On Thursday 18 July, at the UN High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development in New York, the EU reaffirmed its strong commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The EU presented the progress made in the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Europe and in its international cooperation, on the basis of the joint EU/Member States report prepared by the Commission (see EUROPE 12291/10, EUROPE 12228/16).
“In Europe, we are strengthening our collective effort to translate the Sustainable Development Goals into concrete actions that can be measured and monitored. In the next five years I expect the European Commission to fully integrate the SDGs into our economic governance model. There is no time to lose as it is the future of our children and grandchildren that is at stake. The EU must now step up its game”, said Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the Commission. The EU has put the SDGs at the heart of its external action and has aligned its development activities with the 2030 Agenda.
The Juncker Commission has never presented a strategy for implementing the SDGs – a strategy that has been called for by the EU Council, Parliament and NGOs. Only one discussion paper on a sustainable Europe by 2030 (see EUROPE 12273/4, EUROPE 12233/10) was presented. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)