Evento Istat e AsviS "Misurazione dello sviluppo sostenibile" Roma, Palazzo della Cooperazione, 27 maggio 2019 Via Torino, 146

1. Monitoring the SDGs in an EU
context
Simon Bley
Eurostat Unit E2
Simon-Johannes.BLEY@ec.europa.eu
Misurazione dello sviluppo sostenibile
Rome, 27 May 2019

2. Outline
• The EU SDG indicator set: Design principles and differences to the
global set
• Our monitoring package: Report, brochure and digital offerings
• Communicating progress towards the SDGs: Eurostats assessment
method
• Selected results from the 2019 report

3. Indicator set: Alignment with UN list
Main guideline: EU SDG indicators shall monitor EU policies. This means that
1. EU indicators need to be ready to use.
2. They need to be relevant for EU policies.
3. Indicators need to be applicable to Europe’s situation.
4. There should be a limit to the number of indicators.
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Eurostat

4. Indicator set: Main characteristics
• Structured along the 17 UN SDGs
• Around 100 indicators, six per goal
• Indicators selected have strong links with long-term EU
policies: Europe 2020, 10 Commission Priorities, Circular Economy
etc.
• Only already available indicators, meeting minimum quality
requirements
• 2/3 of the indicators are derived from European statistics

5. SDG MR: Release package

6. SDG MR: The Report
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Eurostat
• ~350 pages
• 17 thematic chapters, executive
summary and annexes
• Indicator sections include time series
and country data

7. SDG MR: Our brochure
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Eurostat
• Short overview
• 2-page summary per SDG

8. SDG MR: Digital publication
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Eurostat
• Mainly addressed to young audience
• Selection of EU SDG indicators «closer» to non-specialists
• Interactive

9. Trend assessment: Overview
• Assessment of individual indicator trends…
o …with an existing quantitative policy target:
„Is the EU on track to reach the target?“
o …without a quantitative target:
„Is the EU moving in the right direction with regards to…?“
• Goal-level trend aggregation:
„Is the EU progressing towards SDG x?“
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Eurostat

10. Trend assessment: Target indicators
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Eurostat
• Reference: Commission SWD “Key European action
supporting the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable
Development Goals”
• 15 indicators in 2019
• Europe 2020, ET 2020

11. Trend assessment: Direction indicators
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Eurostat
• 1% threshold is a communication tool
• It should not be confused with the level of EU ambition on
a given topic
• There is a vast number of issues and we have to apply a
consistent method

12. Trend assessment: Goal level aggregate
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Eurostat
• Indicator assessments in each goal are normalised
• At least 75% of indicators need to have an assessment
• Simple average score is used to rank the goals
• Progress, not current status.

13. Trend assessment: Goal 3
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Eurostat

14. Trend assessment: Goal 13
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Eurostat

15. Release date:
28/06/2019!
Download on Eurostat’s dedicated website on SDG monitoring:
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/sdi/overview

16. Extra slide: Aggregation of indicators without target

17. Extra slide: Aggregation of indicators with target

18. Extra slide: Evaluation method: 1% vs. 2% threshold