20 November 2017
SDG Watch Europe criticises today’s Eurostat Report on Sustainable Development in the EU for failing to adequately illustrate progress and failure in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Union.
For future monitoring, SDG Watch Europe calls on the European Commission and Eurostat to:
● Revise the indicators set with an appropriate and inclusive procedure, benefitting from broader
input through adequate participation of researchers and CSOs.
● Beyond mere monitoring reports, elaborate outlook reports for proper projections, broader and
qualitative assessments – as agreed in the Council of the European Union Conclusions – with
additional data and knowledge taken into account. This could be done, for example, every four
years alongside with the HLPF meeting at Head of States level, in a collaborative effort with
agencies, researchers and civil society.
● Develop a comprehensive monitoring and assessment system that should include all the
sustainable development dimensions (social, economic, environmental and governance), as well
as the domestic and external dimensions, and the connection between the two.
● Finally, such a comprehensive assessment should be used to inform EU decision making
and encourage a real transformation of EU policies and practices. In its present form, the report is
not fit to the purpose.
Source: SDG Watch Europe