WHY DO WE NEED A SUCCESSOR TO EU

WHY DO WE NEED A SUCCESSOR TO EU 2020 STRATEGY Brenda King President, Sustainable Development Observatory European Economic & Social Committee S

Need Sixth Option The Commission as a matter of urgency needs to develop the policies outlined in its "Next Steps" (Commission Working Document), and focus more on integrating the SDGs and the Paris Agreement fully into the European policy framework and current Commission priorities with the objective of setting out a vision for a fair and competitive Europe to the year 2050.

Poverty & Inequalities

Demography POPULATION OF THE WORLD AND MAJOR AREAS ACCORDING TO THE MEDIUMVARIANT PROJECTION Major area Population (millions) 2015 2030 2050 2100 World. . . . 7 349 8 501 9 725 11 213 Africa. . . . 1 186 1 679 2 478 4 387 Asia. . . . 4 393 4 923 5 267 4 889 Europe. . . …. . . 738 734 707 646 Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision. New York: United Nations.

Environmental degradation and climate change

Shocks & Crisis

Public Loss of Trust in Institutions S Rise in populist movements / decline in traditional political parties / Fake news phenomena S Low voter turnout, especially among the youth S At the same time non-hierarchical forms of activism among citizens, particularly young people

Technological Innovation Megatrend S Exacerbate these issues or provide solutions – social inequality, depletion of earth’s natural resources, public distrust/fear. S Challenges and risks: S cybersecurity and privacy concerns S Widening inequalities S polarising opportunities / job replacement

Technological Innovation Megatrend S Exacerbate these issues or provide solutions S Big technological advancements: S Health - we are living longer S Education – online courses & interactive applications S Renewable Energy Technologies S Potential to achieve the SDGs (Global Goals) however risks must be monitored & managed

The Europe We Want S The EU must succeed in: S getting the best out of the digital revolution to build a new, competitive and sustainable economy; S shifting towards a low-carbon, circular and eco-friendly economy while ensuring a fair transition for all; S building a robust European social model; S ensuring a more citizen-driven and more decentralised democratic system while using the advantages of fair economic cooperation at a global level. S the “progress of societies”

A Sustainable European Future within radically changing socioeconomic context S geared to the long term; S explicit; S horizontally and vertically integrated; S manageable.

Long-term S Given the complexities and interlinks between the global issues and the megatrend of digitalisation, addressing could take up to three decades S As relevant decisions, including investment decisions , need time to take effect.

Explicitness S Need more policy not less S Need to develop chain of measures to achieve The Europe We Want S Political programmes for the long run S Policy plans for medium term S Specific measures geared for the short term

Horizontal & Vertical Integration S To address the global complexity and realise the opportunities from digitalisation the successor to the current Europe 2020 strategy needs to combine S implementation of the 17 universal Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement S with the work priorities of the European Commission & European Semester S Need support at local, regional, national & European level & involve organised civil society and citizens

Manageability S Sustainable European Future S Needs political management S Targets with milestones S Continuous evaluation of explicit policy measures S If results fall behind, policy measues should be assessed and aligned.