European Union

Post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations
Session on Goals and Targets
22 July, New York

Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States

delivered by
Mr. Gaspar Frontini
DG DEVCO – European Commission


Co-facilitators,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ukraine and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.

First on the technical adjustment, we welcome the important step taken in the revised version to integrate in the draft outcome document the selected proposals for adjustment. Nevertheless as expressed at the previous session of the intergovernmental negotiations and again on Monday, the EU continues to support that the focused proposal of 20 targets that have been recommended by the co-facilitators when the zero draft was released is integrated in full. This list was made in a careful manner that preserves the content and the balance of the OWG proposal, which is also a priority for the EU.

The EU insists that the whole set of technical adjustments that have been recommended are integrated in full. This includes the improved language for target 14.c in relation to UNCLOS. We cannot invite our Heads of State to endorse a framework where the global level of ambition is still unclear and contains unspecified "Xs" and an expression which we are all aware is inconsistent with existing international frameworks, UN resolutions and the outcome documents of Johannesburg and of the Rio+20 Conference, on which the OWG process and proposal must be based. While the Declaration clearly reaffirms our commitment to international law and the obligation to implement the Agenda accordingly, we still believe that we should make every effort to avoid any inconsistencies with international law in the text. We can still get this right. Once all the proposed technical revisions are integrated, the process should be closed and the goals and targets would be ready for adoption at the summit.

Second with respect to the introduction to the SDGs and targets, the EU continues to support having a very short introduction for the SDGs and the targets. We support highlighting here, as proposed, that SDGs are global in nature and universally applicable, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. The text on this matter should remain as it is, so that the introduction to the section on SDGs remains concise and focused. For this reason, we do not support adding the chapeau of the proposal of the OWG.

As to the last paragraphs, we agree on the importance that the agenda respects, supports, and builds on existing multilateral agreements, commitments and processes. However, we are not in favour of engaging in selective quotation of some of them, since there are many landmarks in other fields than those suggested, including human rights or UNCLOS.

Thank you.