The geopolitical landscape is in turmoil, the EU economy and way of life are under threat with the upending of international trade norms, inflationary pressures, war at our borders and threats to our democracy. The new Commission’s response is to focus on competitiveness and defence, which of course is necessary, but overlooks the contribution of the only proven model for sustaining the economy in times of crisis: the Social Economy. Commissioner Séjourné’s strategy is to focus on our export economy while it should rely on a sound SE that supports both the economic activity and the well-being of citizens, communities and the planet. It’s a moment to strengthen the SE and economic policies working towards a thriving Europe. On May 1st, the unit responsible for social economy and social entrepreneurship will be disbanded in DG GROW. Dismantling this Unit will see the institutional knowledge built up over the last decade lost. As alarming, these days some funds supporting SE actors COSME were suddenly cancelled, raising substantial concerns for the ecosystem.
This decision makes neither economic nor administrative sense. Economically speaking, The SE ecosystem is an important one, on a par with the automotive sector: social economy has over 4 million enterprises and organisations directly employing over 11 million people and in 2021 it had a turnover of nearly 1 trillion euros (that’s more than the Swiss GDP last year).
There is more to the SE: it uniquely integrates economic, social, and environmental objectives. It prioritises social goals over profit, reinvests earnings into the social objectives, and operates with democratic governance. It is an economy that works for people and the planet.
The OECD, UN, ILO, and European Commission have recognized SE’s contribution to inclusive growth, cohesion, sustainability, innovation, and democracy. In late 2023, all 27 Member States agreed to “take measures in order to acknowledge and support the role of the social economy” including integrating social economy in national industrial policy. SE supports EU goals such as local value chains, quality jobs, and the clean industrial transition. Driven by locally rooted enterprises, SE answers community needs while also exporting globally. Its democratic governance includes workers, consumers, and citizens, reducing risks of ‘off-shoring’, delocalisation and killer-acquisition. These features make SE key to a “Made in EU” strategy.
SE businesses operate everywhere—from capital cities to rural areas (which make up 45% of EU land and 21% of the population)—offering ultra competitive businesses as much as essential services in underserved areas that enable communities to thrive. From small entities to major groups, SE provides unique solutions to the energy crisis, the housing crisis and empowers people and businesses with digital solutions. It drives Europe’s sustainable farm-to-fork strategy. We are your health mutual, your sports club, your ethical financial partner, your local cultural centre, we take care of your babies and elderly, we are active in industrial activities and in the circular economy, we provide jobs to all, including people with disabilities.
Moreover, SE is a pillar of democracy, thanks to civil society organizations and through its democratic governance that upholds European values of dignity, freedom, equality, and human rights. Through sustainability and community empowerment, it builds a resilient, just, and inclusive Europe.
To be fair, the European Commission hasn’t totally discarded the SE: thanks to a strong lobby, combined with leadership and vision, Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu has been mandated by President von der Leyen in her mission letter to support SE. She has enthusiastically accepted this role and is engaged in further promoting and implementing the Social Economy Action Plan adopted in 2021, running until 2030. This initiative was supported by both the Commissioners for Social Affairs and the Internal Market because they understood the SE stands on 2 pillars: social and economic. This was reflected in the intense and fruitful cooperation between DG GROW and DG EMPL to further deploy the SE in their respective activities and policies. Separating the economic and industrial dimension from its social mission undermines the impact of SE which plays a critical role in advancing industrial autonomy, competitiveness, and territorial resilience.
Disbanding the SE Unit within DG GROW is a major mistake, there will be no one left dealing with the Single Market to oversee initiatives and policies that impact on the SE. Not only does it weaken the understanding of SE, it impedes a coherent approach to SE in economic policies, and will end DG GROW’s initiatives to enable SE businesses access markets and supports on an equal basis with the private for-profit sector. This cut will result in fewer human and financial resources and expertise for SE businesses within the Commission. In fact, important funding for SE (COSME calls) have abruptly been stopped last week, with no explanation.
This comes at a time of a shifting world. SE has proven resilient throughout all the recent crises (2008 and COVID-19) and is a proven source of resilience for local communities. Its exclusion from the economic and industrial policy arm of the Commission at this critical time is incomprehensible. The Letta Report on the Single Market recognised that the EU is more than a Market. The issues we face cannot be resolved if economic practices are divorced from social considerations. We need economic policies that integrate social and environmental dimensions and that means also supporting an economy that embeds these aspects by design.
