A framework for EU Sustainable Development Indicators

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A framework for EUSustainable Development
Indicators

• Pascal WOLFFEurostat E5

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Plan of the presentation

• The genesis of the project
• Milestones
• The political basis
• The response of the European Statistical System

• A theme framework
• Themes and sub-themes
• Boundaries and presentation

• A first set of EU SDI
• A three-level pyramid
• Coverage and dissemination

• Future activities

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Some milestones for the EU

• Maastricht Treaty The Union shall achieve
  balanced and sustainable development

• Göteborg Council (2001)
• - adoption of the SD strategy (COM(2001)264)
• - the strategy should be reviewed at the end term
  of each Commission

• Barcelona Council (2002)
• - an external dimension of SD is added (COM(2002)
  82)

• Johannesburg World Summit (2002)
• - EU and Member States commitment to the Plan of
  Implementation

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The political basis

• Conclusions of the Göteborg summit, Commission
  communication 6 priorities, with headline
  objectives and some targets, measures to be
  implemented

• Global Partnership the external dimension of the
  EU SD Strategy

• Johannesburg 2002 EU commitments

• The strategy should be reviewed in 2004

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The EU Strategy for SD (1)

• P1 Limit Climate Change and increase the use of
  clean Energy (Kyoto commitments, EU international
  role for Kyoto)

• P2 Address threats to Public Health (food
  safety, chemicals, outbreaks of infectious
  diseases)

• P3 Manage Natural Resources more responsibly
  (decoupling growth from use of resources and
  waste generation, habitats, biodiversity,
  fisheries)

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The EU Strategy for SD (2)

• P4 Improve the Transport system and Land-Use
  management (decoupling transport/economic growth,
  shift from road to other means, balanced regional
  development)

• P5 Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (poverty
  eradication, employment, education)

• P6 Deal with the economic and social
  implications of an ageing society (pension
  systems, demographic challenge, public debt,
  employment of elders)

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The EU Strategy for SD (3)P7 the external
dimension

• Trade for SD (integration, production and trade)
• Fighting poverty (MDG, development cooperation)
• Sustainable management of natural resources
  (reverse current trends, sectoral objectives)
• Improving the coherence of EU policies (impact
  assessments, adaptation of key policies)
• Better governance at all levels
• Financing sustainable development (ODA target,
  Public debt, FDI)

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The Johannesburg PoI

• Poverty eradication, incl. Water and sanitation
• Changing unsustainable patterns of production and
  consumption (Energy, Transport, Waste, Chemicals,
  Corporate responsibility)
• Protecting natural resources
• Health and SD
• SD of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and
  Africa
• Means of implementation (ODA, participation)

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Lisbon vs. Göteborg ?

• Too often confusion between the two strategies
  (as between SD and environment)

• Different goals (competitiveness vs. sustainable
  growth) and priorities

• Different time horizons 2010 vs. future
  generations

• But SYNERGIES as several priorities are shared
  (incl. indicators)

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The response of the Statistical System

• 2001 the SPC decides on the creation of a Task
  Force on SDI with 3 main objectives
• - developing a suitable framework for SDI
• - identifying SDI
• - facilitating SDI-related activities

• But the ESS also works inter alia on
• - coordination of the development of SI
• - development of environmental accounts (and
  other satellite accounts)

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The SDI Task Force

• Life span 2001-2004

• An open group
• - initially 9 members now 16 member countries
  (12 MS2 EFTA2AC)
• - Several Commission DGs (SG, ENV, ECFIN, ENTR,
  etc..)
• - OECD, UN-CSD, EEA

• High profile and support to its work in various
  fora ENV Council, Commission SDS Network, now
  EESC

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The TF work plan

• Draft framework for SDI

• Initial list of SDI for 2004 review of SDS (best
  available indicators)

• Report back to the SPC (Final list of SDI best
  needed indicators, recommendations)

• Coordinate with other SD-related initiatives

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The framework for SDI

• Work at EU level, not a universal framework

• Political basis SD Strategy, Communication on
  Global partnership, WSSD PoI

• 10 themes and currently 30 sub-themes and 73
  areas to be addressed (strong link with the
  political basis)

• Each level to complement the upper level to tell
  a consistent story

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The framework for SDI
Economic development
2 commitments from WSSD Sustainable Production
and Consumption, Good governance
External dimension
6 SDS priorities Climate, Health, Natural
resources, Transport, Poverty, Ageing society
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The list of SDI
Lead objectives Long-term policy issues
General policy performance Priority objectives
of SDS
Monitoring of measures or actions
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The list of SDI

• Best available vs. Best needed indicators

• Look for maximal synergy with existing
  initiatives (SI, Laeken, etc.. )

• Selection criteria and quality profile

• Sub-groups working on identification of SDI per
  theme (goal a full set of indicators, data and
  metadata for each theme)

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Boundaries and Presentation

• Overlaps between themes (employment, energy,
  water, etc..)

• Allocation of an indicator based on 3 principles
• - Complements the theme evaluation
• Specific issues related to the theme
• Monitors policy actions in the theme

• Priority allocation to a theme but possible use
  for other theme (ex. Poverty)

• Focus on EU developments, but breakdowns by
  country, not by sub-national level

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Future activities

• Set of SDI
• March 2004 initial set of SDI incl.
  progressively data, charts, metadata and quality
  profile
• - End 2004 final recommendations to the SPC
  (methodology, data needs, further work)

• Participation in the SDS review process

• 2005 Eurostat publication on the list of EU SDI

• Support to international activities on SDI

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To know more about Task Force work
CIRCA website http//forum.europa.eu.int/
Public/irc/dsis/susdevind/home