Milestones of the social economy at EU and international levels - Beguining 2020

Milestones of the social economy at EU and international levels

European Union:

• European Action Plan for the Social Economy of the European Commission.

The European Commission has confirmed - on the occasion of its Communication A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions issued last January - the launch in 2021 of an European  Action Plan for the social economy. This Plan is the answer of the EU Instituions to the strong request of the European social economy organisations structured around Social Economy Europe - the European social economy platform - of which some ESMED organisations (ESS- France, CASES from Portugal and CEPES from Spain) are members.

This plan will make it possible to move forward and implement a European policy for the social economy. Please, find the proposal for an Action Plan that Social Economy Europe developed and presented to the Vice-President of the Commission in January 2019 here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=11Rxq-BKFD3TgnHpnmA2WRHEbjpcviRKN

• Renewal of the European Parliament's Social Economy Intergroup:

The European Parliament confirmed end December the renewal of the Social Economy Intergroup for the 2019-2023 mandate. More than 100 Members of European Parliament from the main political groups have supported this Intergroup. This confirms the political consensus around the social economy as a driver of economic and social development in the European Union.

This Intergroup is a strategic forum for the social economy in the European Union where the EU Institutions (Parliament, Commission, Economic and Social Committee) engage since 1990 with the social economy organisations a dialogue to implement policies for these enteprises and organisations. For example, the Intergroup will have to play a key role in the debate and development of the European Social Economy Action Plan.

More info here: https://mailchi.mp/socialeconomy.eu.org/the-social-economy-intergroup-is-relaunched

•  European Social Economy Summit. November 2020.

The city of Mannheim (Germany) will host the European Social Economy Summit on 26 and 27 November. The aim of the summit is to strengthen the European social economy and to exploit its contribution to economic development, social inclusion and green and digital transitions. Discussions will focus on three dimensions: the digitization of the social economy, (social) innovation, transnational and cross-sector collaboration.

The Summit invited social economy actors to hold side events at the Summit. More info: https://www.euses2020.eu

• Spain: Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.

Spanish new government following the November general elections has created a Ministry for Social Economy. This is the first that social economy is subject of a ministry in Spain.

International organizations.

• United Nations. The role of cooperatives and mutuelles in social development.

The Secretary General of the United Nations published a report on the role of cooperatives in social development that highlights the contribution of cooperatives and mutuals in access to health and financial inclusion, among other topics related to the development of the social economy. The text is available in here: https://undocs.org/en/A/74/206

• International Labour Office (ILO). Report on financing social economy 

The ILO has published a report on "Financial Mechanisms for Innovative Ecosystems in the Social and Solidarity Economy.". The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/---coop/documents/publication/wcms_728367.pdf