Peter De Smedt DG RTD I-2 Sustainable Development Unit

1. Sust-Rus Kick-off MeetingMockBa, 10-11 February 2009 ENV.2007.4.2.1.3. Tools for impact assessment of sustainable development policies in international collaboration partner countries Peter De Smedt DG RTD I-2 Sustainable Development Unit

2. Introduction • How does SD fit into EU policy-making? • EC - IA Guidelines • Challenges

3. 1. Introduction Unit I-2 “Mission statement” • Optimize contribution of FP7 to the renewed sustainable development strategy (adopted by the European Council June 2006) Implement the 6.4.2. sub-activity of Theme 6 « Environment»: “Forecasting methods and assessment tools for sustainable development taking into account differing scales of observation”

4. 2. How does SD fit into EU policy-making? SD, an integrating concept? • Policy-makers are confronted with the complexity of a future that holds an array of possibilities. • How to deal with this uncertainty and to anticipate undesired developments (poverty, biodiversity loss, etc.)? • SD, as a concept, provides interesting opportunities. • Although SD is currently widely used, it still remains questionable whether there is a shared and common accepted understanding. Contested implementation • Growing awareness and agreement what to avoid (SD = implicit goal) • What (‘average temperature increase’), How, Who ???

5. 2. How does SD fit into EU policy-making? EU SDS • Improve quality of life, now and in the future • Ensuring prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion • Creation of sustainable communities • High degree of integration (costs and benefits beyond €) Implementing IA system • Communication 2002: improve quality and coherence policy process • Replacing and Integrating all sectoral assessment • Research projects (SustA-test, IQ tools, SiaMet, Matisse, Evia, Sensor, etc) • IA Guidelines and IA Board: improve coherence, transparency and quality

6. 3. Impact Assessment Guidelines • Impact assessment is a set of logical steps which structure the preparation of policy proposals. • IA involves answering a number of basic analytical questions:What is the nature, of the problem? What should be the objectives? What are the main policy options? What are the likely economic, social and environmental impacts? What are the advantages and disadvantages? What is IA? What ? Why ? How ?

7. 3. Impact Assessment Guidelines • ensures early coordination • demonstrates openness and commitment to transparency • contributes to meeting the specific commitments of the Lisbon and Sustainable Development Strategies. • improves the quality of policy proposals • explain why an action is necessary and that the proposed response is an appropriate choice or, conversely, demonstrate why no action at EU level should be taken. Why is IA important? What ? Why ? How ?

8. 3. Impact Assessment Guidelines • Assessment process • SD indicators • Integrated models (FP projects) • Developing baseline scenarios and policy options • Analysing theirs impacts • Comparing options How to analyse impacts? What ? Why ? How ?

9. 4. Challenges Shared responsibility • Overemphasis on (economic) science = potential risk to not identify what is important and social acceptable to sustain (external costs) • Overemphasis on data, the process is equal important IA provides a mean for • Collaboration of communities of practice (Russia, EU, US, …) • To go beyond supply approach of science: - Structuring dialogue on how to make progress for SD (policy briefs) - Cross-fertilisation and learning by doing opportunities

10. Thank you for your kind hospitality and attention More information at EC Research website for SD http://ec.europa/research/sd/tools_en.html and Cordis (FP7 calls)