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We recommend the latest article “Potential of social economy for a more democratic, just and fair future” by Sara Bombardieri, the expert at Policy & Projects dpt. at @SocialEcoEU 

 

Przechwytywanie

https://eyes-on-europe.eu/wp-content/uploads/Eyes-on-Europe-n36_web_compressed.pdf

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

Check the Social Economy Talks podcasts!
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Check the Social Economy Talks podcasts!

“Social Economy Talks” is a Podcast series from Social Economy Europe about the most relevant upcoming issues in the social economy sphere. It will follow a journey of discovery (narrated by team member Nicholas Clark) aimed at elucidating social economy success stories and roles regarding the green transition, diversity and migrant entrepreneurship, digitalisation, COVID recovery and promoting human capital, among many other things. Interviews with important organisations on the ground as well as relevant policy players will give a digestible introduction to the social economy in practice.

 

In this very first episode of 2022, Laura Almirante (Communications Coordinator at SEE) and Sara Bombardieri (Policy and Communications Assistant) talk about the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan and the steps that have been taken in the first quarter of this new year.

The Social Economy Action Plan, one of a kind, was presented last December by the EU Commission. This meant a great celebration for the social economy community, who has worked hard and constantly for 14 years to achieve the publication of this Action Plan. Despite being a great milestone, this is only the beginning as the plan has now to be transformed into concrete actions.

Some of the main events taken place in the first quarter of 2022 were the GECES meeting concerning the implementation of the SEAP, the EU Industry Days 2022, the launching of the EU Commission Survey on transition pathways, the event on the social economy and the future of Europe celebrated in Paris, the Accessibilitech event, the Civil Society Days, the visit to Madrid of a 10 MEP’s delegation and the SEIG hearing towards a Council Recommendation on Social Economy.

As you can see (and hear) 2022 is the time to scale up for the European Social Economy Community and all the events and milestones this podcast is about, are just the beginning of an amazing year for the Social Economy and the future of Europe.

LISTEN HERE:

 

https://soundcloud.com/user-704418876/episode-16-see-activities-during-first-quarter-of-2022?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-704418876%252Fepisode-16-see-activities-during-first-quarter-of-2022

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

No Green Deal without a Social Deal
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No Green Deal without a Social Deal

We recommend reading the opinion by Norbert KLUGE (Workers – GR II / Germany) (Reference: INT/903-EESC-2020 presenting reflections on the Green Deal and Social Deal in the EU.

You can read it here and find the main arguments below:

EESC-2020-01591-00-00-AC-TRA-EN

 

The EESC considers that :

  • There will be no “Green Deal” without an integrated “Social Deal”. There are several key policy components necessary to guarantee a close link between the Green Deal and social justice;
  • A Social Deal as an essential part of a New Green Deal is certainly not only related to “work”. It is about income, social security and fiscal support for all who need it, including those without any access to work at all;
  • Companies have to contribute to the Green/Social Deal within their particular capacities;
  • One key component of such an approach is a strong and forward-looking social dialogue;
  • This systematic understanding of the workers’ voice in company decision-making regarding restructuring and innovation in the world of work should also be taken into consideration in the reform of the European Semester and the national resilience plans. EU trade policy could make greater use of this in the design of its common trade policy;
  • Good corporate governance should be understood from the perspective of society, combining the “costs” that sustainability entails for a company with the benefits that society reaps from more sustainable corporate governance;
  • The voice of all stakeholders, especially of workers as constituent elements of the company, must be an integral part of efforts to foster the sustainable and competitive companies of tomorrow in a healthy environment;
  • Creation of long-term value as a duty of executive directors by pursuing long-term interests and, therefore, improving directors’ accountability towards company sustainability should be encouraged;
  • The political discussion should be opened at all levels on how to create a new EU Stakeholder Framework. The European Parliament and the upcoming EU Council presidencies need to lead this debate on how the interaction of all interest groups can be mapped out politically and also, eventually, in an improved legal EU Stakeholder Framework as one of the key prerequisites for climate-friendly and resilient, economically successful, long-term sustainable – and at the same time socially responsible – companies;
  • The EU Commission and the EU Parliament should follow up with the discussion on an EU framework directive for minimum standards on information, consultation and worker board-level participation in cases where companies adopt EU company law;
  • The debate towards a better EU framework for good corporate governance should also insist on the link to active labour market policies and their regional impacts, on effective public employment services, social security systems adapted to changing patterns of labour markets and on setting appropriate safety nets in terms of minimum income and social services for the most vulnerable groups.

