2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: establishment and mandate of a dedicated Working Party - Main contents

Document date	24-11-2017
Publication date	25-11-2017
Reference	14809/17
From	General Secretariat of the Council
External link	original article
Original document in PDF

Council of the European Union Brussels, 24 November 2017

PUBLIC

(OR. en)

14809/17

LIMITE

DEVGEN 273 CONUN 269 ONU 155 ENV 978 POLGEN 149

'I' ITEM NOTE

From: General Secretariat of the Council

To: Permanent Representatives Committee

Subject: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: establishment and mandate of a dedicated Working Party

• 1. 

  Following consultations with the Member States, Commission Services and the EEAS, the

  Estonian Presidency prepared the enclosed explanatory note and mandate for the establishment of a dedicated Council Working Party to ensure proper follow-up, monitoring and review of the implementation at EU level, across internal and external policy sectors, of commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted at UN level in 2015.

• 2. 

  Coreper is hereby invited to decide to set up this new Working Party and to approve the mandate proposed by the Presidency, in line with Article 19, paragraph 3, of the Rules of Procedure of the Council of the EU.

ANNEX

Explanatory Note for Establishing a

Working Party on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is at the heart of the European project. The EU Treaties recognise the interlinked dimensions of economic, social and environmental development. The EU and its

Member States are committed to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The EU and its Member States played a leading role in the process that led to the adoption of

"Transforming Our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" 1 (2030 Agenda) and its

17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. The EU and its Member States are fully committed to driving forward its implementation as a plan of action for People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.

The EU and its Member States recognise their responsibility, within their respective competences, to promote a transformative agenda for sustainable development domestically, regionally and globally in a coherent way as well as addressing the domestic, regional and global impact of their actions.

In line with the Council conclusions 'A sustainable European future: The EU response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development' adopted on 20 June 2017, the EU and its Member States are strongly committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs in a full, coherent, comprehensive, integrated and effective manner.

1 A/RES/70/1

The Council is strongly committed to developing an implementation strategy outlining timelines, objectives and concrete measures to reflect the 2030 Agenda in all relevant EU internal and external policies, taking into account the global impacts of the EU’s domestic actions. This strategy should be based on a clear vision of how all relevant EU policies will contribute to the realisation of the 2030 Agenda.

The challenges of implementing SDGs are interdependent and can only be tackled effectively by addressing the interlinkages of the SDGs in a holistic and coherent approach at all levels. Against this background, the EU and Member States are committed to ensure inter-linkages, coherence and consistency between the different internal and external sectors. Given the broad range of policy areas covered by the 2030 Agenda, it is necessary to establish a dedicated Working Party to assist the Council (notably General Affairs) to regularly follow up, monitor and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across internal and external policies at the EU level. The Working Party will closely work with other Council bodies concerning the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in specific policy areas, without duplicating their work.

The new Working Party will continue the work previously done on issues related to the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development in the framework of the joint meetings of the

WPIEI(Global)/CONUN/CODEV.

The adaptation of the Council working methods on the work related to the 2030 Agenda is necessary given that the 2030 Agenda has now entered into the implementation phase. This necessitates a coherent approach with a sufficient focus on the EU internal implementation of the Agenda and a regular dialogue with relevant stakeholders. The WPIEI(Global)/CONUN/CODEV Working Parties have external mandates only and EU internal work related to the 2030 Agenda is outside their scope.

The organisational arrangements related to the new Working Party will be governed by the general Rules of Procedures of the Council.

Establishment and Mandate of the Working Party on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

A Working Party on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (hereinafter "the Working

Party") is hereby established to assist the Council to regularly follow up, monitor and review the

EU internal and external implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across policy sectors at the EU level. The Working Party will also provide a forum for information exchange about implementation at Member State level.

The Working Party will address overarching cross-cutting issues related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and take stock of progress made in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals at EU level in an integrated and coherent manner. It will report to and prepare deliberations of the Council in that regard. The Working Party will advise on further strategic orientations as appropriate.

The Working Party should not duplicate the work carried out by other Council bodies concerning the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in specific policy areas.

In line with the Council conclusions on 'A sustainable European future: The EU response to the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development' of 20 June 2017, the Working Party will assist in ensuring a systematic, effective, participatory, transparent and integrated follow-up and review of the implementation of the SDGs at EU level in order to track progress, assess achievements and ensure accountability.

The Working Party will also play a leading role in the coordination and preparation, in synergy with other relevant EU bodies, of common EU approaches and positions in view of relevant international dialogues, processes and fora on sustainable development in which the EU and its Member States are or will be involved, notably in the context of the United Nations.

The Working Party will be chaired by a representative of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. The representatives of the EEAS will participate in the work of the Working Party.