Thank you for joining us at the 2025 Social Economy European Summit
The Social Economy European Summit in Murcia brought together over 600 participants from across Europe for a dynamic week of reflection, exchange, and celebration. Through high-level discussions, field visits, and collaborative workshops, the Summit showcased the resilience and innovation of the social economy in addressing today’s challenges.
Highlights included the Social Economy & Services of General Interest Intergroup meeting, where key actors explored the mid-term review of the SEAP and the need for improved funding and policy support. The “Implementing the SEAP” conference featured contributions from EU institutions, governments, and networks, emphasising inclusive financing, coordinated governance, and the Council Recommendation’s implementation across Member States.
Murcia’s vibrant social economy was on display during field visits spanning sectors such as energy, education, agriculture, and healthcare. The SEE Social Economy Awards celebrated outstanding initiatives putting people before profit, while workshops on research, innovation, and network collaboration closed the week with forward-looking momentum.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our co-organisers and sponsors – CEPES, the City and Region of Murcia, Ministerio de Trabajo y Economía Social, Ucomur, and ENSIE – as well as to all institutional representatives, speakers, performers, and attendees who made the Summit a success.
Together, we continue building a fair, inclusive, and sustainable Europe with the social economy at its heart.
Overview of events
Our 2025 Social Economy European Summit began with a meeting of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Social Economy and Services of General Interest. The day included a visit to one of the local social economy initiatives in Murcia.
During this event were joined by several Intergroup members including Co-Chairs Maravillas Abadía and Ignazio Marino and Vice-President Irene Tinagli.
At the heart of this major gathering was our conference ‘Implementing the Social Economy Action Plan’ (SEAP) which took place Wednesday 17 September. This high-level political event brought together key institutional and ecosystem actors to assess the implementation of the SEAP and explore future policy directions.
The Conference featured three dedicated panels:
- An overview of the progress and implementation of the SEAP actions;
- A debate on funding and investing in the social economy, bringing together key public authorities;
- A discussion with seven Member States currently developing national social economy strategies, with a focus on implementing the Council Recommendation.
We were honoured to be joined in-person by Executive Vice-President of the Commission responsible for the Social Economy Roxana Mînzatu, alongside other high-level speakers from all European institutions, Member States, and local and regional authorities.
The day concluded with the long-awaited ceremony of the 2025 European Social Economy Awards, honouring exceptional initiatives and leaders shaping a more inclusive, sustainable and democratic Europe across the categories of Clean Energy, Housing, Quality Social Economy Local Action Plans, Social Economy Training and Education and Innovation in Working Integration Social Enterprises.
Our summit concluded on the afternoon of Thursday 18 September with a meeting of representatives from social economy networks from across Europe to collectively reflect on the outcomes of the previous day’s Conference: Implementing the SEAP and on the week’s events as a whole.
Thursday morning we hosted an exchange on the contribution of research to the institutional consolidation of the European social economy ecosystem. Key ongoing EU Horizon projects on the social economy including EMCCINNO and WISESHIFT were presented, combined with a collective reflection on how the interaction between practice, policy and research can be enhanced.
*Photos by Juanchi Lopez