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) is now available in 23 EU official languages
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the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) is now available in 23 EU official languages

The European Commission has today presented an Action Plan to help the European social economy thrive, tapping into its economic and job-creation potential, as well as its contribution to a fair and inclusive recovery, and the green and digital transitions.

Please see here the document in 23 languages:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0778&qid=1640075004787

And read below general info on SEAP.

Social economy organisations are entities which put social and environmental purposes first, reinvesting most of their profit back into the organisation. There are 2.8 million social economy entities in Europe that employ 13.6 million people and which offer solutions to key challenges in our societies. They span a diverse range of sectors and forms, from care services to recycling; from cooperatives to social enterprises.

Enhanced support to the social economy not only creates jobs, but also allows organisations to increase their social impact across the EU. Today’s Social Economy Action Plan smooths the way for social economy organisations to prosper and grow.

The Commission proposes to act in three areas:

1. Creating the right conditions for the social economy to thrive

Policy and legal frameworks are key in creating the right environment for the social economy to thrive. This includes taxation, public procurement and State aid frameworks that have to be adapted to the needs of the social economy.

To address these issues, the Commission will propose a Council Recommendation on developing the social economy framework conditions in 2023. It will also publish guidance for Member States on taxation frameworks for social economy organisations and facilitate easier access to guidance on State aid. The Action Plan also aims to improve good practice on socially responsible public procurement and promote the targeting of the social economy outside EU borders.

2. Opening opportunities for social economy organisations to start up and scale up

Social economy entities should benefit from business development support to start up and develop, as well as to reskill and upskill their workers. For 2021-2027, the Commission is aiming to increase its support beyond the estimated €2.5 billion allocated to the social economy previously (2014-2020).

Among other actions, the Commission will launch a new EU Social Economy Gateway in 2023 to ensure social economy actors can find all the information they need in one place on EU funding, policies, training and initiatives. It will also launch new financial products in 2022 under the InvestEU programme and improve access to funding. In 2022, the Commission will also set up a European Competence Centre for Social Innovation.

3. Making sure the social economy and its potential are recognised

The Action Plan aims to make the social economy more visible and improve the recognition of its work and potential. The Commission will carry out communication activities emphasising the role and specificities of the social economy.

Furthermore, the Commission will launch a study to collect qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the social economy across the EU. It will also organise training courses for public officials on various topics with relevance for the social economy, promote the social economy at regional and local levels by fostering cross-border exchanges, and much more.

With today’s Action Plan, the Commission is also launching a “transition pathway” to help the green and digital transitions of the social economy in dialogue with public authorities and interested parties.The Commission seeks public views on the transition pathway through an EU survey open until 28 February 2022.

Background

The social economy includes a variety of businesses, organisations and legal entities, such as social enterprises, cooperatives, mutual benefit societies (a specific type of collective insurance), non-profit associations and foundations. They put people and the environment at the centre of their mission and reinvest most of their profit back into the organisation or a specific social cause. They are governed in a participatory, bottom-up way.

Building on the Commission’s 2011 Social Business Initiative, the Action Plan is the result of an extensive consultation process with citizens and stakeholders. More information can be found in the Staff Working Document accompanying the Social Economy Action Plan and in the Staff Working Document on the transition pathway on social economy.

Related documents on the European Commissions’ website: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&furtherNews=yes&newsId=10117 

Factsheet: Social Economy Action Plan (2021)PDF

Communication: Social Economy Action Plan (2021)PDF

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

EC presented guidelines on Social Economy Action Plan in form of Q&A
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EC presented guidelines on Social Economy Action Plan in form of Q&A

Questions and answers: the Social Economy Action Plan

 

What is the social economy?

There are 2.8 million social economy entities in Europe that employ 13.6 million people and which offer solutions to key challenges in our societies. Social economy organisations are entities which put social and environmental purposes before profit (“people and planet first”). They reinvest most of their profit back into the organisation or a social cause, and have a democratic or participatory form of governance (“bottom-up”).

