organisations from the sustainability, development, environment and social sectors have been meeting to consider in which way we can contribute to the implementation, monitoring and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, both in Europe and beyond.
This week, this broad CSOs Coalition in which EAPN takes part, has addressed a joint letter to the European Commission’s First Vice-President Frans Timmermans.
- Calling on the EU and each of its member states to develop an overarching Sustainable Development Strategy with a timeline of 2030 and a concrete implementation plan which coordinates the achievement of the 17 goals, 169 targets and their indicators. This new EU Sustainable Development Strategy and associated implementation policies should be subject to a broad consultation with all stakeholders through an institutionalised and inclusive process. For this to be a meaningful and transparent exercise, it is critical that the results of the gap analysis are made public and sufficient notice is given of the means and timing of the consultation.
- Demanding the EU to ensure that it does not cherry-pick the easiest or preferred goals and must go beyond policy-as-usual by aiming for the highest level of ambition in all the targets, guaranteeing that no-one is left behind and that planetary boundaries are fully respected.
- Asking the EU to take full advantage of the upcoming mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to ensure that funding mechanisms and budget lines for civil society organisations are aligned with the new needs of the global and European challenges, and with open windows for more process work and holistic approaches.
- Considering to design strong monitoring, review and accountability mechanisms. Recognising that sustainable development challenges and solutions rarely sit within national borders, the EU must develop a means to differentiate between the parts of the 2030 Agenda for which member states are primarily responsible versus those for which an EU lead is necessary and for which the EU must be held to account. Accountability must also incorporate the concept of Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development.
You can read the full version of the letter here.
