• Held today at the headquarters of CEPES with the aim of strengthening the Social Economy between both countries and on the international agenda, and helping to meet the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.
• The Social Economy represents 10% of GDP in both France and Spain.
Madrid, February 19, 2019.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) hosted today a working meeting with representatives of the Governments of Spain and France with the aim of strengthening the Social Economy, in addition to meeting the Objectives of Sustainable Development (ODS) and the 2030 Agenda.
In this meeting, the High Commissioner for the Social and Solidarity Economy and for Social Innovation of the Gallic Government, Christophe Itier , the General Director of Autonomous Work, Social Economy and CSR, María Antonia Pérez León ; the Executive Commission of CEPES and its president, Juan Antonio Pedreño .
The representatives of both governments agreed to show the importance for both countries of this business sector, which represents 10% of GDP in the two countries, with more than 43,000 companies in Spain and 200,000 companies and associations in France.
"Spain and France are committed to moving internationally the vision we share about the importance of the Social Economy. An economy that generates social and territorial cohesion is more resilient to the crisis than other business models and generates a positive social impact in the future of Europe, "said Pérez León.
For its part, Itier stressed that this alliance is essential because Spain will take over from France in 2020 in the leadership of the group of 16 countries of the European Union that undertake measures to promote the Social Economy, which at the community level has 2.8 million of companies and entities, which employ 13.6 million people and represent 8% of the EU GDP.
Itier announced that cooperation with Spain in the field of Social Economy will be transferred internationally to contribute to the development of other countries beyond Europe, with a special focus on the Mediterranean and Latin America.
For his part, Pedreño recalled "the contribution of CEPES to facilitate bilateral exchanges between both countries and their commitment to enhance the international dimension of the Social Economy and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda marked by The United Nations".
Also, Pedreño, who is also president of 'Social Economy Europe' (SEE) announced that the European Social Economy, will be involved in the success of the initiatives that the Government of France, with the support of Spain, will carry out during 2019 in Paris and Strasbourg, city that has been nominated European Capital of the Social Economy 2019 ".
The president of CEPES and SEE valued the sharing of the policies of both countries for the development of Social Economy companies and proposed a bilateral meeting between the Governments of France and Spain, together with the representative organizations of this business sector. both countries.
