To address the urgency of action, we strongly encourage the Commission to follow up on our recommendations in a swift and timely manner so that Europe can fully and rapidly embrace the opportunity that sustainable development represents to our societies. The implementation of our requirements will require an inclusive and participatory approach and we fully commit our support. Our ultimate objective is to ensure that sustainable development becomes a permanent feature of European policy-making.

(5) Cohesion policy is a major EU investment tool to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. It should strengthen the localisation of the Goals by directly supporting subnational governments, support the Urban Agenda of the EU, further promote social objectives and better encourage investments towards greener, more sustainable infrastructure, including in rural areas.

(4) Food, farming and land-use including Common Agricultural Policy. The EU should ensure that all EU investment into agriculture is aligned with the EU's Treaty to ensure a high level of human health protection, food security, as well as the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. Public income support should support food production, the provision of public goods and ecosystem services, while also ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, and enabling the transition to sustainable agriculture and food systems. Investments and research into environmentally friendly and economically viable practices should be prioritised and global value chains made sustainable.

(3) Climate and energy policy. The EU should align its climate and energy targets with the agreed objective of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels, while increasing resilience. Fossil fuels should be progressively phased out; investments in energy efficiency and clean energy increase; the uptake of nature based solutions promoted. Traffic congestion should decrease, sustainable infrastructure and comprehensive mobility plans should be encouraged. The EU should also support developing countries in adaptation and resilience to climate change.

(2) The EU should invest in research and innovation, people and human talents, employability and social inclusion. The European Pillar of Social Rights should be fully implemented. The social and solidarity economy should be promoted; investment in health and well-being scaled up and sustainability should become an interdisciplinary science. Quality education should be guaranteed, support to children and young people prioritised and a regulatory framework to ensure safe pathways for asylum seekers and migrants introduced, while strengthening integration and inclusion policy.

(1) Sustainable Consumption and Production should be further promoted, incentivised and regulated while paying particular attention to global supply chains. We also need legal, policy and financing measures that should drive this transition. The EU's footprint needs to be reduced, a Resource Management Convention introduced and consumption based indicators developed. Sustainability should be part of the European Industry Strategy 2030.

We also make sectoral specific recommendations. Sustainability should be reflected in a coherent way across all EU policies and initiatives. For the scope of this paper, however, we identified five EU policy areas with a vital role in achieving the SDGs:

We also have some specific recommendations on how to strengthen the EU's existing toolbox. The Better Regulation agenda could become more powerful by fully integrating sustainable development objectives and principles in the policy-making process. EU policy-makers should better use and further improve the Impact Assessment Guidelines to mainstream sustainable development. A Sustainable Europe coordination cycle should be set up, with EU Sustainable Development Action Plans, Member State and European Commission Sustainable Development Reports and recommendations. The European Semester process should be guided by the Sustainable Europe 2030 Strategy and include a sustainability check. EU public finances, including the Multi-annual Financial Framework, should be fully sustainable and the definition of environmental, social and governance risks embedded within financial regulations. Sustainable fiscal reforms should be carried out at Member State level, corporate tax avoidance and fiscal dumping addressed and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda fully implemented. To inform future decision makers, the EU should further develop an integrated and participatory monitoring, accountability and review framework, including a comprehensive EU SDG indicator set and qualitative analysis.

We also make some cross-cutting recommendations. We advise the EU to reinvent its governance system to ensure a coherent approach to sustainable development. The Commission President, assisted by a dedicated project team, should be in charge of the 2030 Agenda, ensure effective coordination and report on its implementation during the annual State of the European Union speech. We also will need action of regions, cities, citizens, communities, businesses and civil society in its diversity to implement the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. The EU should advocate a territorial approach for the delivery of the SDGs and allow a two-way dialogue where European and national strategies associate regional and local authorities as well as civil society and professional organisations in a multi-level and multi-stakeholders governance approach. We also offer to assess the merits of this Platform - both its composition and mission - and to discuss how in the future it can best contribute to our proposal for an inclusive, participatory and transparent Sustainable Europe 2030 Strategy. Finally, additional efforts should be deployed to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development, meaning that all EU policies should contribute to sustainable development within or outside Europe.

When implementing the 2030 Agenda, the European Commission and all other stakeholders need to respect key principles, to fulfil existing commitments under international agreements, to commit to a transformation of our social and economic model, to prioritise and fast-track actions for the poorest and most marginalised in society (“leave no one behind”), to recognise planetary boundaries, to respect human rights and the rule of law, and ensure policy coherence for sustainable development.

As priority actions, we recommend that the EU develops and implements an overarching visionary and transformative Sustainable Europe 2030 strategy, guiding all EU policies and programmes. To be effective, such a strategy should include both interim and long-term targets and lay out Europe's vision for a sustainable Europe beyond the 2030 Agenda.

Given the ambitious agenda and the universal and indivisible nature of the Sustainable Development Goals, there is no single recipe for which to advocate. Achieving the Goals requires a comprehensive review, the identification of areas where changes are needed, and the development of coherent policies which produce lasting social, economic, governance and environmental co-benefits, recognising and acting on interlinkages between all goals and targets. Our recommendations provide an ambitious and consensus-based contribution to this goal.

Through strong common values we, as representatives of the public sector, civil society and private sector, worked diligently to make well considered recommendations on how to transform the Sustainable Development Goals into practical solutions for the wellbeing of our present and future generations in the EU and beyond. Our recommendations aim to inspire and guide the Commission’s Reflection paper "Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030".

The Multi-Stakeholder Platform on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the European Union – the "EU SDG multi-stakeholder platform" – was established in May 2017 to support and advise the European Commission and all stakeholders involved on the implementation of the SDGs at EU level.

We are proud of the work achieved so far, while at the same time we feel the urgency to do much more. So, might the sustainability dialogue and collaboration within this Platform - both between the stakeholders and with the EU institutions – rapidly improve and grow.

We are confident that the trust and engagement of people and leaders in a continuous transformation of Europe will bear fruit. It requires a fair and equitable culture of dialogue and partnership on all levels, in which each partner can become, and trust the others to be, co-designers of a Europe that cares and works for all. It also involves an overarching strategy for a Sustainable Europe to guide all European policies and programmes that will accelerate our individual and collective endowments in order to yield sustainable security, prosperity and dignity for all.

Our report highlights different perspectives and addresses some challenging trade-offs between the environmental, economic, social and governance dimensions of sustainable development, some of which we have been able to negotiate, others which need more clarification and consensus-building.

Through strong common values, structural policy improvements and innovative action proposals, we ground our recommendations in the experience and efforts of thousands of men and women in the public sector, civil society and private sector. They have a common ambition to transform the Sustainable Development Goals into practical solutions for the well-being of citizens and the protection of our environment for present and future generations.

However, within a short period of time, we have strived to build upon and respect our diverse backgrounds and opinions, with the aim of pulling in the same direction for a better, sustainable Europe.

It is important to note that none of the members of the Platform is expected to endorse every recommendation or view entailed in this Report and each has the right to take a different view on the issues covered.

Through this new Platform and with our Report, we want to send a vibrant signal to the leaders, actors and people within and outside the European Union: time has come – more than ever – to develop and implement a visionary and ambitious Strategy for a Sustainable Europe 2030.

At civil society level: The Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS) aims to raise the awareness and mobilise the Italian society, economic stakeholders and institutions about the importance of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development . It brings together over 180 of the most important civil society institutions and networks, along with universities and companies.

At company level: Unilever, a transnational consumer goods company, has been a strong advocate for the SDGs since the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development, with the CEO of the company serving on the UN Secretary-General’s Advocacy Group for the Global Goals. Unilever co-founded the Business & Sustainable Development Commission in 2016, culminating in the launch of a seminal report in 2017 ‘Better Business Better World’ on the business case for action on the SDGs.

At regional/local level: Latvian local governments and non-governmental organisations are actively involved in development cooperation projects with Eastern Partnership and Central Asian countries - Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and others. The Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments has provided long-term expert support for partner country budget planning, government negotiation, citizen involvement in decision-making, and business promotion.

At Member State level: ‘The Finland We Want by 2050 – Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development’ is an innovative way to engage the whole of society in implementing the SDGs. In order to reach the eight objectives towards its vision for 2050, operational commitments are being established with administrative sectors and other societal actors, such as companies, municipalities, organisations, educational institutions and local operators. The commitments have to be new and measurable.

At EU level: The European external investment plan and its European Fund for Sustainable Development put forward the EU budget as a guarantee to unlock and boost investments in Africa and its neighbourhood. Their focus are fragile, conﬂict and violence-aﬀected countries, landlocked and least developed countries that are in greatest need. It aims to unlock private investment and mobilise additional EUR 44 billion of investments by 2020.

