Social Economy Europe hosted “Implementing the SEAP – Mid-term review & Next Steps” on the 23rd of April 2026. The session focused on the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan, addressing both EU-level policy measures and the development of national Social Economy strategies. It brought together stakeholders from across the Social Economy ecosystem to assess progress, identify remaining gaps, and examine emerging challenges. Discussions covered best practices, policy advancements, and concrete steps to ensure that the SEAP meets its objectives efficiently. Framed within the context of the SEAP mid-term review, the session provided a timely opportunity to align strategy, enhance policy coherence, and guide future implementation.
This was the third and the last webinar of our three-session online event “Democracy at Work: Social Economy actors bringing EU values to citizens”, organised under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026.
Below are key highlights from the speakers’ interventions.
OPENING REMARKS BY PATRIZIA BUSSI (ENSIE, SEE) AND MARINOS ANFITOS (CYPRUS GOVERNMENT)
Patrizia Bussi, Vice-President of Social Economy Europe (SEE) and Director of ENSIE, opened the webinar by raising a central question guiding the discussion: how to move from policy design to the effective implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan. Bussi emphasised that “the SEAP represents a critical opportunity to translate political ambition into tangible impact” calling for stronger coordination, commitment, and follow-through across all levels of governance.
Marinos Anfitos, Responsible of Unit for the Promotion and Development of the Cooperative Institution and Social Entrepreneurship in Cyrpus, highlighted the scale and relevance of the social economy across Europe, noting that it encompasses 2.8 million entities and generates more than €912 billion in economic value. He stressed that these figures reflect not only economic weight but also societal impact. According to a recent Eurobarometer, 75% of citizens recognise the social economy’s contribution to overall wellbeing.
Anfitos described the social economy as a model guided by solidarity, inclusion, and sustainability – principles that are vital in addressing today’s challenges. In this regard, he positioned the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) as a comprehensive framework designed to unlock its full potential. Key priorities include ensuring fair and accessible public procurement systems, improving access to finance, and investing in skills and capacity-building. He also underlined the importance of integrating social economy entities into broader economic systems to foster more inclusive and resilient business models.
Anfitos further emphasised that partnerships and cooperation are essential to advancing the social economy agenda. Social economy actors, he noted, cannot operate in isolation; instead, coordinated action at national, regional, and local levels is required to effectively respond to current challenges and scale impact.
Focusing on the Cypriot context, he presented ongoing national efforts to translate the SEAP into concrete measures. These include the development of legal frameworks for social enterprises, targeted public procurement initiatives – particularly supporting people with disabilities – and tax relief schemes to incentivise investment. Additional support mechanisms include subsidies of up to €10,000 for newly registered social enterprises, alongside dedicated mentoring and labour market integration programmes.
Concluding his intervention, Anfitos delivered a clear message: “The social economy is not a niche; it is a necessity. By implementing the SEAP, we are shaping the future of our societies.”
Panel interventions
PROGRESS AND REMAINING CHALLENGES OF THE SEAP
Ruth Paserman, Director-General DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission presented the state of play of the SEAP at its halfway point. Despite a challenging geopolitical context marked by a focus on resilience, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy, she highlighted the continued importance of the social economy, which accounts for 11.5 million jobs and 6.3% of total EU employment.
The mid-term review assessed the implementation of 63 actions, most of which are either completed or ongoing, pointing to overall positive progress. Significant EU funding has been mobilised through instruments such as cohesion funds and InvestEU. However, Paserman stressed that further work is needed to ensure a level playing field and strengthen integrated legal and policy frameworks.
Key priorities moving forward include improving access to finance tailored to the social economy ecosystem needs, enhancing visibility and recognition of the social economy, and supporting skills development through incubation and capacity-building initiatives. She also underlined the importance of equipping public administrations with the tools to effectively implement social economy-friendly public procurement systems.
SPAIN’S ADVANCEMENTS AND AMBITIONS FOR THE SOCIAL ECONOMY
Jaime Iglesias, Special Commissioner for the Social Economy at the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, noted that the mid-term review reveals persistent structural barriers, particularly in access to funding, and called for stronger institutional and technical support at the European level. He also stressed that member states could benefit from stronger European support, especially in terms of public procurement and state aid.
