During a debate on the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit (New York, 18 and 19 September), which resulted in a political declaration in favour of a transformative agenda to boost global action by 2030 and beyond, the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, recalled, on Wednesday 18 October, that Ursula von der Leyen had presented the €300 billion Global Gateway strategy in partner countries as the EU’s contribution to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These investments in digital connectivity, health, transport and clean energy prove that “the EU is fully committed”. The same tone was struck by the Spanish minister, Pacual Navarro Ríos, who, on behalf of the Council, spoke of “intelligent investment while respecting social standards”.
Prior to the summit, a majority of MEPs backed an own-initiative resolution calling on the EU to double its efforts (see EUROPE 13202/20). Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Greens/EFA and The Left have once again expressed their alarm at the delay, with less than 7 years to go before the 2030 deadline.
For Stanislav Polčák (EPP, Czech), the SDGs are “the only way forward for humanity”, requiring global cooperation, but the results for some of the SDGs “are not guaranteed” in view of “famine, climate change and human rights, which often exist on paper”.
In the opinion of Udo Bullmann (S&D, German), Agenda 2030 and the SDGs are “our common plan for tomorrow’s world”, but the record so far is “worrying”. “We need to invest in quality jobs and combat climate change. We need to fundamentally change the relationship between North and South. That is why Antonio Guterres spoke of an additional $500 billion”, he added.
Speaking of the “European Parliament’s passion for this 2030 Agenda”, Barry Andrews(Renew Europe, Irish) deplored the fact that MEPs were being refused the right to attend UN summits “with EU delegations”, and gave assurances that an alliance of MEPs would be closely monitoring implementation, particularly with regard to the restructuring of poor countries’ debt.
“The 2030 Agenda – you haven’t read it! Even its premises are wrong: it is not a programme for the people, by the people. It was drawn up by officials in New York and signed by heads of state without ever being submitted to popular referendums!” retorted the eurosceptic Jorge Buxadé Villalba (ECR, Spanish), pointing out contradictions such as: “putting an end to hunger in the world, but dismantling the primary sector, guaranteeing human dignity, but favouring abortion for the poor, eliminating poverty, but increasing taxes, defending individual freedoms, but creating a global personal data alliance. You claim to be pro-European, but in these 40 pages, not a single measure is in favour of our compatriots”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)