• It was a historical claim of CEPES, which equals Spain with France and Luxembourg, countries that did have ministries and state secretariats of this business model.
• The president of CEPES showed in the inauguration of the Minister of Labor and her new team the will to collaborate to continue promoting an ecosystem favorable to the Social Economy.
• CEPES values the announcement made by Pedro Sánchez and included in his Government program to create an Interministerial Commission on Social Economy.
Madrid, January 13, 2020.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) celebrates the creation, within the Government of Spain, of a Ministry and a State Secretariat of Social Economy, a business model that, with more than 42,000 companies, represents 12.5% of employment and 10% of state GDP.
The president of CEPES and 'Social Economy Europe', Juan Antonio Pedreño , stressed “the transcendental importance of the creation in Spain, at last, of a Ministry of Social Economy, a historical request of CEPES and our business model, similarly of what countries in our environment have already successfully completed, such as France and Luxembourg ”.
Pedreño stressed during the inauguration of the Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz , during the institutional presentation of the ministers of the Government of Spain, “the will of CEPES to collaborate with the newly created Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, to to look for formulas that allow to build an ecosystem favorable to the Social Economy that guarantees a sustainable economic and social growth, with committed companies and in which prime the person, so that we can guarantee the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda, the Welfare State to the future generations and contribute to the strategies and plans that the new Government has marked. ”
Pedreño also congratulated Yolanda Díaz , for his appointment as Prime Minister of Labor and Social Economy, and Joaquín Pérez Rey , as Secretary of State for Labor and Social Economy.
Interministerial Commission on Social Economy
The president of CEPES also appreciated the announcement made by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez , included in his Government program, to create an Interministerial Commission, with the aim of strengthening the institutional presence of the Social Economy.
This Interministerial Commission is motivated by the broad representation and presence of the Social Economy in all sectors of activity (employment, health, housing, agriculture, transport, industry, services ...), with companies of all sizes (from micropymes, to large international corporate corporations).
In this regard, the president of CEPES recalled that the Social Economy is an actor that responds to social, economic and environmental challenges and challenges, and contributes decisively to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda of the Nations United.
Spanish Presidency of the Group of EU countries that support the Social Economy
In addition, Pedreño recalled that Spain, from January 1, 2020, replaces France in the presidency of the Council of 16 Governments of the European Union for the Social Economy.
lign: justify; "> For this reason, our country must take an active part in the assignment made by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen , to develop a European Action Plan for the Social Economy, entrusted to the Employment Commissioner and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit .
Pedreño recalled the leadership and pioneering nature of Spain in the area of Social Economy. Our country adopted the first Law of Social Economy of the world (Law 5/2011) and CEPES became an international reference as it was the first representative entity of this business model that was created in a state. This regulatory framework subsequently served as an example to other countries in our environment, such as France or Portugal.
In addition, at the meeting held in August between Pedro Sánchez and the CEPES Board of Directors, the need for the Social Economy was agreed to occupy a preferential place in relations with Europe, America and the Mediterranean Region, as well as having greater representation in the Secretariat General Iberoamericana (SEGIB).
Social Economy Values
“Spanish and European society and economy actively need the values proclaimed by the Social Economy. Until now there has been only economic value and it has failed. Therefore, we must expand the range of values and the Social Economy evidences that we have other values: prioritize people over capital, with socially and economically profitable companies, in which decisions are made democratically and that generate stable employment, of quality and inclusive, ”said the president of CEPES.
“We need radical changes,” Pedreño said, “because of the environmental challenges, the transformations of the world of work and the need to improve welfare and protection systems. In short, it is necessary to reinvent our economy, and in this sense the Social Economy is essential because it humanizes globalization and also introduces ecological and social criteria in value chains, ”said Pedreño.
Finally, the president of CEPES transferred, on behalf of the Confederation, his thanks, “for the enormous work, effort and involvement to promote and make visible this business model, inside and outside our borders, to the ministerial team previously responsible for the Social Economy, headed by the former Minister of Labor, Migration and Social Security, Magdalena Valerio ; the former secretary of State for Employment, Yolanda Valdeolivas ; and the former general director of Autonomous Work, Social Economy and Corporate Social Responsibility, María Antonia Pérez León ”.