The EU at the international level: The EU is engaged together with other G20 partners and International Organisations in the G20 Compact with Africa, aiming at boosting investments in the participating African countries. The EU will also support triangular cooperation - which are Southern-driven partnerships between two or more developing countries, supported by a developed country or multilateral organisation, as an important tool to reach out to developing countries and other stakeholders.

The challenges Europe and the world face will be more complex, inter-connected and more global than ever before. Global partnerships on poverty eradication and all other SDGs will be indispensable. At the international level, the EU will therefore continue to promote preservation and strengthening of the rules-based multilateral international order, with the United Nations at its core. This is a necessary condition to ensure the means of implementation. The EU will continue to use its value-based trade policy to promote sustainable development including corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, and will continue to strongly support the World Trade Organisation. For example, to improve results by dividing the work in the most efficient way, the EU and its Member States will use joint programming and joint implementation as effective means for implementing development cooperation partnerships. This means that they define together which donor should work in which sector. The EU institutions and Member States will moreover continue to increase their efforts to implement the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which is the global framework for financing the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development, and which underscores the role of science, technology and innovation. ‘Horizon Europe’, the next research and innovation programme of the EU (2021-2027), underscores the central role of international scientific collaboration for achieving the SDGs. The EU is well positioned with regard to most financing for development commitments by 2030. Within the EU, partnerships for sustainable development will be promoted as well.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), six EU Member States have a score above 70 out of 100 for SDG 17. Three EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·The shift of taxation burden from labour to environment can boost jobs, reduce inequalities and limit the pressures on the environment. The share of environmental taxes in total EU tax revenues has remained almost unchanged (6.8% in 2002 and 6.1% in 2017).

·Assisting developing countries in boosting their domestic resources is crucial. The EU approach to budget support to partner countries has been adjusted to better promote the SDGs, to enhance the result focus of countries’ policies and to provide capacity building, through better supporting improved governance and public financial management, including anti-corruption measures.

·The share of EU imports from least developed countries increased between 2002 and 2017. Nevertheless, overall, the almost 50 least developed countries still accounted for only 2.0 % of all imports to the EU in 2017. Over the past few years the EU strengthened its role as the main export market for least developed countries: its share of global least developed countries' exports of goods increased from 20.5 % in 2012 to nearly 25 % in 2016, followed by China (21 %) and the United States (8.2 %).

·Trade relations with developing countries have intensified. Exports can create domestic jobs and allow developing countries to obtain foreign currency, which can be used for importing other goods needed. EU imports from developing countries have more than doubled from 2002 to 2017.

·The EU is the world's largest provider of Official Development Assistance, providing EUR 75.7 billion in 2017. Additionally, with 0.5 % in 2017, the overall EU Official Development Assistance/Gross National Income (GNI) ratio was significantly higher than for most other OECD donors such as Canada, Japan or the United States. Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom have achieved the target to spend 0.7 % of their GNI in official development assistance (2017).

The SDGs are a cross-cutting dimension in the implementation of the global strategy for the EU’s foreign and security policy, which sets out a vision for a joined-up EU engagement in the world. The European Consensus on Development provides a framework for a common approach to development policy for the EU and the Member States based on the SDGs. Based on the principle of policy coherence for development, the EU aims to maximise coherence and build synergies between its different policies to support partner countries reaching SDGs. Today, the EU is the world's largest provider of official development assistance. Over the last decade, there has been a shift in the balance of roles, from donor-recipient towards a more equal partnership. The EU's enlargement policy and the revised European neighbourhood policy is focusing on political and economic fundamentals, including the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and sustainable economic growth and development, fully consistent with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EU humanitarian engagement includes working in close partnership with a large number of humanitarian and development UN and civil society international organisations in the pursuit of human dignity. EU’s values-based trade and investment policy, as set out in the trade for all strategy, maps across the SDGs, integrating implementation of sustainable development in all its dimensions. The EU remains a staunch supporter of a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system, underpinned by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and is actively working to preserve and strengthen the WTO in all its functions. EU also works closely with other international organisations, such as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to promote human rights, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct as well as social and environmental objectives in its trade policy. The EU actively promotes the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development and the SDGs within the G20. The EU strengthens its own fiscal and economic governance through the European semester of policy coordination, thereby contribution to global macroeconomic stability. Through its better regulation agenda, the Commission contributes to enhanced policy coherence.

At civil society level: In Slovakia, the government promotes the involvement of civil society and non-governmental organisations in the creation, implementation and control of public policies in various fields. In the area of environmental policy, a ‘Green Tripartite’ is in place to channel the suggestions and comments of non-governmental actors in the process of policymaking and implementation.

At company level: In 2011, the Danish container shipping company Maersk Line was among the founders of the maritime anti-corruption network. This cross-sector partnership comprised of vessel-owning companies, cargo owners and service providers collaborates with key stakeholders, including governments and international organisations, to identify and mitigate the causes of corruption in the maritime industry.

At Member State level: The 2017 French law on duty of vigilance creates a responsibility for companies to implement measures ensuring that their subsidiaries, suppliers and subcontractors around the world respect good social, environmental and ethical practices. The law's purpose is to raise awareness among companies of their role in preventing tragedies in France and abroad, and to ensure that victims receive compensation for any harm caused by a breach of companies’ new duty to implement vigilance plans. It applies to companies with more than 5,000 employees headquartered in France, or companies with more than 10,000 employees headquartered abroad.

At EU level: In 2017 the European Public Prosecutor’s Office was established as an independent European prosecution office with the power to investigate, prosecute crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU. Following a build-up phase of three years, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is envisaged to take up its functions by the end of 2020. This will be a decisive improvement in the fight against fraud, corruption and other crimes against the EU budget.

The EU at the international level: The 2017 EU rules on conflict minerals lay down supply chain due diligence obligations for EU importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, to ensure that they are sourced responsibly without directly or indirectly funding armed conflict or leading to human rights abuses in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.

The EU continues to experience a peaceful path. Through its enlargement and neighbourhood policies it further contributes to peace and stability. The EU actively promotes and assists also EU accession candidates on delivering on the rule of law, justice reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, security, fundamental rights and democratic institutions. EU Foreign relations and development policy also contribute to peace elsewhere in the world. The EU furthermore continues to promote and uphold the rule of law among its own Member states. More needs to be done to improve the efficiency, quality and independence of the national justice systems in certain Member states. At the international level, there has been a trend towards authoritarian systems of governance in a number of countries. Promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law will therefore remain a top priority for the EU, both internal and in its external relations. The EU will continue to work towards improving access to justice, fight fraud, crime and address evolving security threats by further enhancing cooperation and information exchange between police and law enforcement authorities of EU Member States and will promote international cooperation in this field.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 19 EU Member States have a score above 70 out of 100 for SDG 16. Nine EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·The situation of the rule of law in some Member States gives rise to concerns, which are addressed by a range of actions at EU level.

·According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, EU Member States continue to rank among the least corrupt ones globally in 2017 and made up half of the global top 20 least corrupt countries.

·In 2018, 56 % of the EU inhabitants rated the independence of the courts and judges in their country as ‘very good’ or ‘fairly good’, which is an increase of four percentage points compared to 2016.

·EU general government expenditure on law courts rose by more than 11 % in 2007-2016, reaching slightly more than EUR 50 billion in 2016. This growth rate was slightly lower than GDP growth.

·The 2018 EU Justice Scoreboard shows that compared to 2010, the efficiency of justice systems in the Member States has improved or remained stable in almost all Member States with very few exceptions. However, civil and commercial proceedings still remain very long in several Member States.

·People’s perception of crime, violence or vandalism has improved; in 2016, 13.0 % of the European population felt affected by these issues, 2.9 percentage points less than in 2007.

The EU has been one of the most successful peace projects in the world. Under the guidance of the European Treaties, first signed in 1957, the EU can look back on 60 years of peace, democracy and solidarity. In 2012, the EU was awarded the nobel peace prize for advancing the causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. Promoting and upholding the rule of law and the EU’s fundamental values is a top priority for the EU, both internally and in its external relations. Effective justice systems play a crucial role in that respect. They ensure that citizens can fully enjoy their rights and businesses benefit from legal certainty and an investment-friendly environment in the single market. The EU is encouraging Member States to improve the independence, quality and efficiency of their justice systems, including through effective monitoring via the European semester and the EU justice scoreboard. More generally, the Commission ensures the respect of the rule of law and of the other EU fundamental values with all the tools and instruments at its disposal. One of the challenges for European societies is corruption, which compromises trust in democratic institutions and weakens the accountability of political leadership. The Commission has a political mandate to monitor the fight against corruption and to implement a comprehensive EU anti-corruption policy. On the external side, the EU contributes to international peace and helps partner countries to address fragile situations, establish accountable and transparent institutions, foster participatory decision-making and ensure inclusive and credible election processes through its foreign and security policy. Human rights, gender equality, inclusion and non-discrimination are at the heart of the European Consensus on Development. Through its enlargement and neighbourhood policies it further contributes to peace and stability. In particular, the EU actively promotes and assists EU accession candidates on delivering on the rule of law, justice reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, security, fundamental rights and democratic institutions.

