SDG Watch Europe is a European, cross-sectoral, civil society alliance committed to supporting the implementation, monitoring and follow up of the 2030 Agenda by the EU and its member states. We believe that the Council Conclusions to be adopted in June 2017 under the Maltese EU Presidency represent an important opportunity for EU member states to address the lack of European leadership and ambition shown to date regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
A year and a half has passed since the 2030 Agenda was first adopted by all UN member states in New York. Unfortunately, there has been little evidence of any real European political momentum to support the implementation of this vitally important sustainable development agenda, either in terms of EU internal or external policy-making and action. The lack of coordination between, and timely action on the part of the EU and its member states is difficult to understand in light of the failures of today’s policies to tackle poverty, and their direct contribution to rising inequality, the destruction of the environment, threats to health, the concentration of wealth and political power in fewer and fewer hands, and the disaffection of many people across Europe with the European Union, its institutions and policies.
In the Rome Declaration, published on 25 March on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, the leaders of 27 Members States and of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission have reaffirmed their promise to work towards a sustainable Europe. The adoption of the Council Conclusions provides an important opportunity for the EU and its member states to outline a clear road map and set of concrete actions, with targets and timelines, to ensure the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda in EU internal, and external policy-making and legislations. The Conclusions should actively engage other stakeholders in all aspects of planning, implementation, monitoring and follow-up of Agenda 2030 implementation to ensure the full and timely achievement of its goals and targets.