Since its creation in 2000, CEPES coordinated the
Euro-Mediterranean Social Economy Network (ESMED) which acted as an institutional reference platform of the Social Economy within the scope of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which is the international organization that promotes political, economic and social cooperation in the region that encompasses the 27 Member States of the European Union and 15 Mediterranean countries.
The ESMED Network strengthened the cooperation between the Social Economy from both shores of the Mediterranean from criteria of solidarity, cooperation and business efficiency, in order to provoke development actions. ESMED Members were the following:
- General Co-operative Union of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt)
- CEPES : Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (Spain)
- Chambre Française de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire (ESS-France)
- CONFCOOPERATIVE: Confederazione Cooperative Italiane (Italy)
- LEGACOOP: Lega Nazionalle delle Cooperative e Mutue (Italy)
- ODCO: Office de Développement de la Coopération (Morocco)
- UNCAM: Union Nationale des Coopératives Agricoles Marocaines (Morocco)
- REMESS: Réseau Marocain de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire (Morocco)
- CASES: António Sérgio Cooperative for the Social Economy (Portugal)
- CONFECOOP: Portuguese Cooperative Confederation (Portugal)
- FENACOOP: National Federation of Consumer Cooperatives (Portugal)
- UNAM: Union Nationale des Mutuelles (Tunisia)
- RADES: Réseau des Associations de lEconomie Sociale (Tunisia)
- NCUT: National Cooperative Union of Turkey (Turkey)
Furthermore, the following were associate members:
- C.C.M: Coordination Committee des Mutuelles (Algeria)
- Association MedESS
The institutional work carried out by the ESMED Network means that
the European Economic and Social Committee recognized ESMED as the representative civil society platform of the Mediterranean Social Economy.