At civil society level: The Hellenic Ornithological Society, WWF Greece, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds joined forces to halt the decline of the Egyptian vulture population in the Balkans. They broadened their cross-border approach to other countries along the species’ flyway.

At company level: 59 Austrian farmers, SPAR and WWF have built a strong alliance in the project 'Healthy Soil for Healthy Food'. By guaranteeing the sale of the produced vegetables and paying a bonus of EUR 30 per stored ton CO2 in soil to the farmers, SPAR stimulates sustainable soil management practices. Soil samples are used to monitor the project’s effectiveness.

At regional/local level: In Germany, the State of Baden Württemberg increased funding for nature conservation from EUR 30 million to EUR 90 million in 10 years. The designation of national parks, and ecosystem restoration provides benefits for farmers and the economy, including start-ups producing packaging paper out of biodiverse grasslands, and for the sector of nature tourism.

At Member State level: The recent French law ‘Recovery of Biodiversity, Nature and Landscapes’ established a new French Agency for Biodiversity. The biodiversity plan of 4 July 2018 stresses the importance of addressing together climate change and biodiversity challenges and includes new targets on no net land take, green urban areas, agroecology and soil protection, as well as actions related to payments for environmental services, pollinators and ecosystem restoration.

At EU level: The EU adopted an action plan for nature, people and the economy in 2017. The plan aims at accelerating EU law implementation and progress towards the EU 2020 goal of halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services and to better take account of socio-economic objectives. It was complemented by an initiative to tackle the decline of pollinators in the EU and contribute to global conservation efforts.

Behavioural change, societal involvement and participatory politics, society’s pressure for sustainable production chains (agroecology, organic farming), corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, crowdfunding and other forms of innovative financing, sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, green procurement, wider deployment of nature-based solutions, reformed taxation (e.g. taxation of resource use and pollution), education, artificial intelligence and new technologies, research and innovation, collaborative and circular low carbon economy, resilient societies, multilateralism, open and fair trade, sustainable tourism.

Current global and European assessments show continuing trends towards biodiversity loss and land and ecosystem degradation with adverse consequences on ecosystem services (food, water, materials, energy, etc.), thereby threatening Europe's economic output and well-being. The implementation efforts regarding EU nature legislation need to be considerably increased to ensure that by 2030 the EU will have substantially improved the conservation status for species and habitats of EU interest protected under the birds and habitats rules. The speed of recovery of forest biodiversity also needs to be stepped up. The EU will have to play a key role at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Beijing, China at the end of 2020, which is expected to adopt the new post 2020 global biodiversity framework to avert global biodiversity loss.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 19 EU Member States have a score above 70 out of 100 for SDG 15. 14 EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·The State of the Environment Report 2015 (European Environment Agency) highlighted the poor state of soils in Europe. Efforts to address and mitigate soil erosion by water have generated some positive results: when integrating the potential impact of the common agricultural policy's measures on soil erosion, the areas estimated to be at risk of severe soil erosion by water were reduced by 14 % in the EU between 2000 and 2012. However, despite efforts to limit soil sealing, the conversion of land into artificial areas in the EU has been accelerating over the years, with growth from 2012 to 2015 being about 6 % higher than from 2009 to 2012. In addition, 45% of the EU agriculture area has a soil poor in terms of organic contents (affecting soil fertility and biodiversity).

·The EU State of Nature report on the conservation status of species and habitats of European interest reveals that many species and habitats are not in favourable conservation status. Across the EU only 23 % of assessed species and 16 % of assessed habitats were in ‘favourable’ status in 2012 while only 52% of bird species were in 'secure' status. More generally, the mid-term review of the biodiversity strategy to 2020 confirmed that biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU have continued.

·The number of sites protected under the ‘Natura 2000 network’ has increased as well as the conservation measures taken for these sites, which have now been reported for nearly 70 % of them (2018). In 2017, the EU had protected over 790 000 km2 of terrestrial habitats, covering 18.2 % of EU land area. Member States with the highest percentage of protected areas include Slovenia (37.9 %), Croatia (36.6 %) and Bulgaria (34.5 %).

Significant progress has been achieved in strengthening the policy frameworks and the knowledge base under EU nature legislation and the EU 2020 biodiversity strategy. After centuries of forest loss and degradations, Europe's forests have recovered to cover more than 40 % of the EU territory today but their conservation status needs to improve. Natural resources set the ecological limits for our socio-economic systems (‘planetary boundaries’). Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services clearly demonstrate the persisting and devastating effects on human societies by both land degradation and biodiversity loss. Despite the progress made, the pressures on Europe’s and global natural capital resulting from our production and consumption patterns remain high and are likely to keep growing. Overstepping planetary boundaries threatens to undermine or even reverse advances of living standards. At the international level, the EU uses it external policy agenda to further this agenda. It actively supports multilateral environmental agreements, encourages policy change in partner countries, promotes corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct and mainstreams environmental concerns into all actions.

At civil society level: ‘Fish Forward’, a project led by WWF Austria, gathers 17 partners that work together with consumers, corporate sector and governmental institutions to support socially fair and climate smart seafood production and consumption. This ensures responsible management of fisheries and traceability contributing to the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.

At regional/local level and company level: The project ‘Clean Archipelago’ is a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership led by the Tuscany Region in Italy, in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Environment, Unicoop Firenze and other associations. It was launched in April 2018, in collaboration with 10 boats from a fishermen cooperative association. The project strives to clear the sea of litter. The partnership aims to offer economic incentives to fishermen to collect fished plastics and bring them to the collection points inside the harbours. Fished plastics will then be recycled.

At Member State level: Recently, France designated new marine protected areas. Among them, the largest marine ‘Natura 2000’ site so named ‘Mers Celtiques - Talus du golfe de Gascogne’, stretching over 62 320 km2, will offer protection for reef habitats and mobile marine species, the harbour porpoise and the bottlenose dolphin.

Cooperation between Member States: The EU, its Member States and partners work on a concrete set of measures to achieve a healthy and productive marine environment for the Baltic Sea, the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea by 2020, based on monitoring and assessment. In addition, the EU promotes complementary ambitious regional initiatives on individual pressures, such as the 2017 commitment to cutting 80% of NOx emissions from ships operating in the Baltic Sea in order to combat the problem of eutrophication in the region.

The EU at the international level: The All Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance, launched in 2017, is a collaboration between the EU, Brazil, and South Africa aiming to deepen scientific knowledge of marine ecosystems and interrelations with oceans, climate change, and food.

International and regional ocean's governance, behavioural change, societal involvement and participatory politics, big data, earth observation, artificial intelligence, underwater and new technologies (e.g. molecular science), research and innovation, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, crowdfunding and other forms of innovative financing, sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, green procurement, reformed taxation (e.g. taxation of resource use and pollution), internet of things, education, digitalisation, collaborative and circular low carbon economy.

The EU will remain active in shaping international ocean governance in all relevant international fora and bilaterally with key global partners', given that around 60% of the oceans are outside the borders of national jurisdiction. Additional efforts are needed in cross-sectoral and transboundary cooperation, especially at the regional level, to address existing and emerging challenges. The momentum will intensify with the roll-out of the 2021-2030 UN decade on ocean science, in which the EU is actively involved. The EU will continue to promote the creation of protected areas as well as their effective and science-based management. Additional efforts are needed to achieve sustainable fisheries, in particular in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Marine pollution, including plastics, noise and nutrients from agriculture, will remain a problem. The entry of new plastic debris to the ocean might decrease with time but the plastic already present in the ocean will continue causing negative impacts. Enhanced action is required to reduce discharges of ship-generated waste and other forms of pollution, in particular nutrients and noise. The blue economy in Europe will continue to flourish. It is estimated that, by 2030, the global blue economy could double in size. For Europe this would mean 10.8 million jobs and more than EUR 1 trillion of turnover. All EU waters will be covered by ecosystem-based maritime spatial plans by 2021.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), four EU Member States have a score above 60 or more out of 100 for SDG 14. Five EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20. Overall, this is the lowest ranking SDG for the EU Member States, with big differences between Member States.

