“Europe’s drive for competitiveness and security should not replace a long-term vision that delivers for citizens and wellbeing,” write SEI Executive Director Måns Nilsson and executive directors of the Think Sustainable Europe network in an op-ed published in Sustainable Views, The Financial Times.
European Union flags in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels.
The European Council’s “strategic agenda”, published in June 2024, says the EU mandate for the next five years will focus on competitiveness and security. This vision is understandable if the aim is to convince European citizens and economic players that the EU can provide protection and strength at a time of geopolitical and economic turbulence.
However, a drive for competitiveness and security should not replace a political project and a long-term vision of Europe that delivers for citizens and wellbeing — and social and environmental sustainability objectives should be brought back into the political debate.
In her political guidelines presented to the European parliament in July 2024, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen seemed to reflect on this need. While making it clear that competitiveness would be a key priority of the Clean Industrial Deal — which will replace the European Green Deal — she said the commission would “significantly increase its funding for a just transition across the next long-term budget”.
As sustainability think-tanks, we have contributed to the design, negotiation and first stages of implementing the Green Deal. Despite the multiple crisis caused by the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequent increase in costs of living, the green transition has provided a robust horizon for the transformation of the EU economy, aligning well with the objectives of security of supply and strategic autonomy in a resource-scarce continent. […]
Executive directors of the Think Sustainable Europe network now call for clarity from the council on three areas:
In short, we call for a more holistic approach to the Clean Industrial Deal that promotes social and environmental aspects through greater dialogue between member states, countries around the world and different sectors of the economy.
Authors:
Eero Yrjö-Koskinen, executive director, Institute for European Environmental Policy, Belgium
Sébastien Treyer, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, France
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, executive director of the International Institute for Sustainable Development Europe, Switzerland
Ioli Christopoulou, co-founder and policy co-ordinator of The Green Tank, Greece
Vit Dostál, executive director of the Association for International Affairs, Czech Republic
Christoph Heinrich, director of the Ecologic Institute, Germany
András Kéri, executive director of the Energiaklub Climate Policy Institute, Hungary
Alexander Müller, managing director of the TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, Germany
Måns Nilsson, executive director of the Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
Maria José Sanz, scientific director of the Basque Centre for Climate Change, Spain
Former Executive Director
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