EUSES 2021
European Social Economy Summit
Last 26 and 27 May 2021, the European Social Economy Summit was held as hybrid event.
More than 3,000 people actively participated in the Summit and the Mannheim Declaration on Social Economy was adopted: a key output including 10 key proposals for EU action in the framework of the Social Economy Action Plan that will be launched by the Commission in November 2021.
Here are some highlights of this European Social Economy Summit:
– Great mobilisation of the social economy community: convergences, alliances, and agreement on the fact that this is the momentum to scale up Social Economy in Europe.
– Commissioner Nicolas Schmit stressed that the Social Economy should have a seat at the table to co-design and implement the main EU policies as the Social Economy Action Plan, but also the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the Green Deal, and the EU Health Union, among other major initiatives.
– European Commission’ Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioners Schmit and Breton stressed that social economy is one of the 14 industrial ecosystems for Europe’s recovery: that will be fundamental to implement the EU’s industrial and SME policies. They all invited Member States and social economy stakeholders to make the most out of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (Recovery Plan), as well as Cohesion Funds (ESF Plus and ERDF) and the InvestEU.
– Time to turn promises into a reality: the next months will be fundamental to put Social Economy at the heart of Europe’s Recovery and make sure that social economy enterprises and organisations can actually access the Recovery Funds as well as other EU funds and financial instruments (ESF+, ERDF, InvestEU). To do this cooperation, capacity building, alliances, and synergies among social economy actors will be needed. EU, national and regional social economy networks are more fundamental than ever.
– The European Parliament’s Social Economy Intergroup, the EESC, and the Committee of the Regions should play a key role in the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan: CoR President Apostolos Tzitzikostas emphasised the key role of cities and regions in co-building and strengthening social economy ecosystems, he shared the good practices from Murcia Region and its Pact for the Excellence of Social Economy, Navarra Region which includes social economy in its Smart Specialisation Strategy and the Karditsa Social Economy ecosystem.
– Next steps:
- The European Social Economy Action Plan will be launched in the last trimester of 2021
- On 17-18 February 2022 a European Social Economy Conference will be held in Strasbourg;
- The Governments of Spain and Belgium Governments are also planning social economy related activities during their presidencies of the Council of the EU in the second semester of 2023 and the first semester of 2024 respectively;
- The European Commission, the OECD, the ILO, and the UN are working to promote social economy ecosystems at global level.
SEE President Juan Antonio Pedreño declared on the Social Economy Summit:
“EUSES has been a demonstration of the strength of the Social Economy, our diversity and capacity to drive positive change and build a better future of Europe, turning the promise of Just Transitions into a reality. This is our time to grow, to scale up. To do it well, more cooperation and networking among social economy actors is needed. This is our opportunity to have a good Action Plan for the Social Economy that can actually boost social economy and inspire many Europeans. We the social economy are a key force of a better future of Europe.”
He also thanked the organisers of the Summit, the European Commission, the city of Mannheim, the German Government, and its partners:
“I would like to specially thank Heads of Unit Ulla Engelmann, Anna Athanasopoulou and their teams, their colleagues at DG EMPL as HoU Ann Branch, and the whole EUSES team including the co-hosts Chris Gordon and Alyssa Jade McDonald-Baertl but also Manuel Kreitmeir, Dr. Björn Pospiech, Philipp Tasler, Lorina Brugger and all their colleagues. As well as all the social economy organisations, experts and activists that participated and contributed to this successful event.“
Watch the plenary session on Mainstreaming Social Economy in EU policies, including a keynote speech of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit and messages from MEPs Patrizia Toia, Sven Giegold, Manon Aubry and SEE President Juan Antonio Pedreño.
Watch Commissioner Thierry Breton keynote speech at EUSES!
