Edited by Torino Social Impact

Policy & Practice

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18 June 2020

The Future of EU policies for the Social Economy: Towards a European Action Plan

In 2018, Social Economy Europe published a summary document defining axes and actions to develop a European Action Plan for the Social Economy, proposing 20 policy measures and 64 actions structured in 7 pillars. Today, co-designing the European Action Plan for the Social Economy is a leverage for the Economic and Social Recovery of EU.

Social Economy Europe has produced a document on the future of the EU policies for the social economy. This document defines a series of axes and actions that may serve as a basis for elaborating a European Action Plan for the social economy. These proposals are the result of a consultation process in which all Social Economy Europe members have actively participated.

The objectives of this proposal for an Action Plan are the following:

Recognise the social economy as a transversal actor in the main socioeconomic policies of the European Union
Promote the convergence and coordination of the different public authorities involved in the promotion of the social economy by defining strategic objectives and benchmarks at EU level
Foster a conducive ecosystem for the growth of the social economy in Europe, improving its contribution to key EU objectives and allowing social economy enterprises to take full advantage of the single market and of EU funds and financial instruments.

In line with these three objectives, this policy proposal includes 20 policy measures and 64 actions structured in 7 pillars: establish a common understanding of social economy enterprises and organisations in Europe , improve the visibility of social economy, measure its effective contribution to the socio-economic development of the European Union, further integrate the social economy in EU funds and programmes, foster the role of the social economy in the external action of the European Union and consolidate and strengthen a permanent and structured dialogue between EU institutions.

On June 2nd the Social Economy Intergroup online hearing on Co-designing the European Action Plan for the Social Economy, as a leverage for the Economic and Social Recovery of Europe. 23 high-level speakers and over 400 participants from all over the European Union partecipated at the evente organized by Social Economy Intergroup in cooperation with Social Economy Europe.

This crisis has increased the visibility of social economy’s contribution to socio-economic development and social cohesion, demonstrating that it is an essential part of Europe’s safety net in times of crisis. The social economy’s role and potential is undisputed as enterprises and organisations belonging to the social economy community have proven through the Covid19 crisis to be pillars of the EU’s socio-economic landscape.

At the same time the crisis has severely hit social economy enterprises and organisations.

There was consensus on the need for EU actions to preserve enterprises and organisations that are suffering the effects of the crisis and subsequently to consider rethinking financial support and to invest for social and economic recovery of Europe with the social economy. The Social Economy can play an important role in the social economy for the recovery of Europe and for a green transition.

For deepening the discussion https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/02.06-Report-of-the-SEIG-hearing.pdf

View the Action Plan Proposal https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SEE-Action-Plan-for-Social-Economy.pdf