The Commission announced it would take action in 2016 to define next steps for a sustainable European future and unveil a new approach, ensuring Europe's economic prosperity and social and environmental sustainability beyond the 2020 timeframe in order to implement the SDGs. This conference fed into this process.

Opened by the Commission’s First Vice-President Timmermans, it provided civil society and stakeholders with a forum to express their ideas on how EU internal and external polices can best contribute to an effective implementation of SDGs. Working groups on sustainable consumption and production, social justice and decent work, sustainable business and investment and on global partnership and peace generated interactive discussions. The event reflected the outcome of recent major conferences in Europe and feature a debate with Karl Falkenberg, special adviser of the Commission President on ways to strengthen sustainable development in the EU.