·In the EU, the blue economy is 2.5 times its aeronautical and defence economies combined. It generates EUR 566 billion of turnover per year (a 7.2% more than in 2009) and employs 3.5 million persons (a 5% more than in 2014), representing an increase of respectively 7.2% and 2% compared to 2009. In several EU Member States, the blue economy has grown faster than the national economy. The UK, Spain, Italy, France and Greece have Europe's biggest blue economies.

·The sustainability of fisheries in the North-East Atlantic, where 75% of the EU’s catch originates, has improved. The number of commercially important fish stocks caught at sustainable levels has increased from 34% in 2007 to 60% in 2015. Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Seas are not progressing towards sustainability at the same rate. In the Mediterranean Sea, more than 80 % of stocks are overfished.

·The conservation status of the large majority of individual marine habitats and species is unfavourable according to the last assessment available. Since 1988 there is a consistent and alarming increase in ocean acidity. Since 2008 significant progress has been made in defining, monitoring and assessing the good environmental status of the marine environment which is a prerequisite for measuring progress towards achieving clean and healthy oceans and seas.

·Between 2012 and end 2016, the coverage of marine protected areas in Europe has almost doubled (from 6% to 10.8% of the EU sea surface) and it keeps increasing thanks primarily to the EU's marine ‘Natura 2000’ network. In 2016, three European regions surpassed the 10% Aichi target on biological diversity (the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and the North-East Atlantic Ocean was very near to the target (9.9%).

23 out of 28 EU Member States have a coastline. The EU's coastline is 7 times as long as the US' and 4 times as long as Russia's. Including its outlying regions, the EU has the world’s largest maritime territory. The EU and its neighbouring countries share four main marine regions: The Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the North-East Atlantic Ocean, with habitat alteration, overfishing, pollution and acidification amongst the most important factors affecting their environmental status. European coastal waters are measured to be of very high bathing quality, but organic and chemical pollutants from human activities as well as marine litter continue to pose a serious threat to Europe’s marine ecosystems: in early 2018, only 40 to 58 % of the EU coastal waters were in good chemical status. The EU’s environmental policy, including its flagship the Marine Strategy Framework law, and its integrated maritime policy provide a framework for a holistic approach to these problems. New EU-wide rules are proposed to target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear, which together constitute 70% of all marine litter. The new rules will put Europe ahead of the curve on an issue with global implications. The EU is supporting the conservation of coastal and marine areas globally. The EU’s international ocean governance agenda for the future of our oceans established an overarching framework for strengthening international ocean governance to ensure oceans are safe, secure, clean, legally and sustainably used. Moreover, the EU’s trade and investment agreements include dedicated provisions on the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, such as marine biodiversity and fisheries. The EU's earth observation programme Copernicus is also delivering on ocean monitoring products in order to improve the quality of water.

At civil society level: The European Solidary Corps is an EU initiative which by 2020 could dedicate over EUR 40 million to establish community-focused volunteering opportunities for young people in the fields of climate action and environment. One example is the Vänö Vänner Project in Finland, which enabled young Italians to contribute to sustainability and environmentally friendly cultural landscaping solutions in the Turku Archipelago, thereby contributing to positive climate action.

At company level: Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology (HYBRIT) is an initiative launched in 2016 by three large Swedish companies. It wants to set up an iron production process with close-to-zero greenhouse gas emissions, in which the oxygen from iron ore is removed by using hydrogen gas instead of coke (from coal).

At regional/local level: A geothermal power plant in Prelog, Croatia, will be able to make use of the full energy content of the geothermal brine: the heat of the thermal water and the energy contained in aquifer gases, such as methane, dissolved in the water, making it nearly 100 % greenhouse gas emissions free. It can serve as a blueprint for more sustainable exploitation of the geothermal resources, with replication opportunities in Europe and worldwide.

At Member State level: France has made it compulsory for municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants (covering 90% of France population) to adopt local climate plans, which must include sections on climate change mitigation and adaptation. In 2018, around 75% of French municipalities had developed local mitigation plans and around 55% had developed local adaptation plans. These rates are 2 to 5 times higher than in countries where no such national regulation exists.

At EU level: Local authorities are key drivers of the fight against climate change at the level of governance closest to citizens. The EU Covenant of Mayors for climate & energy brings together thousands of local governments voluntarily committed to implementing EU climate and energy objectives. It has also contributed significantly to raising awareness at the local level on the need to prepare for the impacts of climate change, with local action for adaptation and resilience playing a crucial role in protecting people and their assets.

Insufficient public and private investment, geopolitical instability and security threats, return to economic protectionism worldwide, social inequalities, increasing energy consumption and negative environmental impact driven by digitalisation, continued destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity, slow changes in the regulatory environment.

Clean energy and low-and zero emission mobility, circular low carbon economy, bioeconomy and sustainable production chains, behavioural change, participatory politics, anticipatory policies for just transition, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, innovative and sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, green procurement, reformed taxation (e.g. taxation of resource use and pollution), education, green digitalisation, artificial intelligence and new technologies, research and innovation, resilient societies, multilateralism, uptake of environmental goods and services.

The EU remains determined to lead the way on the fight against climate change and will have achieved its goal to cut at least 40 % of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from 1990 levels. The Commission presented, in autumn 2018, a proposal for an EU long-term strategic vision in accordance with the Paris Agreement, which includes pathways to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions within the EU by 2050. The Commission provided a comprehensive vision for making the European economy more modern, competitive and resilient, as well as more socially fair for all Europeans, leaving no-one behind. The EU will have to continue assuming its climate action leadership and push for increased global ambition beyond 2030 from all the largest polluting countries worldwide. In this context, further strengthening of an ambitious global response to the impacts of climate change will remain a priority. Also, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation and mitigation will remain high on the agenda. The EU will continue to cooperate in international fora, such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International Maritime Organisation.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 22 EU Member States score above 80 out of 100 for SDG 13. Five EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·The EU and its Member States are the world's biggest providers of climate finance: in 2017 the EU, European Investment Bank and Member States provided EUR 20.4 billion to help developing countries tackle and adapt to climate change, more than double the amount of 2013. This represents approximately half of the world's total.

·Between 2013 and 2018, the number of Member States with a national climate adaptation strategy went from 15 to 25, and work is ongoing in the remaining Member States. In 2018, 26% of all EU cities and 40% of the cities over 150,000 inhabitants were estimated to have local adaptation plans.

·The EU is pursuing an overall target of 20 % climate related expenditure in the current European multiannual budget for the period 2014-2020, and has proposed to increase this target to at least 25 % in the period 2021-2027.

·Fossil fuel subsidies remain high. In the EU, approximately EUR 112 billion are estimated to have been allocated annually to the production and consumption of fossil fuels between 2014 and 2016.

·The EU aims at meeting its 2020 energy efficiency target of 20 %. Between 2005 and 2016, the EU's primary energy consumption dropped by 9.9 % and its final energy consumption by 7.1 %. In the period 1980-2016, weather and climate-related losses accounted for a total of EUR 410 billion in losses at 2016 values for Member States.

·The EU continues to successfully decouple its economic growth from its greenhouse gas emissions: during the period 1990-2017, the EU's combined gross domestic product grew by 58 %, while total greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 22 % in comparison with 1990 levels. At the Member State level, there are significant differences in greenhouse gas emission trends since 1990, with some Member States having cut emissions by almost 60 % and a few Member States having increased emissions.

Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges of our generation. Combatting climate change requires global action to reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The EU has been at the forefront of international efforts towards a global climate deal. The international community, including the EU, has committed to halting the increase in global temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C. These objectives, underpinned by scientific research as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, are enshrined in the Paris Agreement. The EU has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % by 2020 and at least 40 % by 2030 (from 1990 levels). The EU is on track to meet its emissions reduction target for 2020 and has legislation in place to achieve its 2030 target, including ambitious energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation. Since 2013, the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change supports actions to make the EU more climate-resilient. But the EU needs to go further to live up to the Paris Agreement and significantly reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, which are still significantly subsidised. The Commission presented in November 2018 its strategic longer-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050. It highlights how all sectors and policies should contribute to achieve this transition. At the international level, the EU's foreign and security, development, enlargement and neighbourhood policies actively integrate climate objectives. The fight against climate change is also included in the trade and sustainable development chapters of the EU’s new generation trade and investment agreements and is also an integral part of the EU positions at the G20, a leading forum of the world's major economies

At civil society level: Together with its members, the European Federation of Food Banks provided, in 2017, 44.700 front-line charity organizations with 4.1 million meals each day for the benefit of 8.1 million people. This is done in close cooperation with food business operators in order to save food which would otherwise go wasted and make it available to those in need.

At company level: UMICORE has transformed itself in 20 years from a Belgian non-ferrous mining company, into a global materials technology and recycling group, with 10,000 employees and a turnover of EUR 10.4 billion with investments in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and France. The company embraces a circular economy model recovering valuable metals and critical raw materials from waste electronic and electrical equipment.

