Over the past six years since the adoption of the Agenda 2030, we have witnessed growing engagement from my fellow elected officials in cities and regions to the integration of the SDGs at the core of their long-term strategies and daily political decisions. These efforts are recognized specifically as an exercise of SDGs localization. At the same time, we have all observed the gradual decline of SDGs' centrality in the EU narrative. Overshadowed by the European Green Deal and overlooked in the plans for recovery, the SDGs have lost their prominence as guiding principles of European policy making. This is at a time when the values they embody are more essential than ever for a sustainable recovery.
The engagement of regions and cities for the SDGs is still on the rise. The growing number of Voluntary Local and Regional Reviews is only the tip of the iceberg. For instance, the CoR is working with the OECD to support more regions and cities in their contributions to the SDGs.
Main recommendations of this Opinion:
1) The SDGs should be reinstated at the core of the EU overarching narrative. EU action should be better aligned with action at local, regional, and international level on SDGs. Their disappearance from the EU narrative puts their implementation at risk.
2) In the spirit of partnership embodied by SDG 17, we should also all work in close cooperation to achieve this universal agenda. Many regions and cities in the EU, together with their associations and the CoR share a strong commitment to the SDGs. Their work on the ground with civil society and companies must be recognised and harnessed. For instance, the OECD estimated that local and regional authorities are essential for the realization of 65% of the SDGs. Only a collective effort of all these actors will ensure the successful implementation of the Agenda 2030.
3) The re-establishment of an instrument for participative governance at EU level. The EU high level multi-stakeholders platform on the implementation of the SDGs facilitated the direct involvement and active participation of stakeholders in a structured dialogue with the EC on the SDGs. Stakeholders were able to advise the Commission on SDGs. This created synergies and convergence between many of them. The end of the platform's mandate in 2019 was a very negative sign to send to all the stakeholders working on SDGs. To this day there is no constructive dialogue and pooling of expertise on SDGs. It cannot be said that the Climate Pact replaced the platform. First, because the Pact serves as an instrument to boost collective climate action, rather than as an advisory body to the Commission. Second, because it only covers issues related to climate and environment. Given the importance of a structured dialogue on the SDGs, the CoR advocates for a prompt renewal of the EU high level multi-stakeholders platform on the implementation of the SDGs.
Thefourth (4) recommendation is linked to the governance process, which should be transparent and well-coordinated. It is excellent news that the President of the European Commission is taking the lead on SDGs. However, a more direct coordination and efficient division of responsibility between the Cabinet of the President of the EC and the Cabinets of the Commissioners is crucial to ensure the mainstreaming of the SDGs in a coherent manner across all EU policies. The European Commission should develop a proper scheme for the internal governance of SDGs with regular meetings and structured synergies among the different Cabinets.
A final recommendation is to put the SDGs back at the heart of the European Semester. The Agenda 2030 is the most comprehensive roadmap for sustainable recovery that we have at our disposal, while the European Semester as the RRF implementing tool and a coordination instrument of our economic policies has the potential to ensure policy coherence in the implementation of SDGs. Your conclusions could encourage the EC to start reintegrating the SDGs in the Semester during the evaluation of the NRRPs by mapping SDGs' implementation in the Member States Plans. This would form the basis to reintegrate SDGs in the next Semester cycle without creating additional bureaucratic efforts for Member States. Moreover, the next Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy should clearly reaffirm the centrality of the SDGs in a reformed, more transparent and more democratic European Semester Cycle. I should lead to a progressive re-emergence of the SDGs in this coordination process.