Position of the ESMED Network after the 4th Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labor
Cascais (Portugal), April 2 and 3, 2019
The ESMED network shows its support for the call of the Ministries responsible for employment of the 43 States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in favor of the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean ecosystem favorable to the social economy that unlocks the potential of these companies and entities , as reflected in the final declaration of the Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labor of Cascais (Portugal) of April 2 and 3, 2019.
This statement states that:
“The ministers consider that the social and solidarity economy is not only an alternative way of providing economic, social and environmental value, but also an intelligent way to take advantage of resources, create sustainable employment and generate inclusive economic growth in the region. They call to promote social innovation and create an enabling environment for social enterprises to unlock the full potential of the social and solidarity economy. They recognize the role it will play in the context of the work program on the industrial cooperation of the UfM and the development of SMEs. ”
The ESMED Network appreciates these conclusions that recognize the key role of the social economy in the development of the Mediterranean and that support the establishment of a framework for cooperation between the north and south of the Mediterranean in the field of social economy.
ESMED wishes to recall in this regard that:
• The specific chapter on social economy of the Euro-Mediterranean program of industrial cooperation and development of SMEs 2018-2020 of the UfM and the European Commission as well as the measures proposed by the EESC and the Economic and Social Councils (ESC) on both sides of the Mediterranean to promote entrepreneurship and social economy in the Euro-Mediterranean region are the basis on which to build this cooperation framework.
• The strengthening of the social economy in the Mediterranean contributes to promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth, eradicating poverty, establishing sustainable local development and improving access to the labor market and decent working conditions, especially for women and young people , as well as the various categories of disadvantaged workers, as the Economic and Social Councils of the north and south of the Mediterranean have highlighted.
Therefore, the ESMED Network and its members:
• Invite the UfM, the European Commission and the Member States to establish and execute, with the participation of social economy organizations and companies, a “road map” with measures to unlock the potential of the Euro-Mediterranean social economy .
• They are made available to the other social economy organizations and companies in the south and north of the Mediterranean to promote coordinated action by the entire sector to ensure the success of the measures in favor of the social economy promoted by the UfM, the European Union and other International Organizations committed to the sustainable development of the Mediterranean.
April 2019
Presentation of the Euro-Mediterranean Social Economy Network (ESMED)
The ESMED Network is the institutional reference organization of the Social Economy in the Mediterranean Basin and is composed of the main representative organizations of this business fabric in 9 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Spain, France, Italy,Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey.
ESMED represents through its members more than 900,000 companies and entities, more than 8 million jobs and more than 100 million people associated.
Contact information:
ESMED Network Secretariat
Tél. +34.91.593.04.12 Email: c.lozano@cepes.es