At regional/local level: With the help of EU funds, Ljubljana has developed an integrated waste system covering 37 municipalities with a regional waste management centre. Since joining the EU, the Slovenian capital has boosted separate collection and recycling, and reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 59%. It also invested in prevention and reuse. Ljubljana now generates 41% less waste per capita than the European average and decided not to build two new incinerators as originally planned.

At Member State level: A recent regulation proposal in Sweden cuts value-added tax (VAT) charged on repair work and provides tax rebates for the labour cost of repairs. The measure will reduce the cost to consumers of repairing appliances, and encourage them to commission repair work, rather than dispose of them and buy new ones.

At EU level: New EU rules on waste were adopted in 2018 aiming that by 2030 all Member States must re-use or recycle 60 % of municipal waste and 70% of packaging waste, and they must reduce landfill to less than 10 % by 2035. For the first time, the new waste rules require Member States to adopt specific food waste prevention programmes and reduce, monitor and report on food waste levels.

The EU at international level: At the international level, one of the EU initiatives is the SWITCH to green flagship that brings together governments and stakeholders from the EU and partner countries and focus on the adoption of sustainable consumption and production practices by the private sector.

Behavioural change, societal involvement, society’s pressure for sustainable production chains, partnerships and participatory politics, education, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, crowdfunding and other forms of innovative financing, anticipatory policies for just transition, artificial intelligence, new technologies, research and innovation, collaborative and circular economy, bioeconomy, digitalisation, sustainable finance, reformed taxation (e.g. taxation of resources and pollution), green procurement, smart cities, internet of the things, open and fair trade.

Europe will have to continue to focus on sustainable production and consumption in face of pressure on material supplies and its own relatively limited domestic material resources. Particular attention will need to be paid to metal ores and critical raw materials, which are high value and where Europe is particularly dependent on imports. Emphasis will also be needed on heavy and energy intensive materials such as cement, aluminium, steel and plastic in view of their potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sectors where resource use has a particularly high impact on the environment (for example in terms of water use, pollution, air quality and nutrients) will also need attention, for example food systems and textiles. Thanks to the revised EU waste legislation and the EU action plan on food waste, the EU will reduce the food waste generated annually to help achieve the global target of halving food waste by 2030. Waste legislation will drive up rates of recycling to a legally binding 60% by 2030, with higher rates for many packaging materials. Attention will need to be paid to delivering higher quality of recycling, not only quantity, to reducing resource use and generation of waste through better product design, and to systemic approaches designed to keep products and materials in use, providing value in the economy. The recycled content in new products, notably in plastic products, will need to increase.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 11 EU Member States score above 60 out of 100 for SDG 12. Overall, this is on average the second lowest ranking SDG for the EU Member States.

·Between 2004 and 2016, the amount of waste generated, excluding major mineral wastes, decreased by 6.5 % in the EU. Between 2004 and 2014 the EU recycling rate rose slightly from 53 % to 55 % and the circular material use rate, indicating the share of materials which came from collected waste in the overall material use, increased from 8.3 % to 11.7 %.

·Decoupling of economic growth from the consumption of natural resources is measured by the EU’s resource and energy productivity. Since 2001, the EU has increased its resource productivity by 36.4 % (2017) and its energy productivity by 29.2 % (2016), meaning that more output (in terms of GDP) was produced per unit of used materials or energy.

Sustainable consumption and production aims to reduce Europe’s environmental footprint by changing the way we produce, distribute and consume goods and use resources. The EU has made progress over the past few years towards becoming resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy but sustainable consumption and production still remains the key challenge for achieving the SDGs in the EU and requires continued efforts at all levels. The EU’s approach is to promote resource efficiency whilst reducing environmental impacts through transition to a circular economy where the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, and the generation of waste and pollution minimised. The 54 actions of the 2015 EU circular economy action plan intervene at all stages of product and material cycles (production, consumption, waste management, market for secondary raw materials, innovation & investments, monitoring) and 5 priority areas (plastics, food waste, critical raw materials, construction and demolition, biomass and bio-based products). By 2018, more than 85% of the actions had already been delivered, while the remaining ones have been launched. A European circular economy stakeholder platform was launched in 2017 to encourage companies, public authorities and other stakeholders to share knowledge and showcase good practices, as well as a the EU platform on food losses and food waste in 2016. A dedicated partnership was established in the framework of the urban agenda for the EU to look into this question and proposes several actions to mainstream circular economy in cities. Additionally, Europe’s bioeconomy Strategy, renewed in 2018, supports the modernisation and strengthening of the EU industrial base through the creation of new value chains and greener, more cost-effective industrial processes. On the external side, the EU promotes responsible management of supply chains and fair and ethical trade schemes as part of its values-based trade agenda; also the EU’s development, enlargement and neighbourhood policies stress the importance of sustainable consumption and production in their actions.

At civil society level: The Urban Laboratory, an Estonian non-governmental organisation, is dealing with the development of sustainable and inclusive cities. Urban Laboratory is counselling the local authorities, introducing modern trends in Estonia and improving the awareness of people about the living environment.

At company level: LIPOR, an inter-municipal waste management company of Greater Porto in Portugal, is responsible for the management, recovery and treatment of municipal waste produced in associated municipalities. LIPOR invested and created an Adventure Park in an old landfill after environmental and landscape recovery. It has created a playful space zone, leisure and training.

At regional/local: ‘Global Nachhaltige Kommune’ (Global Sustainable Municipalities) is a project implemented in the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia helping 15 local authorities, ranging from small and medium-sized to large towns and rural districts, via systematic support in the elaborating a sustainability strategy addressing their individual local challenges, based on the global framework of the SDGs. Its approach has also been adopted in other German regions.

At Member State level: Current housing pressures in Ireland arise in part as a result of the collapse of housing construction levels. In 2016, the Irish government launched its action plan on housing and homelessness rebuilding Ireland, which aims to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. The action plan has five main ‘pillars’ to address specific challenges: address homelessness, accelerate social housing, build more homes, improve the rental sector and utilise existing housing.

At EU level: The urban agenda for the EU was launched in May 2016 with the Pact of Amsterdam . It represents a new multi-level working method promoting cooperation between Member States, cities, the Commission and other stakeholders in order to stimulate growth, liveability and innovation in the cities of Europe and to identify and tackle social challenges. By focusing on concrete priorities within dedicated Partnerships, the urban agenda for the EU seeks to improve the quality of life in urban areas.

The EU at the international level: In the field of development, the Commission has a new approach on ‘European Union cooperation with cities and local authorities in third countries’, focusing EU external support on planning, financing, and governance of cities.

Smart specialisation, partnerships between cities, societal involvement and participatory politics (e.g. collaborative urban governance, multi-stakeholder platforms), sustainable urban mobility plans, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, crowdfunding and other forms of innovative financing, digitisation, artificial intelligence and new technologies, collaborative economy, low-emission public transport, active mobility (walking and cycling) and relevant infrastructure, research and innovation, low-emission buildings, urban farming, urban green spaces.

The share of the urban population in Europe is projected to rise to just over 80 % by 2050. The EU and its Member States at all levels of governance, together with civil society, businesses and researchers work together to create the ever-evolving city for tomorrow’s society. European cities will remain poles of attraction for citizens, offering increasing employment possibilities, quality of living, and social services. To ensure living well together, European cities work in a participatory manner with stakeholders at all levels on areas such as housing, energy, mobility, water, climate action, poverty eradication, inequality, circular economy, resilience and security. European cities will become smart cities, where traditional networks and services will be more efficient with the use of digital and telecommunication technologies for the benefit of its citizens and businesses.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 23 EU Member States have a score of 80 or more out of 100 for SDG 11. 10 EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·Local and regional authorities involved in the European Covenant of Mayors’ action plans achieved a 23% greenhouse gas emission reduction, cut final energy consumption by 18% and work towards increasing the share of local energy production to reach 19% of the energy consumed by 2020.

·Artificial land cover per capita has increased by 6 % in 2015 since 2009. As Europe is one of the most urbanised continents in the world, further efforts are needed to halt land degradation.

·People living in cities had easier access to public transport, with only 9.7 % of them reporting high or very high levels of difficulty, compared to 37.4 % of those living in rural areas.

·Quality of housing in the EU improved over the past six years. The share of EU inhabitants experiencing basic deficits in their housing condition decreased by 4.8 percentage points between 2007 and 2017 when it stood at 13.1%.

