• On 28 June, the European Economic and Social Committee (CEPES) held the 2nd European Social Economy Day in Brussels, bringing together senior officials from the European Institutions and Member States.
• The EESC, the Social Economy Intergroup of the European Parliament and the employers of the European Social Economy, ESS, asked the European Commission to include in its 2018 Work Plan the launch of a European Action Plan for the Social Economy .
• The Social Economy in Europe represents 8% of GDP and has 2 million companies that generate 14.5 million jobs.
(Madrid, July 3, 2017) .- On 28 June the 2nd European Social Economy Day was held, an initiative promoted by the European Economic and Social Committee to give visibility to the European Social Economy.
This important event was organized by the EESC and was attended by over 130 participants, representatives of the social economy, EESC members, EU officials, MEPs and high-level representatives from the Member States.
EESC Vice-President Michael Smyth, Chairman of the EESC Standing Group on Social Economy, Oliver Röpke and EESC Section Chairman Martin Siecker agreed to highlight the A key role of companies and organizations in the social economy in the European socio-economic scenario, for their ability to create and maintain sustainable and quality jobs, to integrate vulnerable people into the labor market and society, and to promote business models Democratic and sustainable, strongly committed to local development. They also asked the European Commission to include in its Work Program for 2018 a European Action Plan for the Social Economy.
Emmanuel Verny, Vice-President of Social Economy Europe, SEE, acknowledged the European Commission's willingness and efforts to promote the Social Economy in Europe, adding that "on the basis of these actions we need to build a global, ambitious European action plan And coherent for the Social Economy, with adequate financial resources and elaborated in close collaboration with the representative organizations of the Social Economy. "
Verny stressed that the Social Economy is shaping the future of Europe by creating and preserving high-quality jobs in all economic sectors, fostering collective and democratic entrepreneurship, ensuring the social and professional integration of vulnerable people and contributing to the achievement of the Goals Sustainable Development around the world.
Nicolas Schmit, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Economy of Luxembourg, stressed that the Social Economy has great potential to respond to three major challenges: climate change, the digital revolution and social division. In addition, he announced that the ninth Academy of Social and Solidarity Economy, organized by the ILO, will focus on the future of work from 25 to 29 September.
Jens Nilsson, Member of the European Parliament and co-chair of his Social Economy Intergroup, highlighted the potential of cooperation to promote social economy among a growing number of member states, according to the recent Madrid Declaration "The Social Economy, A business model for the future of Europe ".
Rait Kuuse, Under-Secretary-General for Social Policy of Estonia, presented the program of the forthcoming Estonian Council PresidencyThe EU on social issues.
Slawomir Tokarski , Director of Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing of the Directorate-General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission, stressed that the Social Economy is a European success in which the European Union and the Member States should invest to maximize Their impact on sustainable growth, job creation and social and territorial cohesion.
The president of CEPES Juan Antonio Pedreño , appreciates very positively the act since it not only contributes to give visibility to the Social Economy in Europe, but of all the interventions was verified the need to put into action a Plan of Unitary Action for the economy Social, showing that it is a key business actor to build a more prosperous, fair and sustainable European nation.
