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Thanks to the severe economic crisis in recent years, the debate about the GDP has become increasingly heated: does Gross Domestic Product really reflect the degree of prosperity of a community? Today these doubts seem to finally find a concrete answer, resulting in an assurance given from the institutions.
Walter Deffaa, Head of Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, has announced that he favors the use of the Social Progress Index (SPI), an innovative tool that will assist in measuring the well-being of European citizens better than traditional GDP.
For now it is only a declaration of intention which, however, in the near future, will become a right system of analysis in which will cross 52 different factors, not only economic and financial but also socio-political character. Evaluation of the quality of life of the city or a region will measure activities related to environmental protection, cultural growth, the inclusion of the most disadvantaged groups, the development of smart community.
A tool that appears even more useful when you consider that EU regional policy can count on a fund source of 63 billion euro to be devoted to the future of innovation and social sustainability initiatives. The SPI could contribute to the good distribution of this enormous resource, rewarding the most ambitious projects and the most virtuous countries of Europe.