ZOE organized policy lab with the European Commission

Brussels, 02.12.2019. Just one day after the new European Commission started its work, ZOE-Institute organised a Policy Lab with over 50 members from different Directorates-General and policy experts. In an interactive format, the high-level participants have developed strategies to put well-being and sustainability at the centre of economic policy. They also discussed what is needed to unbind the economy from the dependence on economic growth. The results will be published shortly and forwarded as recommendations to the EU Commission.

The task of the next European Commission is clear: transforming our economic system so as to make sustainable prosperity possible. The new president has taken up this challenge. Within the first 100 days in office, a Green Deal will be presented. At the same time, the president calls to create “an economy that works for people” and place the European Semester around the Sustainable Development Goals. For this agenda to succeed, the EU must rethink economic policy.

The event aimed to contribute to the implementation of the new’s president’s program, specifically regarding align economic policymaking with the Green Deal, the social pillar and the SDGs.

On the basis of leverage points for transforming economic policy, published by the ZOE, the participants ideated on policy recommendations for

• connecting economic policymaking with the Green Deal
• introducing social and environmental considerations into the European Semester
• barriers and interventions for becoming agnostic about GDP
• research topics channelling into the Horizon’s Europe debate

The recommendations will be forwarded to the European Commission. A full report of the event will be published as well.

The policy lab is part of ZOE’s project “Policy-Making Beyond Growth“.

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