Iglesias talked about how Spain has made significant progress in consolidating its social economy ecosystem, including the adoption of new legislation that expands access to state support and promotes innovative models such as cooperative housing, energy communities, and fair-trade initiatives. He also highlighted Spain’s leadership in advancing the global agenda, including its role in promoting a United Nations resolution on the social economy.
Iglesias concluded that supporting the social economy is not a minor debate: “The time to commit to the social economy is now since it has been proven that it is a model that offers effective and sustainable solutions to current challenges”.
GROWING AMBITION AND THE NEED FOR STRONGER SUPPORT
Wieteke Dupain, Chief Executive of Euclid Network, highlighted the growing demand for social economy solutions in the context of a broader “polycrisis.” She pointed out that while social economy values enjoy strong public support -reflected in recent Eurobarometer data – resources are not keeping pace with demand.
Currently, 21 Member States have adopted or are preparing national strategies for the social economy, and several have introduced new legal frameworks. However, Dupain warned that although ecosystems are maturing, they are not yet fully embedded across all policy areas.
She identified three key enablers for unlocking the sector’s potential: improved access to funding, better access to markets, and stronger investment in skills. At the same time, she stressed the importance of increasing visibility and awareness, noting that the sector’s contributions remain under-recognised despite its growing impact.
FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL
Csaba Borboly, Vice-President of the Harghita (Romania) County Council and member of the Committee of Regions (CoR), focused on the territorial dimension of the SEAP. While acknowledging the Action Plan as a significant step forward, he pointed to a persistent gap between policy design and implementation, particularly at the local and regional levels.
He highlighted challenges such as limited access to finance in rural areas and the uneven development of social economy ecosystems across regions. To address these issues, Borboly called for stronger involvement of local and regional authorities in co-designing and implementing policies.
He also outlined three key priorities. The first one related to the Multiannual Financial Framework for the upcoming 2028-2034 period and ensuring that the next EU budget includes sustained access to funding for social economy actors. This should be done through a social window in the European Competitiveness Fund. The second one was linked to public procurement and the influence that the CoR can have on disseminating best practices while pushing for procurement regulations that open doors for social economy stakeholders. Lastly, Borboly stressed that the insufficient data and the lack of recognition of the social economy continue to limit its visibility.
To finalise his intervention, Borboly emphasised that the Committee of Regions compromise to continue engaging with Social Economy actors, declaring that “the implementation of SEAP is a cross-institutional challenge that must be tackled at all levels”.
CONCLUSIONS BY PATRIZIA BUSSI
In her closing remarks, Patrizia Bussi summarised three key takeaways from the discussion. First, she highlighted the overall positive progress of the SEAP, noting that important groundwork had been laid even before its adoption and that all Member States have recognised the importance of the social economy through the Council Recommendation.
Second, she pointed to the diversity of national frameworks, with 21 countries advancing policies while others are still lagging. This, she argued, presents both a challenge and an opportunity to further strengthen visibility, align definitions, and mainstream the social economy across Europe.
Finally, Bussi stressed the critical importance of securing sustainable funding, particularly in the context of the upcoming MFF. She called for maintaining strong institutional financial support while also attracting new investors, and for better integrating social economy and social innovation within broader EU investment strategies.
She concluded by emphasising that continued progress will depend on strong political commitment, coordinated action across governance levels, and sustained collaboration among all stakeholders: “We need to work together, now more than ever before, to keep going and create a stronger ecosystem.”
This third session of the webinar underscored that, while the Social Economy Action Plan has made meaningful progress, its full potential will depend on effective implementation, adequate resourcing, and sustained political will. The discussion highlighted the social economy’s capacity to address Europe’s most pressing challenges, from social inclusion to economic resilience.
Far from being a niche sector, the social economy is increasingly recognised as a key pillar of a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient European future, driven by collective effort, long-term investment, and a shared commitment to delivering tangible results.