The social economy includes a variety of businesses, organisations and legal entities, such as social enterprises, cooperatives, mutual benefit societies (a specific type of collective insurance), non-profit associations and foundations. They operate in many economic sectors, such as social services, health care, social housing, affordable and renewable energy, circular economy, agriculture, financial and insurance activities, culture, media and recreation.

Here are some examples of social enterprises, supported by the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI):

  • In Austria, the social enterprise Sign Time is leading the SiMAX project for developing a digital technology which provides real-time sign language translation and removes communication barriers for people with hearing disabilities.
  • The HomeLab project developed and tested Social Rental Enterprise (SRE) models for integrated housing and labour services for marginalised groups in Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
  • In France, Makesense Seed is a fund to support early-stage social enterprises with investments of up to €500,000.

What is the Social Economy Action Plan and why do we need it?

The social economy has an important untapped economic and job creation potential. It can play a key role in a fair and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, as well as in the green and digital transitions.

Social economy organisations create and retain quality jobs, and contribute to social and labour market inclusion. They drive sustainable economic development, promote the active participation of citizens, and play an important role in Europe’s welfare systems.

To realise its full potential, it is important to raise the social economy’s visibility and create an environment that enables the social economy to thrive and grow.

The Action Plan focuses on three main areas:

  1. Creating the right conditions for the social economy to thrive

The Action Plan proposes measures to help design regulations and policies that are better adapted to the social economy at all relevant levels, thereby creating an enabling framework for the social economy to thrive.

  1. Opening opportunities for social economy organisations to start up and scale up

The Action Plan will open up new opportunities for the social economy, for example by facilitating access to funding, business support, and networks.

  1. Making sure the social economy and its potential are recognised

The Action Plan aims to increase the recognition of the social economy and its potential, by making it more visible through research, evidence gathering and communication activities.

Who can benefit from the Social Economy Action Plan?

Social economy entities will benefit from the Action Plan as it aims to improve their visibility and recognition, support the development of enabling policy and legal environments, and make it easier to access funding and business support. The Action Plan will help make the social economy better known and understood, including among young people, investors and public authorities.

More generally, the social economy has a wider societal impact and potential, for instance by contributing to social and labour market inclusion. The social economy therefore contributes to implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, including its three 2030 EU headline targets, for instance the increase of the employment rate to 78% and the reduction of the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million.

How will the Action Plan help make the economy work for people?

Paid employment in the social economy varies between 0.6% and 9.9% amongst Member States. Therefore, the social economy has a significant untapped potential for job creation in many countries. The Action Plan will help social economy entities to scale up their impact and activities, including across EU borders, for example, by facilitating access to business support and funding.

Boosting the social economy is also a way to create more jobs. The social economy employs some 13.6 million people in the EU and makes an important contribution to GDP in the countries where it is most developed. For this reason, it has been included in the “Proximity and Social Economy” ecosystem, one of the 14 industrial ecosystems identified in the update of the EU Industrial Strategy.

How will local communities benefit from the Social Economy Action Plan?

Social economy business models bring value to local economies and societies by contributing to their inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability. They have strong local roots and aim to serve the community where they are based, for instance by retaining economic activities and revenues locally. As such, they contribute to drive local economic development in sectors specifically relevant to the regions, for example in rural areas, in relation to agriculture and organic food production or in the blue economy (industries and sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts). They foster short value chains facilitating local production and consumption, and support the circular economy.

As part of the Action Plan, the Commission will support Member States and stakeholders to boost the social economy and social innovation in rural areas and will expand the European Social Economy Regions network to reinforce new regional and local partnerships. It will also work with cities to develop Local Green Deals or green citizenship actions.

How will the Action Plan contribute to fair green and digital transitions?

The social economy is an important driver of fair and inclusive green and digital transitions. It contributes to the development of sustainable practices, for instance in the fields of the circular economy, organic agriculture, renewable energy, housing and mobility. The social economy can also provide solutions for those impacted by the green and digital transitions, for example through training and reskilling workers, and by providing job opportunities.

It can also contribute to tackling the digital divide and ensuring that the digital transition leaves no one behind. Social economy actors working on “Tech4good” for example deploy digital technologies, (e.g. blockchain technology, big data, artificial intelligence) to achieve a green and social impact.

