EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE:

CIVIL SOCIETY DRIVING THE POST 2030 AGENDA

8 may 2026, 9.00 AM

European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels

Van Maerlant Building (room VMA23) - Rue Van Maerlant 2

Tutor della tappa

As the 2030 deadline approaches, the European Union faces a defining moment: accelerating action on the Sustainable Development Goals while preparing to shape what comes next. In a context marked by overlapping crises—geopolitical instability, climate disruption, social fragmentation, and economic uncertainty—the need for a forward-looking, integrated and resilient development model has never been more urgent. Recognized by the United Nations as one of the most advanced national multi-stakeholder initiatives for implementing the 2030 Agenda, ASviS brings to Brussels a unique experience in mobilizing institutions, businesses, and civil society around a shared vision of sustainable development. This event aims to elevate that experience to the European level, contributing to a bold and actionable vision for the EU’s role in the post-2030 global agenda.

While the European Union is grounded in strong values — enshrined in Article 2 and Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union — and benefits from a unique socio-economic model, current policy trajectories risk undermining its long-term leadership. Fragmented governance, insufficient investment frameworks, and a persistent reliance on GDP as the primary measure of progress limit the Union’s capacity to address systemic risks and seize transformative opportunities. Building on the outcomes of the 2023 SDG Summit and in view of the Summit of the Future, this event calls for a shift from incremental progress to systemic transformation. The objective is to empower European civil society to act as a catalyst for a renewed European project —one that not only delivers on the 2030 Agenda, but actively shapes a fair, sustainable, and resilient future beyond it. By leveraging its unique model, the European Union can — and must — position itself as a global leader in designing the post-2030 development paradigm.

ASviS organises this event in collaboration with the Civil Society Organisations’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and with SDG Watch Europe.

The event will be available with simultaneous translation in English and Italian, and will be livestreamed. Registration needed.

Programme

09:00 – 09:30 Registration

Moderated by: Donato Bendicenti, head correspondent for Rai in Bruxelles

09:30 - 10:00 Opening

Cillian Lohan, President of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, EESC

Maria Nikolopoulou, President SDG Observatory of the EESC

Enrico Giovannini, ASviS Scientific Director

10:00 – 11:00 The State of the 2030 Agenda in the EU: Measuring What Matters for Our Future

Enrico Giovannini, ASviS Scientific Director

Peter Benczur, Joint Research Centre

Discussants:

Ingeborg Niestroy, Stakeholder Forum & SDG Watch Europe

Mariana Kotzeva, Director General, Eurostat

11:00 - 12:00 EU Competitiveness and Sustainability: The Need for a Strategic Vision

Andrea Renda, Director of Research, CEPS

Francesco Tramontin, Vice President Global Public Affairs, Ferrero

Discussants:

Mario Nava, Director General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Luca Jahier, Former EESC President and member of the EESC Civil Society Organisations’ Group

12:00 - 13:10 The Power of Collective Voice and Action. Civil Society Alliances Shaping the Future

Cillian Lohan, President of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, EESC

Elena Avenati, Private Sector and SDGs Manager, Save the Children

Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for International Cooperation, AICS

Discussants:

Karl Falkenberg, President of the EU Chapter of the Club of Rome

Patrizia Heidegger, Deputy Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau

Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, Vice-President of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, EESC

13:10 – 13:30 Conclusions

Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition