Strategic Agenda 2024-2029

Summary:

Strategic agenda for the European Union (EU) for the period between 2024 and 2029, adopted by the European Council on 27 June 2024.

Further information:

Every five years, EU leaders agree on the EU's political priorities for the future. It is a collective effort led by the President of the European Council, where leaders discuss and decide together. It sets out the priority areas guiding the work of the European Council. It also provides guidance for the work programmes of other EU institutions. It takes place in the context of the European Parliament elections and ahead of the appointment of each European Commission.

The Strategic Agenda for the period 2019-2024 focuses on following headlines:

• A free and democratic Europe
• A strong and secure Europe
• A prosperous and competitive Europe

The process to developing a new Strategic Agenda was kickstarted on 6 October 2023 during an informal meeting of the European Council. Further consultations were organised in November 2023 and April 2024. The final version of the document was eventually adopted on 27 June 2024 during a meeting of the European Council.

• Primary Source

Commentary and Analysis

German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP): Dossiers: European elections 2024 and the EU's next strategic agenda https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/topics/dossiers/european-elections-2024-and-the-eus-next-strategic-agenda

Dutch Social and Economic Council (SER): Advisory Report, 28/09/2023: European Union policy agenda 2024-2029- stronger together in times of transitions https://www.ser.nl/en/Publications/european-union-policy-agenda

European Council: The Granada declaration, 6 October 2023 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/10/06/granada-declaration/?utm_source=dsms-auto&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Granada%20declaration

Strategic Perspectives, 09/10/2023: Strategic foresight required to guide leaders https://strategicperspectives.eu/strategic-foresight-required-to-guide-leaders/

German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP): Commentary, 26/03/2024: Priorities for the Next EU Commission (2024–2029) https://dgap.org/en/research/publications/priorities-next-eu-commission-2024-2029

E3G: Briefings, 05/04/2024: Securing social, economic and climate stability through the EU Strategic Agenda https://www.e3g.org/publications/securing-social-economic-and-climate-stability-through-the-eu-strategic-agenda/

Greenpeace: Press Release, 10/04/2024: Leaked strategic agenda: military ambition leaves EU vulnerable to ecological collapse https://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/issues/democracy-europe/47050/leaked-strategic-agenda-military-ambition-leaves-eu-vulnerable-to-ecological-collapse/

Social Europe, 12/04/2024: EU leaders may miss a rendezvous with history https://www.socialeurope.eu/eu-leaders-may-miss-a-rendezvous-with-history

European Network Against Racism (ENAR), 16/04/2024: Unpacking the leaked EU Strategic Agenda: where did the Union of equality go? https://www.enar-eu.org/leaked-eu-strategic-agenda/

CAP Reform Blog, 06/05/2024: The European Council’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 http://capreform.eu/the-european-councils-strategic-agenda-2024-2029/

Politico, 28/05/2024: Lame ducks Macron and Scholz will struggle to steer EU’s post-election agenda https://www.politico.eu/article/lame-ducks-macron-and-scholz-will-struggle-to-steer-eus-post-election-agenda/

E3G: Letters, 30/05/2024: Joint Open Letter to EU Leaders on the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 https://www.e3g.org/news/joint-open-letter-to-eu-leaders-on-the-strategic-agenda-2024-2029/

EUObserver: Opinion, 12/06/2024: EU's leaked strategic agenda makes zero mention of health https://euobserver.com/health-and-society/ar6c97bea9

Climate Action Network (CAN Europe): Position Paper, 14/06/2024: Input to the EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 https://caneurope.org/strategic-agenda-2024-2029/

Friends of the Earth (Europe): News, 18/06/2024: The EU’s mixed messaging on sustainable resources management https://friendsoftheearth.eu/news/the-eus-mixed-messaging-on-sustainable-resources-management/

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), 24/06/2024: Nature and climate at a crossroads - EU leaders to decide on EU top jobs and the Strategic Agenda https://www.wwf.eu/?14165916/Nature-and-climate-at-a-crossroads---EU-leaders-to-decide-on-EU-top-jobs-and-the-Strategic-Agenda

European Policy Centre (EPC): Policy Brief, 24/06/2024: The EU’s future after the 2024 elections: Making the Strategic Agenda more strategic https://epc.eu/en/publications/EUs-future-after-the-2024-elections-Making-the-Strategic-Agenda-m~5c105c

European Public Service Union (EPSU), 25/06/2024: EPSU demands public services agenda as part of EU Strategic Agenda https://www.epsu.org/article/epsu-demands-public-services-agenda-part-eu-strategic-agenda

Corporate Europe Observatory, 26/06/2024: EU civil society says "It's time to prioritise needs of people and the environment". 120 organisations sign letter to EU and member state leaders https://www.corporateeurope.org/en/2024/06/prioritise-people-environment

European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Press Release, 28/06/2024: The EU’s Strategic Agenda: Legacy of the Green Deal lives on… implicitly https://eeb.org/strategic-agenda-2024-2029/

Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA): Editorial, 28/06/2024: The Strategic Agenda 2024-29: a beginning, not an end https://tepsa.eu/analysis/the-strategic-agenda-2024-29-a-beginning-not-an-end/

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News

The Brussels Times, 03/04/2024: Security, competitiveness and democracy at heart of EU's future strategic agenda https://www.brusselstimes.com/990385/security-competitiveness-and-democracy-at-heart-of-eus-future-strategic-agenda

EurActiv, 09/04/2024: EU leaders want to make food security top priority for 2024-2029 strategic agenda https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-leaders-want-to-make-food-security-top-priority-for-2024-2029-strategic-agenda/

Politico, 11/04/2024: Bullets not bees: EU ditches green focus ahead of June election https://www.politico.eu/article/leaked-eu-priority-list-reveals-absence-climate-change-focus/

EurActiv, 18/06/2024: Health not a priority in EU Council’s 2024-2029 strategic agenda https://www.euractiv.com/section/health-consumers/news/health-not-a-priority-in-eu-councils-2024-2029-strategic-agenda/

Euronews, 18/06/2024: Defence and competitiveness central in next EU Strategic Agenda to be adopted by leaders https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/06/18/defence-and-competitiveness-central-in-next-eu-strategic-agenda-to-be-adopted-by-leaders

Euronews, 28/06/2024: Green groups give cautious thumbs up to EU’s new strategic agenda https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/06/28/green-groups-give-cautious-thumbs-up-to-eus-new-strategic-agenda

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Official

General Secretariat of the EU: Policies: EU strategic agenda 2024–2029 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/strategic-agenda-2024-2029/

EUR-LEX: OJ (C), 22/12/2023: Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on the 2023 State of Regions and Cities in the European Union and proposals in view of the next EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1321/oj

Spanish Government (La Moncloa): News, 11/04/2024: Pedro Sánchez calls for green transition, social prosperity and security to be priorities in the EU's Strategic Agenda https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/presidente/news/Paginas/2024/20240411-eu-high-level-meeting.aspx

Slovenian Government: News, 12/04/2024: Prime Minister Robert Golob in Vienna on the future EU Strategic Agenda 2024–2029 https://www.gov.si/en/news/2024-04-12-prime-minister-robert-golob-in-vienna-on-the-future-eu-strategic-agenda-20242029/

Greens/EFA EP Group: Press Release, 17/04/2024: EUCO: EU Strategic Agenda needs to focus on climate change https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/press/euco-eu-strategic-agenda-needs-to-focus-on-climate-change

French Presidency (Elysée): News, 29/05/2024: A new agenda to boost competitiveness and growth in the European Union https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2024/05/29/a-new-agenda-to-boost-competitiveness-and-growth-in-the-european-union

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