As part of the Action Plan, the Commission will help the social economy to adopt and develop green practices, products and services, and to improve its digital capacities.

A Commission Staff Working Document, coming along with the Action Plan, launches scenarios for a “transition pathway” to accelerate the green and digital transition of the social economy, as part of the Proximity and Social economy industrial ecosystem, involving engagement with public authorities and interested parties.

How will the Action Plan support social innovation?

By operating in a bottom-up way and being close to communities, citizens and the problems they face, social economy entities have the capacity to find and implement innovative solutions. With this Action Plan, the Commission wants to help successful ideas to be replicated across the EU. This is also the objective of the new European Competence Centre for Social Innovation, which will be set up in 2022. The Action Plan also aims to make it easier to pool resources for social innovation from the public sector, philanthropic and social investment actors.

How will the plan be implemented and by whom?

The Action Plan announces a set of actions by the Commission to strengthen the social economy. It also encourages Member States and other actors to put in place actions to support its implementation and to make the most of the opportunities it offers.

The Commission encourages Member States to adopt or update their social economy strategies and initiatives in cooperation with social economy stakeholders. It also calls on Member States to designate social economy coordinators. The Commission will take stock in 2025, looking at progress made and remaining barriers.

Where will the funding for the Action Plan come from?

The Commission’s ambition is to increase the level of support for the social economy under EU funds in the 2021-2027 period. It will for instance launch new financial products in 2022 under the InvestEU programme aimed at mobilising private financing. Other EU programmes that will offer dedicated or indirect support for the social economy include the Employment and Social Innovation strand of the European Social Fund Plus, Horizon Europe, the Single Market Programme, Erasmus+ and the LIFE Programme. At national level, EU funding will be available for example via the Cohesion Policy Funds and national recovery and resilience plans where applicable.

What is the transition pathway and how will it work?

Presented in the context of the updated EU Industrial Strategy, transition pathways for industrial ecosystems are created in partnership with stakeholders such as industry, public authorities and social economy stakeholders.

It will accompany the twin transition of the “Proximity and Social Economy” industrial ecosystem and contribute to the implementation of the Action Plan in this area. The Commission seeks public views on the transition pathway through an EU survey open until 28 February 2022.

For More Information

Press release: Commission presents Action Plan to boost the social economy and create jobs

Factsheet: Social Economy Action Plan

Communication: Social Economy Action Plan

Staff Working Document accompanying the Social Economy Action Plan

Staff Working Document on the transition pathway and related EU Survey

Social Economy Action Plan website

Subscribe to the European Commission’s free e-mail newsletter on employment, social affairs and inclusion

 

Questions_and_answers__the_Social_Economy_Action_Plan

 

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Youth initiative: a framework for youth entrepreneurship
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Youth initiative: a framework for youth entrepreneurship

We want to share with you the report   written by Rossella Soldi (Progress Consulting S.r.l.) and Simona Cavallini (Fondazione FORMIT). It does not represent the official views of the Committee of the Regions.

Read the whole document here:

https://cor.europa.eu/en/engage/studies/Documents/Youth_initiative/youth-initiative.pdf 

More information on the European Union and the Committee of the Regions is available online at http://www.europa.eu and http://www.cor.europa.eu respectively. Catalogue number: QG-04-17-375-EN-N ISBN: 978-92-895-0922-0 doi:10.2863/068300

 

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The EU Pact for Skills – Skills partnership for the Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem
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The EU Pact for Skills – Skills partnership for the Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem

Today we recommend another great reading and educational material on the social economy – The EU Pact for Skills – Skills partnership for the Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem.

 

While it has been severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the proximity and social economy ecosystem has shown a particular resilience and a great potential to help the EU’s economic and social recovery as a whole, as its very raison d’être is to address economic, environmental and societal challenges in the most inclusive and innovative ways. This ecosystem is crucial to ensure a fair and inclusive recovery and to act as a catalyser of just transitions. With their deep local footprint and their approach based on collective governance and cooperation, social economy organisations (e.g. cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, including charities, social enterprises), impact investors (e.g. foundations, impact funds), microfinance, ethical and cooperative banks, and other legal forms which are specific to some Member States traditions, provide an excellent opportunity to develop and engage in partnerships. Many of these organisations are active in the field of skills development. Some of them focus on reskilling, upskilling and facilitating access to labour market. Others encourage social economy entrepreneurship and social innovation to address societal challenges and strive for developing entire new markets. This broad spectrum of activities makes them key in the EU’s future skills development. The social economy has a long and proven track record of labour market inclusion and is at the same time an important vector for an inclusive green and digital transition. To ensure the social economy can continue creating inclusive employment, there is a need to reskill its own workforce taking into account in particular the green and digital transitions. To remain competitive and to meet their economic and social responsibilities, the industry needs to invest significantly in the re/upskilling of its workforce.

