The 'Madrid Declaration' was signed by the Governments of Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Malta, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Sweden, within the Social Economy Summit, a business model for the future of The European Union 'organized by CEPES, Social Economy Europe and the Government of Spain.
The signatory countries, to which others may shortly be added, call on the European Commission to place the social economy at the top of its agenda in Community policies and "concrete measures" for its development.
The Social Economy has 2 million companies in Europe that generate 8% of the Community GDP and employ about 14.5 million people.
The Madrid Declaration reflects that "the common values of the Social Economy, such as the primacy of people and the social object over capital, democratic and / or participatory governance, reinvestment of most of the benefits to ensure sustainability The provision of services to its members and to local communities actively contribute to social cohesion and therefore to innovative, intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as to the creation of quality employment. "
The 'Madrid Declaration' also calls for the promotion of the Social Economy from schools, the creation of common coordination mechanisms at the highest level within the EU and the inclusion of a Unitary Action Plan for the Social Economy 2018- 2020 in the work plan of the European Commission for 2018.
Fátima Báñez: "Social Economy is Brand Spain"
The Minister of Employment and Social Security of the Government of Spain, Fátima Báñez , signed the Madrid Declaration as the promoter of the Informal Group of Governments in Favor of the Social Economy, which she defined as "a banner of the Spain brand for its capacity to Create and maintain employment, innovate, compete and make social cohesion a foundation of their most important values. "
Banez said that this business sector is a "model of present and future because it puts the emphasis on lOr important, that they are the people. "In addition, he affirmed that" it is an integrative and inclusive model, "which has proven" essential "both in times of growth and in those of" deep crisis ", because" thanks to him People were protected and social cohesion was maintained. "
The minister also stressed that the Social Economy is the model that achieves the "most sustainable enterprises", while pointing out that the destruction of employment in this sector was seven points below the global average of other business modalities .
Báñez put into value that the Social Economy has been a "banner of the Spain brand for its ability to create and maintain employment, to innovate, compete and to make social cohesion a foundation of its most important values."
In addition, the Minister of Employment and Social Security announced that the Government is working on the design of the Spanish strategy of Social Economy
Safeguarding our model of life
CEPES President Juan Antonio Pedreño said that "Social Economy companies allow us to create positive economic prospects for all citizens of the Union, which will safeguard our model of life and offer better opportunities."
In addition, Pedreño recalled that Social Economy, as stated by the European Parliament, is a fundamental pillar in terms of social cohesion and employment in Europe and an engine of change in the face of the challenges facing the European Union. "Therefore," he added, "it is a consolidated and shared project that we must preserve and which must now be more united than ever."
Social Economy companies, explained Pedreño, "respond to the challenges faced by European citizens, contribute to sustainable economic growth and for all, create quality jobs, are helping to reduce social inequality, reinforce solidarity Among Europeans and are concerned to innovate in each of their business projects. "
European Summit at the highest level
The most important European Conference to date was attended by over 400 representatives of European governments - including several ministers - as well as representatives of European institutions, business The Social Economy and the different Spanish Public Administrations (Government of Spain, Autonomous Communities and Municipalities).
The signatories of the Madrid Declaration were the Minister of Employment and Social Security of Spain, Fatima Báñez ; The Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security of Luxembourg; Nicolas Schmit ; The Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal, José Antonio Vieira da Silva ; Sweden's Minister of Public Administration , Alrdalan Shekarabi ; The Alternate Minister of Labor, Social Security and Social Solidarity of Greece, Rania Antonopoulou ; The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Italy, Luigi Bobba ; The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labor and Social Justice of Romania, Daniela Gheorghiţa Barbu ; The Secretary of State of the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Social Economy of Slovenia, Tadej Slapnik ; The Malta ambassador to Spain, Mark Anthony Micallef ; The ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Spain, Ivan Kondov ; And the Director of the Employment Department of the Ministry of Labor, Welfare and Social Security of Cyprus, Alexandros Alexandrou.
