The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in New York in September 2015 will be at the centre of the orientation package the European Commission will be unveiling on Tuesday 22 November in Strasbourg. This involves non-legislative texts that will, however, be important with regard to the application of these SDGs in the EU’s internal and external policies and to which EU and member states have signed up (see EUROPE 11669 et 11631).
The package will consist of three communications. These will be jointly presented by Vice President of the Commission Frans Timmermans, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and European Commissioner for International Co-operation and Development Neven Mimica. On Monday, Commission services put the final touches to the texts.
The first communication will outline the 2030 universal programme for sustainable development and its 17 SDGs in all of its relevant sectoral policies. The communication on the new “European Development Consensus” will include the new vision and future priorities for EU development policy that the Commission hopes can be shared by all EU institutions (EP, Council and Commission) and member states.
On Monday, Neven Mimica announced “these proposals for a new EU development policy” and explained that “we need to adapt our priorities and tools. Women and young people in particular must be seen as drivers of development”. The Commissioner explained that this was why, “Women and youth play a driving role in it”.
The third communication will focus on the future of the EU/ACP partnership after 2020, when the Cotonou agreement expires. The aim is to increase efficiency and adapt this future partnership to the SDGs on the basis of the Commission’s main guidelines contained in its analysis of the public consultation results on this subject. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)