Read the full material here: https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Declaration-Pact-for-Skills-PSE-Ecosystem.pdf 

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

Read the article – The European Green Deal and the social market economy
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Read the article – The European Green Deal and the social market economy

We highly recommend reading the article by Martin Dahl – “The European Green Deal and the social market economy” published here: http://czasopisma.isppan.waw.pl/index.php/sm/article/view/1796

Abstract:

The European Green Deal is an attempt to transform the European Union’s economy in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This is to counteract undesirable climate change and environmental degradation. In this context, an interesting question is whether the implementation of the European Green Deal is in line with the European Union’s model of the Social Market Economy. In order to be able to answer this research question, this study is divided into five parts. The first is an introduction to the analysed issues. The second part presents the basic assumptions of the European Green Deal. The third presents the most important assumptions of the Social Market Economy in the context of climate policy. The fourth part analyses the coherence of the European Green Deal with the model of the Social Market Economy. The study ends with a summary containing the conclusions of the conducted research.

 

Dahl, M. (2021). The European Green Deal and the social market economy. Sprawy Międzynarodowe, 74(3), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.35757/SM.2021.74.3.10

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Employment and Social Developments in Europe Quarterly Review looks into factors behind the gender pay gap among young people
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Employment and Social Developments in Europe Quarterly Review looks into factors behind the gender pay gap among young people

The Commission has published the latest edition of the Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) Quarterly Review, with a specific thematic focus on the gender pay gap among young workers, on occasion of the 2022 European Year of Youth.

ESDE quarterly reviews periodically provide an overview of recent social and labour market developments in the EU, accompanied by specific thematic analyses.

The latest edition shows that young women (aged 25-29) face a 7.2% unadjusted gender pay gap at the start of their professional careers in the EU labour market. This is about half of the pay gap for all workers, indicating larger pay inequalities among older workers, potentially as a consequence of career breaks due to caring responsibilities among women.

However, the review also notes that, pay differences between young women and men are difficult to explain based on available data and the situation varies considerably from country to country. In addition, certain differences in worker characteristics account for substantial pay differences, but they operate in different directions – notably, young men tend to earn more because they work in higher paid economic activities whereas young women tend to earn higher wages because they are better educated.

Closing the gender pay gap was highlighted as a priority in the Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. In line with this, the Commission has presented a proposal for a Directive to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. This proposal is currently being discussed by the European Parliament and the Council.

Related documents

Quarterly Review of Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) – March 2022 (2022) PDF

 

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Buying for social impact – Good practice from around the EU
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Buying for social impact – Good practice from around the EU

Buying for Social Impact (BSI) is a project commissioned by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) and the European Commission Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) to promote the use of social considerations in public procurement procedures. The project was carried out by a consortium of European organisations active in the promotion of local development and social economy enterprises. This was led by the European Association for Information on Local Development (AEIDL), working in partnership with the European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy (REVES), DIESIS COOP, Social Economy Europe (SEE), and the European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE). The BSI project ran from July 2018 to January 2020.

It had 2 objectives: – to encourage contracting authorities to use public procurement to pursue social goals – to increase the capacity of social economy enterprises to take part in public procurement procedures and to access new markets. Actions were targeted at those 2 key audiences in the following 15 countries: Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden. The project team looked at how the social aspects of the new EU Public Procurement Directive (2014/24/EU) were transposed at national level, identified good practices on socially-responsible public procurement (SRPP), and mapped the capacity of social economy enterprises to access markets.

 

European Commission, Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Martignetti, L., Caimi, V., Daniele, D., Buying for social impact : good practice from around the EU, Publications Office, 2020, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2826/8319

Read the report with good practices here and get more inspiration:

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/3498035f-5137-11ea-aece-01aa75ed71a1

 

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