Cities in Europe are at the heart of today's economic, environmental and social challenges. More than 70% of EU citizens live in urban areas while about 85% of the EU’s GDP is generated in cities. Cities and communities are essential for the well-being of Europeans and their quality of life as they serve as hubs for economic and social development and innovation. They attract many people because of the wide range of opportunities for education, employment, entertainment and culture. However, EU cities also face challenges such as migratory pressures and social exclusion, congestion, a shortage of adequate housing, declining infrastructure and rising air pollution, to name a few. Cities are also particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters impacts. It is a joint effort of the Commission, Member States and European cities, to strengthen the urban dimension of European and national policies. In line with the UN New Urban Agenda, the EU strengthens the resilience of urban settings through prevention of disaster and climate related risks and responds in a more coordinated way to the different urban challenges. At international level, the European development, foreign and security, enlargement and neighbourhood policies seek to improve living conditions in cities. The European Consensus on Development stresses the need to focus more on cities and local authorities as important actors in achieving the SDGs.

At civil society level: The Swedish ‘Bread in Bergslagen’ project entailed traditional bread baking courses as a means of integrating new migrant arrivals and providing vocational training. It used the physical activity as the starting point for dialogue, whilst trained volunteers facilitated discussions between participants.

At company level: La Bolsa Social is the first equity crowd-impacting platform in Spain for investors and businesses who want to create a positive social impact. The company connects social impact investors with enterprises to promote the SDGs. La Bolsa Social has funded 10 social and environmental impact companies with EUR 1.8 million. Five of them have specifically focused on providing people with disabilities with access to information, social life and public space.

At regional/local level: A pilot project ‘Housing First for Families’ run by the local municipality of Brno in Czech Republic demonstrates the leadership of the municipality with community partners in addressing homelessness. The project provides a municipal flat and intensive housing first case management for 50 Roma and non-Roma families, shelters or other forms of homelessness. Based on the pilot, an action plan to end family homelessness in Brno 2018-2025 was adopted.

At Member State level: The tax and benefits system in Cyprus has become more effective in addressing income inequality. Its redistributive effects have grown almost twofold since the crisis (during 2009-2016). For instance, in 2014, Cyprus introduced a guaranteed minimum income scheme, which also helps to incentivise work. The scheme appears to have an important positive impact on reducing poverty and inequality, and has contributed to strengthening the social safety net.

At EU level: Many of the 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights are about ensuring equal opportunities for all, fairness and inclusion in labour markets and society. It is accompanied by a social scoreboard monitoring trends and performances across the EU. The European semester is a key delivery mechanism of the Pillar, and it has been further strengthened to focus on social fairness, inequalities and a more inclusive growth. The EU cohesion policy promotes social inclusion, while fighting poverty and discrimination.

The EU at the international level: The European Consensus on Development promotes the principle of leaving no one behind and commits to take action to reduce inequality of outcomes and promote equal opportunities for all. The EU’s trade and investment policy aims to maximise the potential of trade preferences, trade agreements and investment agreements for job creation, high levels of labour protection and investment generation in partner countries, notably developing ones, thus contributing to reducing inequality.

Societal involvement and participatory politics, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, social welfare (e.g. taxation and social protection and social inclusion systems, labour market policies, housing policies, healthcare, childcare, educational attainment, skills levels and lifelong learning), transport and digital accessibility addressing the spatial dimension of inequality, fight against fraud and corruption, sustainable finance, multilateralism, open and fair trade.

The EU and its Member States will work towards ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth in the EU, a necessary condition to reduce inequality. They will combine efficient, effective, and adequate social protection and support services, good education allowing equal chances for all, and well-functioning labour markets supported by effective labour market policies. This will not only allow to reduce inequalities between EU Member States, but also to significantly reduce inequality within Member States. Technological advances, in particular the deployment of artificial intelligence, will have to be well managed to avoid a digital divide. As for migration trends, it is clear that no EU country can or should be left alone to address huge migratory pressures. The EU will further reduce incentives for irregular migration, save lives and secure external borders, implement a strong common asylum policy and policies on legal migration, whilst helping to effectively integrate legal migrants and refugees into the EU's labour markets and societies. The EU's external action will continue tackling inequality outside Europe.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 13 EU Member States have a score of 80 or more out of 100 for SDG 10. 11 EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·Development aid: The EU remains the world-leading donor, providing over 50 % of all global development aid, thereby also contributing to reducing inequalities worldwide. Total EU financing for developing countries, encompassing flows from the public and private sector, has more than doubled since 2001, representing an average annual growth of 6.4 %.

·Inequality of opportunity: An important feature of inequality of opportunity is the impact of parents' socio-economic position on their children's educational attainment. According to the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test, 33.8% of EU pupils from the most disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds were low achievers in science, compared to only 7.6% of their most privileged peers. There were large variations between the Member States.

·Income inequality: In 2017, for the EU on average across the Member States, the richest 20 % of households received an income share that was 5.1 times higher than that of the poorest 20 %, which is still above pre-crisis levels (4.9 in 2009). However, this ratio decreased compared to 2016 (5.2), signalling some improving prospects on reducing income inequalities in the EU Member States. Stabilisation trends in income inequality within EU Member States are also observed when looking at the income share of the bottom 40 % of the population. This stood at 21.2 % in 2008 and 2012, slight dropped to 20.9 % in 2016, and increased back to 21.2 % in 2017.

·Disposable income: Economic disparities between EU countries have reduced over time. The real adjusted gross disposable household income per capita increased in a large majority of Member States. In 2017, it was on average 4.4 % above the pre-crisis level in 2008. There has been some income convergence between EU Member States, as the disposable income in the Member States with lower income levels, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Poland, grew faster than the EU average.

Like poverty, inequality is a multidimensional concept. It covers inequalities in both outcomes and opportunities, such as income inequality, uneven access to social protection, as well as intergenerational transmission of inequality. Inequality of opportunities is an important driver of income inequality. Income convergence has been taking place within the EU, and living standards have been recovering from the crisis in most Member States. However, as the European economies are regaining strength, concerns have grown about the inclusiveness of economic growth. Income inequality within the EU as a whole has stabilised over the last years, although its level remains a challenge. Marginalised and vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, migrants and ethnic minorities (including the Roma), homeless people or isolated older people and children suffer from particular forms of inequalities. Their socio-economic inclusion continues to be inadequate. Inequality can hamper economic growth, macroeconomic stability, and can potentially undermine social cohesion. Globally, persistent high levels of inequalities in the EU partner countries are a threat to progress towards most SDGs. Global inequality may also lead to higher migration into the EU. In response to recent challenges in the area of migration, the Commission has worked to provide an immediate response and to build a sustainable, crisis-proof system for the future. Sustainable management of migration flows is essential. The EU's external action, including its foreign and security policy, development policy, enlargement and neighbourhood policies, and the EU’s trade and investment policy all contribute to tackling the causes of inequality outside Europe. For example, the European Consensus on Development promotes the principle of leaving no one behind and commits to taking action to reduce inequality of outcomes and promote equal opportunities for all.

At company level: The European Fund for Strategic Investments has helped an Estonian company produce an energy storage device called ultra-capacitor, which is 100 times more powerful than an ordinary battery and can withstand one million recharge cycles. The company has raised EUR 15 million for a manufacturing facility in Germany capable of producing millions of new ultra-capacitators a year.

At regional/local level: The thematic smart specialisation platform for industrial modernisation offers opportunities to regional managing authorities with similar smart specialisation priorities to cooperate based on each other’s competences, share infrastructure, allow scaling up to larger impact and develop joint investment projects.

At Member State level: Sweden is the innovation leader in the EU with high private and public investment in research and development, a high number of patent applications, innovative SMEs and a high share of employment in knowledge-intensive activities. Furthermore, investment in manufacturing has grown faster than the EU average and energy-efficiency of industrial production is very high.

At EU level: The trans-European networks address the need for resilient, seamless and innovative infrastructures in the transport, energy and digital sectors. They aim at providing connectivity for all regions of the EU, and thereby contribute to 'including' citizens in all parts of Europe. Infrastructure is built and adapted so as to ensure it withstands risks associated with climate change, while promoting inclusion, fostering innovation and job creation.

The EU at the international level: Thanks to their increased accuracy and reliability, the European Satellite Navigation Programmes Galileo and EGNOS offer improved positioning and timing information with significant positive implications for many European services and products that people use every day, from the navigation device in your car to a mobile phone as well as critical, emergency response-services. The Group on Earth Observations promotes applications of environmental observations in support of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate action.

Low public and business sector investment, also in research and innovation, changing value chains, skill mismatches, shifts in global demand, geopolitical instability and security threats, social inequalities, ageing of our societies, climate change and environmental risks associated with increasing demand for natural resources, urban/rural divide.

