On 30 June, Social Economy Europe and the European Parliament Intergroup on the Social Economy and Services of General Interest organised the high-level event “The Multiannual Financial Framework and Social Economy” at the European Parliament.
Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy Europe (SEE), participated alongside key political decision-makers, including Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness), Maravillas Abadía Jover (MEP & Co-Chair of the Intergroup), Jean-Marc Germain (MEP, BUDG, co-rapporteur), Irene Tinagli (MEP & Co-Chair of the Intergroup), Isabel Benjumea (MEP, BUDG), Amparo Merino Segovia (State Secretary for the Social Economy of Spain & Co-Chair of the Luxembourg Declaration Monitoring Committee), Beatriz Sanz Redrado (Deputy Director-General, DG BUDG, European Commission) and Alejandro Blanco Fernandez (European Court of Auditors) .
The event also brought together representatives from the social economy ecosystem, including Baptiste Vasseur (ENSIE, SEE member), Valentina Patetta (FEBEA, SEE member), Irene Bertana (EASPD) and Pascale Zoetaert (ConcertES and SEE board member), who provided a technical perspective on how future EU funding instruments can better support social economy, and therefore the EU values and an economy that answers needs of people and territories.
Ensuring the social economy is rooted in Europe’s future priorities
The discussion provided a timely opportunity to reflect on what the next EU budget (Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF) could mean for the social economy.
Political representatives highlighted that the debate on the future MFF is not only about financial allocations, but also about the direction and values founding the European project.
“What sort of Europe do we want to build? The debate on the next EU budget is not just about figures. It is about values,” reflected Juan Antonio Pedreño.
Pedreño stressed that Europe is entering a legislative period marked by unprecedented challenges, from strategic autonomy and security to the green and digital transitions, declining competitiveness, demographic change, and growing inequalities. These challenges, he argued, require a clear political vision of the kind of Europe the Union wants to build.
“The social economy is not asking to be protected; it is offering a solution to make Europe more competitive, more resilient and more cohesive. That is why it must be recognised and supported.”
This message aligns with Maravillas Abadía Jover’s who stressed the strategic role of the social economy in Europe’s future: “The social economy creates a Europe that is more competitive, more cohesive and more closely linked to its local communities. If we want the social economy to realise its potential, it must be given a clear place in the next EU budget and in future European policies.”
Roxana Mînzatu highlighted the contribution of the social economy to Europe’s economic model: “Europe needs an innovative and inclusive economy. The social economy shows that this is possible; this is why we want a strong social economy that is recognised as such in the next EU budget.” The EVP also reminded the results of the EU barometer on SE which shows that 75% EU citizens see the social economy as essential to their country’s social well-being.
Similarly, the MEP Jean-Marc Germain underlined the role of social economy organisations in shaping Europe’s economic future: “For us, the social economy is a vital framework for organising businesses. We believe it has the potential to become a cornerstone of our economic landscape.”
Referring to the “Much more than a market” report by Enrico Letta, Pedreño underlined that completing the Single Market and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness must go hand in hand with economic, social and territorial cohesion.
“Competitiveness and cohesion are not competing objectives; they are inseparable. This is precisely where the social economy brings enormous added value.”
A call for dedicated tools and stronger safeguards
Social Economy Europe called for three priorities for the next MFF:
1) Preserving a strong, visible and autonomous European Social Fund;
2) Ensuring that the social economy is explicitly recognised within both the European Social Fund and the future European Competitiveness Fund;
3) Creating a dedicated InvestEU window on Social Investment and Skills, supported by adequate resources and involving social economy financial actors, including cooperative banks and ethical finance institutions.
Participants echoed these priorities, stressing the need for dedicated instruments and a funding framework that preserves the capacity of the social economy to deliver impact. They also raised concerns about the current architecture proposed for the next EU budget, which aims to simplify existing funding structures by bringing together traditionally separate shared-management funds, including Cohesion Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, under a single framework.
They also highlighted that this new approach risks centralising decision-making, reducing the visibility of social priorities and weakening mechanisms that ensure community-level involvement. Previous funding programmes, such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), included dedicated minimum allocations for specific social objectives, while the proposed model would integrate these priorities into broader national envelopes, potentially reducing their visibility and flexibility.
The shift towards a single National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP) per country was also discussed, with participants underlining the importance of maintaining a strong role for regional and local actors in identifying needs and designing solutions. They warned that a more centralised approach could make it harder to respond effectively to diverse local challenges.
Participants further emphasised that social objectives must not be placed in competition with other strategic priorities, such as competitiveness, industrial development or security. Ensuring dedicated support for aspects such as social inclusion and equal opportunity employment, they argued, is essential to building a more resilient and competitive Europe.
In this vein, Juan Antonio Pedreño defended that “Europe can’t fund its security by undermining its social cohesion. It can’t strengthen its competitiveness by abandoning its social and democratic values. True EU competitiveness must be inclusive, and the current MFF lacks the guarantees to ensure this.” And he added that “The social economy cannot be confined exclusively to social cohesion. That would be a strategic mistake. Today, the social economy is also part of Europe’s competitiveness.”
Amparo Merino Segovia called for stronger support mechanisms: “We need dedicated tools for the social economy. If Europe wants to boost its competitiveness, it must strengthen the instruments that promote inclusive employment and social cohesion. Defending the SE is defending a more competitive, fairer & more united Europe.”
Isabel Benjumea also raised concerns about the current proposal: “The Commission’s proposal is not a good one because it risks eroding the core values of the European project. These are policies that have generated opportunities for citizens and reduced inequalities between regions.”
The technical sessions explored how existing and future instruments could better support social economy organisations. Baptiste Vasseur presented the Budget Performance Framework, Valentina Patetta introduced the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and the InvestEU Instrument, while Irene Bertana, on behalf of the EUFunds4Social Coalition, presented perspectives on the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP) which include the current European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Towards a more social and inclusive European investment model
From the European Commission’s perspective, Beatriz Sanz Redrado, Deputy Director-General of DG BUDG, highlighted the importance of integrating social considerations into future budgetary approaches: “On the social front, DG BUDG is committed to adopting a social perspective, focusing on market access, gender equality and all threats to social equality.”
At the same time, Alejandro Blanco Fernandez from the European Court of Auditors underlined the importance of ensuring effective monitoring of EU funds: “The more obligations are included within the MFF funding framework, the more difficult it will be for beneficiaries to fulfill the legal requirements.”
Finally, Irene Tinagli concluded by emphasising the need for a broader recognition of the social economy in Europe’s strategic agenda: “We need to make sure that every time we speak about strategic autonomy and competitiveness, we speak about the social economy. This is a political and cultural change we must implement.”
The event reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation between EU institutions, Member States and social economy actors to ensure that the social economy is more strongly reflected in Europe’s future policies and investment priorities. Social Economy Europe will continue working with European institutions and partners to ensure that the future MFF supports an economic model that combines competitiveness with social cohesion, resilience and democratic values. As Pedreño concluded: “Defending the social economy does not mean defending a sector. It means defending a profound European way of understanding the economy.”
Find the minutes of the event here.
