EESC's role recognised in Council Conclusions on Sustainable Development

© Credit: UN website

The Council adopted a set of conclusions on the implementation by the EU of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 10 December.

The document "Building a sustainable Europe by 2030 – Progress thus far and next steps" stresses the need to accelerate action both within the EU and in other parts of the world in order to fulfil the vision and goals of the 2030 Agenda.

In particular, it urges the Commission to:

  • elaborate a comprehensive implementation strategy outlining timelines, objectives and concrete measures to reflect the 2030 Agenda and
  • mainstream the SDGs in all relevant EU internal and external policies – something the EESC has also been calling for in several opinions.

The Council Conclusions explicitly acknowledge the critical role played by civil society in implementing and achieving the SDGs, highlighting the active involvement of the EESC and welcoming its opinion on the Reflection Paper.

Last but not least, the Council stresses the key role of youth in achieving the SDGs and encourages the Commission and the Member States to involve youth through structured dialogue mechanisms. The EESC SDO will work towards this objective to make sure young people have a meaningful voice and count in the decision-making process about sustainability.

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