EU policies rely on cross-border co-ordination between EU, national and local institutions, raising important issues not only responding to challenges which cut across these levels but also doing so in ways which nurture democratic accountability. Achieving the consensus needed for such consensus has become more difficult. Such consensus is particularly important for Europe to tackle major societal challenges such as social cohesion, labour market disruption, decarbonisation, industrial competitiveness, population, health, and defence. Evaluators, commissioners, and decision-makers, who are part of navigating these challenges, often operate within different organisations, and to different timelines. We will explore how to bring these together to strengthen the role of evaluation evidence in decision-making.

Against this background, this strand addresses the Systemic Learning theme by exploring how evaluative evidence is generated, transferred, interpreted, and used across EU policy making. It positions evaluation as a central learning mechanism that can enhance democratic responsiveness while maintaining methodological rigour. The strand will feature sessions involving European Institutions and draw on relevant initiatives, including insights and challenges from the Evidence and Evaluation Policy Forum (EEPF), launched in 2025 as a European Evaluation Society pilot programme to strengthen links between evidence and policy communities to effect greater policy impact.

For contributors under Call B, this strand offers a platform to situate empirical and methodological work within the broader effort to strengthen learning and democratic value across EU policy systems.