Euro Coop reacts to the EU’s first step towards Sustainable Development Goals

. Euro Coop welcomes the publication of the Communication 'A decent Life for All: Ending poverty and giving the world a sustainable future' as a first step towards the EU’s position on the work of the Open Working Group on Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) as established by the UN General Assembly.

We believe this communication contains some good elements, particularly with regards to the linking of the depletion of natural resources to the eradication of poverty and we support this direction of the SDGs.

Euro Coop has fully supported the EU in the ambitious steps to set the example at international discussions; mainly with regards to fisheries reform and sustainable ways of farming or sustainable consumption and production. In fact, the focus on public goods represents a new opportunity to render value to natural finite resources. We are also pleased to see that the EU considers the role of the private sector and civil society in the development and implementation of SDGs. However, we would like to see a specific recognition of the cooperative business model as a tool to achieve these goals in line with what the UN has recognized (R193 Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002).

Nevertheless, we remain cautious about the negotiation role that the EU can play in the international setting where environment considerations are not always fully backed. In addition, we believe that the EU should provide concrete proposals to achieve sustainable development and explain how the voices of the private sector will be heard in the process.

Euro Coop encourages the European Union and hopes that it will not miss this opportunity to make a real change to deliver the future we all want.

Euro Coop ID number in the European Commission register of interest representatives: 3819438251-87

For more information, please contact:

Rosa Exposito,Sustainability policy Officer

[email protected]

Tel: +32-2-285-00-70

Fax: +32-2-231-07-57