Societal involvement and participatory politics, artificial intelligence, internet of the things, full digitalisation, the collaborative and circular carbon-neutral economy, focus on resilient societies, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, responsible and sustainable mining and sourcing, sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, crowdfunding and education, multilateralism, open and fair trade.

Europe is leading the path towards a more sustainable and inclusive industry. Economic, societal and environmental transformations will accelerate as well as technological breakthroughs in areas such as robotics, internet of things, artificial intelligence and energy systems. Automation, enabled by information technologies, will transform traditional manufacturing processes and the nature of work. Industry is increasingly integrated in global value chains with strong service components. Emerging business models will disrupt traditional markets. Innovation itself and value creation change in profound ways, driven by a new generation of consumers who expect value-co-creation, sustainable business conduct, connectivity and real-time performance measurements. Data become the new competitive factor. Demand for raw materials will continue to increase. With strained natural resources and climate change becoming an ever more tangible reality, demand for sustainable products, circular consumption and zero- or low-emissions will increase exponentially and eco-innovations are needed. Europe will step up its investment in research and innovation, and resilient infrastructure, inter alia through ‘Horizon Europe’ - the EU's next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 10 EU Member States have a score of 73 or more out of 100 for SDG 9, with notable differences between Member States. 10 EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·Corporate Social Responsibility: 77% of EU companies include corporate social responsibility in their reporting and many of them lead in integrating corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct activities with the SDGs.

·R&D investment: Europe accounts for 20% of global R&D investment, produces one third of all high-quality scientific publications, and holds a world leading position in industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, mechanical engineering and fashion. The two biggest spenders on research and development are the business enterprise sector (65 %) and the higher education sector (23 %) while the government sector had a share of 11% in 2016.

·Greenhouse gas emissions in terms of industrial processes and product use have decreased by more than 17 % in the period 2000-2016. Moreover, this improvement is confirmed by the reduction in energy consumption by 17% in industry over the period 2000-2016.

·Manufacturing industry accounts for two thirds of the EU's exports, provides jobs for 36 million people - one out of five jobs in Europe - and contributes to high standards of living for European citizens.

High-performance infrastructure in the transport, energy and digital sectors is essential to a well-connected and integrated EU, where citizens and businesses can fully benefit from free movement and the single market, as well as from adequate social infrastructures. This is why inter alia the trans-European networks in transport, energy and digital sector address in an integrated way the need for resilient, sustainable, seamless and innovative infrastructures. Investments in space infrastructure are also a strategic concern. Europe's industry is strong and has retained a leading position in many sectors in global markets. The EU facilitates the transition to a smart, innovative and sustainable industry that creates benefits for all citizens. While the EU experiences GDP growth, total greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing, suggesting a decoupling of emissions from growth. European policies are geared to empower industry to conduct their business in a responsible and sustainable way, create jobs, boost Europe’s competitiveness, foster investment and innovation in clean and digital technologies and defend Europe's regions and workers most affected by industrial change. The EU emphasis on investing in research and innovation as well as digital transformation helps us to compete globally by creating more jobs and business opportunities. The EU is the most open research and innovation area in the world, but improvements are needed in terms of scale-up and diffusion, with innovations not always being translated into new market and growth opportunities. Business sector investment in research and innovation has to step up as it currently only reaches 1.3% of GDP, lagging behind China (1.6%), the United States (2%) or Japan (2.6%). Digital transformation is an important enabler for the transition to low-carbon, circular economy and society. At the international level, the European Consensus on Development supports the design, construction and operation of high quality, resilient, climate-friendly infrastructures in order to promote equitable and affordable access for all, growth, trade and investments. EU trade, enlargement and neighbourhood policies also contribute in this area.

At civil society level: In 2014, a Portuguese coalition of national civil society umbrella organisations was created to prepare a common position on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The coalitions organised national consultation processes, online questionnaires and local workshops to debate expectations on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including those related to SDG 8.

At company level: The European Investment Bank is providing a EUR 7.5 million loan (backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments) to Greenfiber International SA to finance a recycling and circular economy project in Romania. The project will help create 280 full-time jobs and it will increase the amount of waste collected and processed by over 50,000 tonnes per year.

At regional/local level: The city of Ghent in Belgium makes regular use of the European Social Fund to support the integration of refugees and Roma in the labour markets. For example, its project ‘Labour Team IEM’ (2015 - 2017) offered tailored guidance to Roma people. The main objective was to help at least 190 intra-European migrants (IEM), mostly Roma, enter the labour market. The project continues in 2018-2019 with European Social Fund support.

At Member State level: In 2017, the Czech Republic introduced more flexibility in scheduling and entitlements to working hours and leaves; strengthening collective bargaining process; changes into contract law; changes into collective redundancies' regime; changes in 'teleworking'-related provisions; and strengthening of reconciliation tools such as 'homeworking'.

At EU level: The ‘Investment Plan for Europe’, the so-called ‘Juncker Plan’, has had a strong success in boosting the investment climate. In July 2018, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) reached its initial target of EUR 315 billion investment and by December 2018 it has mobilised EUR 371 billion in additional investment across the EU since 2015. It has already supported more than 750,000 jobs. The figure is set to rise to 1.4 million jobs by 2020. More than 850,000 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are benefiting from improved access to financing. At least 40% of European Fund for Strategic Investments financing under the infrastructure and innovation window supports project components that contribute to climate action in line with the Paris Agreement on climate action.

Low productivity growth, skill mismatches, slow diffusion of new digital technologies and the impacts of technological transformations on workers and specific sectors, social inequalities, regional and territorial disparities, the impacts of demographic changes and the role of migration and forced displacement, environmental degradation and climate change, geopolitical instability and security threats, return to economic protectionism worldwide, difficulty to measure productivity in increasingly intangible economies, labour market segmentation and job precariousness, digital divide, data protection, work-life balance.

Upskilling and reskilling, digitalisation, research and innovation, societal involvement and participatory politics, society’s pressure for sustainable production chains, artificial intelligence, new technologies, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, the collaborative circular low carbon economy, social economy and development of social economy ecosystems, focus on resilient societies, multilateralism, open and fair trade, research and innovation.

The EU will have to ensure high overall employment rates through the creation of quality jobs serving the sustainability transition, especially for women, young people, the elderly, disabled people, migrants and marginalised communities. This would help ensure the adequacy and sustainability of the European social welfare model in a context of population ageing and slow productivity growth. Although investments in the European economy will continue to grow, they need sustained support to overcome bottlenecks. The EU’s shrinking population and waning economic power will influence its position in the global economic order. Digitisation and demographics will have implications for both future growth and labour market developments. This calls for a stronger focus on the EU’s comparative advantages linked to quality education and further investment in research and innovation, which needs to promote social inclusion and environmental sustainability. The transition towards a circular economy will continue as well as actions to eradicate forced labour and human trafficking.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 17 EU Member States have a score of 80 or more out of 100 for SDG 8. Nine EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·With respect to the working poor, 9.6 % of the employed were also at-risk-of-poverty in 2017. This has stabilised in the last four years, although at a higher level than in 2008 (8.5 %).

·Labour market participation continues its stable increase, reaching an activity rate of 73.4 % in 2017. The increase has been mainly driven by older workers and women. Total employment has hit a record of 239 million workers, full-time jobs are on the rise increasing by 2.3 million, while the number of part-time workers remained stable. By 2015, employment in the environmental goods and services sector alone has increased by 47.3 % since 2000. Long-term unemployment continues to decline but still represents a little less than half of total unemployment. Youth unemployment, which peaked at 23.8 % in 2013, diminished to 16.8 % in 2017. In 2017, 7.7 % of European employees were involuntarily working on temporary contracts, corresponding to 57.7 % of all temporary employees and this share has increased slightly over the past decade. The share of involuntary part-time employment in the EU, which affects mostly women, as a percentage of total part-time employment rose from 25.6 % in 2008 to reach its peak at 29.6 % in 2014, after which it declined to 26.4 % in 2017.

·The total investment share of GDP in the EU was 20.8 % in 2017, following a sharp drop during the economic and financial crisis. It has grown by 1.0 % on average per year since 2013. The ‘Investment Plan for Europe’ is expected to create 1.4 million jobs and increase EU GDP by 1,3% by 2020.

·Europeans have on average a higher living standard than two decades ago. In 2002 - 2017, real GDP per capita has grown by an average of 1.1 % per year. Recently, the EU economy has been expanding at the highest pace since the onset of the 2008 crisis, with real GDP growth increasing to 2.2 % in 2017.

