Seite 102 [102]
100 I Gábor Szabó and Szabolcs Diósi
The financial package of 1.8 trillion euros constitutes the largest injection
ever financed through the EU budget. It will help rebuild a post-COVID-19
Europe in a greener, more digital, and more resilient fashion.
However, in order to permanently change the course of negative trends
regarding sustainable development, additional and more impactful actions
are needed at various levels. EU institutions, Member States, and regions will
have to be involved together. All communities across Europe - from large
cities to small towns, villages, and rural settlements — need to be part of this
collective effort. Since isolated policy strategies have proven ineffective, more
comprehensive and integrated approaches are necessary in the future (e.g.
environmental-related threats cannot be solved with environmental policies
alone if economic policies continue to promote fossil fuels or unsustainable
production and consumption).
Education and innovation capacities should also be strengthened in order
to accelerate the often too slow convergence across EU Member States. Europe
has the brains, the skills, and creativity. It is crucial to ensure top-quality
education, including lifelong learning, in order to raise new generations
equipped with the necessary skills. Heavy investments in research and
innovation are also essential. The deployment of smart technology (e.g.
artificial intelligence, big-data analytics) can serve as vital tools in meeting
the challenges ahead.
Last but not least, the EU and its Member States will have to work together
with their international partners to achieve sustainability worldwide. Given
the Union's relative stability and prosperity, it must set an example to other
countries by leading the urgently needed transformation. “We must take
action today in order to preserve for tomorrow the delicate economic, social
and environmental balances governing the globe” (European Commission
2005, 38).
Key concepts and terms
2030 Agenda
Brundtland Report
Circular economy (EU Circular Economy Action Plan)
Digital revolution
Ecological debt
European Green Deal
New Industrial Strategy for Europe
Stockholm Declaration
Sustainable Development Goals
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Conference,
Rio de Janeiro 1992)