Researchers advise the EU towards sustainable well-being for all
Researchers see a unique opportunity for the next European Commission to intensify its policy agenda towards well-being. In a recently published policy paper, researchers from five EU-funded projects advise how the EU could bring sustainable and inclusive well-being into policymaking.
University Lecturer Tuuli Hirvilammi and Professor Liisa Häikiö from Tampere University participated in the writing as coordinators for the ToBe and MERGE projects. The paper was edited and coordinated by Professor Rutger Hoekstra from Leiden University.
The paper, written at the request of the Commission, sets out how the European Commission could develop a policy model that prioritises people's well-being.
“What is the best, the European Commission does not need to start from scratch. In the policy paper, we discuss how policymakers can build on existing measurement and policy frameworks, current legislation and good practices to steer the EU towards wellbeing for all, now and in the future,” says Tuuli Hirvilammi.
The well-being agenda would require new leadership in the EU
The new policy agenda towards sustainable and inclusive well-being is built on three items.
The researchers see a need to strengthen the science-based policy toolkit, including 'beyond GDP' measuring for well-being. They also argue that the European Semester process needs to be reformed to better support well-being. The European Semester is the European Union’s framework for the coordination and surveillance of economic and social policies. Thirdly, the paper highlights the need to develop specific policies for societal transformations.
The writers say that the new policy agenda requires leadership and vision within the European Commission, for instance in the new post of Executive Vice-President. The EVP could be responsible for the transformations and policy areas proposed in the paper.
The five societal transformations include inclusive and sustainable well-being, mission economy and finance, transformative research and innovations and a multi-level governance that emphasises citizens’ participation. These transformations are linked to 13 policy domains. The writers also present a list of concrete policy suggestions.
The paper was co-written by the consortium coordinators and policy leads of four Horizon Europe research and innovation projects: SPES, ToBe, WISE Horizons and WISER. These projects also collaborate in the Coordination and Support Action called MERGE – coordinated by Tampere University and funded by the EU.
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ToBe is a research project that is developing policy practices and transformative indicators that promote sustainable well-being, economy, and the sustainability paradigm. Tampere University leads the EU-funded consortium of 14 partners on three continents.
The MERGE project brings together research and policy to promote sustainable well-being. Like ToBE, MERGE kicked off under the Horizon Europe programme. MERGE seeks to establish a unified set of indicators for measuring multidimensional well-being. The project aims to provide EU policymakers with research evidence to lay a solid foundation for a new sustainable economy paradigm.
A European Agenda to Navigate Uncertain Times
How to Steer the EU Towards Wellbeing for All, Now and in the Future.
Hoekstra, R. (ed), Barth, J., Bartolini, F., S., Biggeri, M., Burger, M., Ferrannini, A., Häikiö, L., Hirvilammi, T., Kaufmann, R., Rayner, L., Reuter, K., Sarracino, 2024. A European Agenda to Navigate Uncertain Times. How to Steer the EU Towards Wellbeing for All, Now and in the Future. A joint report by the coordinators and policy leads of Horizon Europe “Beyond-GDP” consortia SPES/ToBe/WISE Horizons/WISER/MERGE