Europe’s recovery from the economic crisis supported the steady increase of employment. Investment nearly recovered to the pre-crisis level and public finances are improving, although the recovery faces downside risks. Still, the expansion is not benefitting all citizens and Member States in the same manner, with in particular unemployment still high in some countries. Investment and productivity trends suggest more can be done to bolster the recovery and the transition to a more sustainable economic growth under the long-term global challenges of demographic change and digitalisation. Next to the continued efforts to arrive at sustainable public finances in the long term, the EU continues to promote investments, in particular in education, skills and R&D, and structural reforms to increase the effectiveness of the business environment and product and labour markets. The ‘Investment Plan for Europe’ is instrumental in attracting private investment into strategic sectors of the European economy. Structural reforms designed to improve labour markets and social policies should help the workforce to acquire the necessary skills for the transition to green economy and promote better access to and equal opportunities in the labour market, fair working conditions, and sustainable and adequate social protection systems. They should also contribute to increasing labour productivity and thus wage growth. Involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of reforms can improve ownership, impact and delivery. At the international level, the EU is pursuing inclusive and sustainable growth, creating decent jobs, and promoting labour and human rights. Examples of external action in this respect include the European Consensus on Development, the EU external investment plan, the EU action plan on human rights and democracy 2015-2019, and EU action through EU neighbourhood and enlargement policies. The EU’s trade policy promotes the respect of core international labour standards and human rights. The promotion of responsible business practices based on international guidelines is anchored in several EU policies, including trade.

At civil society level: Renewable energy communities are entities through which citizens and/or local authorities own or participate in the production and/or use of renewable energy. With more than 2500 initiatives EU-wide, they have been key in triggering the energy transition in Europe. The local anchorage and ownership of such initiatives increases social acceptance for renewable energy projects, especially for wind. They also lower the costs by making available the most adequate sites.

At company level: The energy company Fortum Jelgava, established in 2008 in Jelgava, Latvia, restructured the city's heat network by replacing the gas boiler station with a new biomass cogeneration station that uses wood chips. The city's district heating system has almost completely switched from fossil fuels to the locally-sourced renewable resource of wood.

At regional/local level: Budapest is member of the Covenant of Mayors, an EU funded initiative which gathers regions and cities committed to implementing EU climate and energy objectives. Since 2011, one of its most famous thermal baths - the Szechenyi bath -, the nearby zoo and the local district heating company have made a partnership which saves carbon emissions and lowers the energy bill. The heat of the Szechenyi thermal waters is recycled into the Budapest Zoo to supply warm air for some 350 animal species and nearly 500 plants spread over some 26 buildings.

At Member State level: In 2013, over 40 organisations in the Netherlands (local and national governments, companies, trade unions and environmental organisations) signed an Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth, aiming to increase the share of renewable energy from 5.8% in 2015 to 16% in 2023. It sets targets for a transition to zero-emission vehicles: by 2035, all newly sold cars should be emission-free, and in 2050 all cars on the roads must be emission-free.

At EU level: Establishing a European energy union has become a core priority for the Commission. Initiatives for the achievement of the energy union have been adopted. Notably, the 2016 clean energy for all Europeans package, will lead to a more competitive, modern and cleaner energy system, building around the three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving a global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers.

The EU at the international level: In May 2017, in order to renew the impetus of the Africa-EU Partnership, the EU proposed the ‘Energise Africa’ strategy. The EU has committed to spur public and private investments in sustainable energy in Africa, in particular in the context of the external investment plan and to deepen strategic alliances and collaboration.

Increasing electricity consumption driven by digitalisation, volatile energy prices, continued dependency on and subsidies for fossil fuels, lack of behavioural change, slow down of policies implementation, low public and private investment, digital divide, climate change, geopolitical instability and security threats, transition more costly in relative terms for middle and lower income people.

Behavioural change, informed, protected and empowered consumers, societal involvement and participatory politics, anticipatory policies for just transition, corporate social responsibility/responsible business conduct, new business opportunities, crowdfunding and other forms of innovative financing, sustainable finance, public-private partnerships, resource taxation, internet of things, education, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and new technologies, research and innovation, circular low carbon economy, low- and zero emission mobility, resilient societies, multilateralism.

The EU will continue to make progress towards affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all based on the ambitious regulatory framework agreed at EU level. By 2030, the main EU goals translate into at least 40 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, at least 32 % EU energy from renewables and an increase in energy efficiency by at least 32.5 %. These lay the needed groundwork for a profound societal transformation leading to a clean and sustainable energy future. Development of energy infrastructures will continue to be supported via the Connecting Europe Facility. Under the new ‘Horizon Europe’ Framework Programme, an intense research and innovation programme has been proposed, with a budget of EUR 15 billion for energy, mobility and climate. Overall, for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, the proposed climate mainstreaming target of 25 % would mean that one in four Euros is to be spent on climate-related issues, also relevant for the energy sector. Continued engagement is needed to ensure the achievement of the energy union, including an active dialogue with civil society and stakeholders, as their contribution and commitment is the key to the success of the energy transition.

According to the global SDG Index and dashboards report 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network), 26 EU Member States have a score above 80 out of 100 for SDG 7. Seven EU Member States are in the worldwide top 20.

·The EU has made progress on improving access to affordable energy. Over the past years, the inability to keep one’s home adequately warm became less prevalent. In 2017, 8.1 % of the EU population indicated a lack of access to affordable energy — 2.8 percentage points lower than in 2007.

·The EU still relies on fuel imports from non-EU countries to meet its energy demands. Standing at 53.6 %, the EU's import dependence remained quasi-constant between 2006 and 2016 whilst the energy production decreased by 14 % over the same period. A consistent reduction of the primary energy consumption of about 10 % has been observed over the same period.

·The EU is on track to meet its target of 20 % of final energy consumption from renewable energy by 2020. The use of renewable energy has increased continuously in the EU over the past decade, from 9.0 % to 17% of gross final energy consumption between 2005 and 2016. A predictable EU regulatory framework, more efficient technologies, falling costs for renewable energy technologies and more market-oriented support, have been the main drivers of this increase.

·The EU aims at meeting its 2020 energy efficiency target of 20 %. Between 2005 and 2016, the EU's primary energy consumption dropped by 9.9 % and its final energy consumption by 7.1 %.

·Trends in Europe point to a ‘decoupling’ of economic growth from energy inputs and their associated greenhouse gas emissions. Between 1990 and 2017 greenhouse gas emissions fell by 22 % while GDP grew by 58 %. Both energy productivity and greenhouse gas intensity of energy consumption have improved nearly continuously since 2000 in the EU.

The EU 2020 energy and climate targets have placed the EU on the right path to ensure secure, affordable and clean energy for all Europeans. Solid progress has already been achieved in terms of increased use of renewable energy and enhanced energy efficiency, and the EU is forging ahead with the clean energy transition. The EU's transition from a fossil fuels-based to a low-carbon economy with a digital and consumer centric energy system is becoming the new reality on the ground. The decoupling of greenhouse gas emissions and gross domestic product has continued, mainly driven by innovation. Economic growth and energy consumption have also been decoupled. Global changes in energy production and demand have a significant impact on geopolitics and industrial competitiveness. This poses serious challenges to Europe, but also creates unique opportunities. In this context, the EU wants to step up its role as a global leader in the clean energy transition while providing energy security to all its citizens. With its energy union, the EU aims to provide secure, affordable, sustainable and clean energy for EU citizens and businesses. On the external side, the European Consensus on Development focuses on increasing access to energy services that are affordable, modern, reliable and sustainable, on increasing the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures and on contributing to the fight against climate change. The EU is a pioneer in stimulating private sector investments in the sustainable energy sector with its blending instruments, the EU external investment plan and the electrification financing initiative. Also, the neighbourhood and enlargement policies contribute in this area.

At civil society level: Malta encourages the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. The river basin planning cycle ensures a high participation of communities and stakeholders, as decisions on certain measures will involve balancing the interests of various groups.

At company level: Wastewater treatment plants across Europe start using the energy and other resources contained in waste to reduce their consumption and even act as an energy producer. A prime example is a treatment plant of Aarhus water, in the town of Marselisborg, Denmark, that produces more than 150% of the energy it needs to operate by investing in more efficient technology.

At regional/local level: The Racibórz Dolny flood protection reservoir is being built in Poland in the Dolnośląskie Region. The comprehensive flood protection programme aims to provide protection from flooding by the River Oder, by restoring the natural flood retention of the Odra river valley and the natural floodplain terrace of the river.

At Member State level: In Cyprus, recycled water is a growing and stable resource used, among others, for irrigation and protection against drought. With help from European funds, two projects are already under way: the Anthoupolis Water Reuse Scheme and the Larnaca Water Reuse Scheme.

At EU level: European water research and innovation promotes solutions to water challenges. The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), a EUR 494 million initiative, focuses on water scarcity, agriculture and food security in the Mediterranean region.

Behavioural change, societal involvement and partici