European Union: a commissioner for the generations to come

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What the EU did

Governance built around short electoral cycles struggles to balance the needs of people alive today with those still to come. Recognising this, and acting on commitments made in the UN Pact for the Future and its Declaration on Future Generations, the European Union appointed Glenn Micallef as its first-ever Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, who took office in December 2024 under President von der Leyen.

How it Delivered

The Commissioner's mandate is broad and practical, and its centrepiece has now been delivered: in March 2026 the Commission published its EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, a roadmap built around the idea of an "intergenerational contract" and three pillars of fair policymaking, fair opportunities and fair places. It establishes an Intergenerational Fairness Index to track gaps and guide decisions, and a package to embed foresight and future-oriented methods across policymaking. The strategy was shaped through an unusually open, consultative process, including a citizens' panel of around 150 randomly selected people from all 27 member states and participatory mechanisms such as Youth Policy Dialogues and a President's Youth Advisory Board. The office works across key EU institutions, from the Commission Secretariat-General and Joint Research Centre to Eurostat, the Parliament, the Council, the External Action Service and the Court of Auditors, so that intergenerational fairness runs through the machinery of the Union.

What Made it Work?

Dedicated leadership signals political commitment, but the design goes further. By embedding the role in frameworks, participatory tools and oversight channels, the EU has given the agenda durability beyond any one officeholder. Crucially, the strategy was co-created with other parts of the Commission and external stakeholders from the outset, building an evidence base and a shared sense of ownership from the start rather than imposing a finished text.

Future Generations Takeaway

Institutions remember what individuals forget. The EU's move shows how a political commitment to future generations can be given a permanent address, a mandate and the means to act. Keeping the future open takes more than good intentions; it takes someone whose job it is.

This case study is based on one kindly shared with us by the us by School of International Futures (SOIF) and can be found in their digital implementation handbook: 'One Year in Practice: Stories of Global Action for Future Generations'.  We have updated and expanded some case studies with more recent developments and additional sources where relevant.