Sustainable development in the European Union Overview of progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. 2017 edition

Sustainable development has been at the heart of European policy for a long time, firmly anchored in the European Treaties. The 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its 17 sustainable development SDGs adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, gives a new impetus to global efforts to achieve sustainable development. The EU is committed to playing an active role to maximise progress towards the SDGs, as outlined in its communication (COM (2016) 739), 'Next steps for a sustainable European future'. Regular monitoring of progress towards the SDGs in an EU context is essential for this purpose.