INDI-LINK

The INDI-LINK project further improves EU sustainable development indicators, assesses the interlinkages between the different priorities of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) and derives conclusions for future SD policy making.
The Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI) serves as scientific coordinator of this research project in the 6th Framework Programme (sub-programme Scientific Support to Policies). The INDI-LINK project has three main objectives:
(1) further improvement of sustainable development indicators (SDI),
(2) assessment of interlinkages between the different priorities of the EU SDS and
(3) deriving conclusions for future SD policy making.
To achieve these objectives, INDI-LINK will

• develop new concepts and methods and improve data for the calculation of selected "best-needed" and proxy indicators;
• review emerging policy areas, for which no indicators exist so far;
• develop a solid conceptual framework for interlinkage assessment based on a comparative analysis of analytical frameworks, methods and tools;
• provide a quantitative analysis of past interlinkages using selected indicators with best-suited assessment methods;
• test different methods and models for extending indicator time series in the future through forecasting and identify most effective combinations of environmental, economic and social policy measures, focusing on the maximum use of synergies and best possible mitigation of potential trade-offs.

A series of five workshops will be organised, where representatives of relevant DGs and external experts will be involved. The INDI-LINK consortium has a well-established institutional balance and includes four university institutes, one national statistical institute, one public-private research institute and three private research institutions (SMEs). As INDI-LINK partners are coordinating or participating in a number of other relevant projects on the EU level, INDI-LINK will provide and make full use of synergies with projects such as MATISSE, Sustainability A-Test, SUSTOOLS, FORESCENE and MOSUS.

The project will provide recommendations for priorities in future SDI development on the EU level, for future assessments of interlinkages and for an effective implementation of the revised EU SDS, with a particular focus on policy integration across different SD dimensions.