At this late stage we do not expect Commissioner Séjourné to reverse his decision. We regret that the Commission’s Expert Group on the Social Economy (GECES) was simply informed that DG GROW would no longer take part in the Expert Group. However, we do ask the Commission to ensure that the Social Economy continues to have a presence within DG Grow. Ideally by keeping a team responsible for SE, at minimum by assigning senior Commission officials responsible for the SE ecosystem, experts who would oversee all industrial initiatives and policies impacting the SE and to coordinate with the social pillar of SE (within DG EMPL). It also requires a proper budget allocation, and certainly not a reduction. The SE ecosystem looks forward to constructive dialogue and tangible answers as to the future of the industrial ecosystem, we wish to be recognised as allies that help overcome the EU’s challenges.
Signatories:
1 Juan Antonio Pedreño Social Economy Europe (SEE) President
2 Angela Achitei ADV Romania Group & RISE (Romanian Network of Social Economy) President
3 Arnaud Alain CIRIEC-France Président
4 Iñigo Albizuri MONDRAGON Head of Global Pulic Affairs
5 Nicole ALIX La Coop des Communs President
6 María Alonso Impact Hub Málaga (Hub de Impacto Málaga, S.L.) Director
7 Alberto Alonso de la Fuente Impact Hub Madrid (Hub Madrid, S.L.) Director
8 Dimitris Apostolou SSE Union of Central Greece Chairman
9 Hermes A. N,. Arriaga Sierra Impact Hub Zagreb (Pokreni Ideju) Director
10 Per Bach Sociale Entreprenører i Danmark – Social Entrepreneurs in Denmark chairman
11 Camilla Baldini Consorzio Nazionale Idee in Rete European Projects Coordinator
12 Andrea Balletbò Roldán Tandem Social Manager
13 Ivan Balog Abalstav spol. s r.o. Director
14 Eva Balogová CHDMI, s.r.o. Director
15 Elitsa Barakova BCause Foundation, Bulgaria CEO
16 Beatrix Bedone Pal Impact Hub Budapest CEO, Co-Founder
17 Sara Belloi Legacoop Emilia-Romagna Internationalization
18 Manuel Belo Moreira CIRIEC Portugal President
19 Lander Beloki MU ENPRESAGINTZA S. COOP. General Manager / Dean
20 Thomas Bignal European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) Secretary General
21 Franco Bissaro EVT Consorzio di cooperative sociali President
22 Ricardo Borges dos Santos Ciriec Portugal Board Member
23 Elsa Brander Kooperationen Special Consultant
24 Viktorija Braziunaite Lithunanian Social Business Associaton CEO
25 Lucinda Broadbent media co-op Co-owner and Co-Director
26 Jozef Bubica BJ Energy CEO
27 Daniel Büchle AfB social and green IT gGmbH Managing Director
28 Jozef Burkoň, Ing. Fajnoty s.r.o. r.s.p., SLOVAKIA Director
29 Patrizia Bussi European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE) Director
30 Jose Juan Cabezuelo Menadas CIRIEC-España, Social Economy News Communication Manager
31 Jean-Louis Cabrespines CIRIEC-France Délégué Général
32 Mario Calderini Social Impact Agenda per l’Italia (SIA) Board
33 Paolo Campagnano Impact Hub Trento (Impact Hub Transition srl società benefit) President
34 Dario Carrera Impact Hub Rome CEO
35 Jose Carlos Ceballos Centro Internacional Santander Emprendimiento (CISE) International Area Director
36 Sébastien Chaillou-Gillette Chambre Régionale de l’Economie Sociale et Solidaire d’Ile-de-France (CRESS IDF) Director
37 Laurent Charlotte Proxiservice SC Directrice
38 Rafael Chaves-Avila IUDESCOOP Research Institute of University of Valencia Senior Professor
39 Eric Chenut Mutualité Française President
40 Antoine Colonna d’Istria Aginso President
41 Alba Coma FEICAT- empreses d’inserció de Catalunya President
42 Ivan Cooper The Wheel Representative on GECES
43 Mahel Coppey Réseau français des collectivités territoriales pour l’Economie solidaire (RTES) Présidente
44 Oana Craioveanu Impact Hub Bucharest CEO
45 Roberta Crivellaro Francesco d’Assisi Soc. Coop. Soc. President
46 Massimo D’Amico Consorzio Sociale Abele Lavoro S.C.S. – Impresa Sociale President
47 Ľubica Danechová Ľúbivka s.r.o. rsp konateľ
48 Schembri Daniel Koperattivi Malta CEO
49 Bart de Bart SWOM (Stichting Studeren en Werken op Maat) Chairman and Founder
50 Raffaella De Felice Banca Etica Board Member
51 Mathieu de Poorter European Coucil of associations of general interest (CEDAG) President
52 Jenny de Villiers Co-operatives UK Director
53 Amaya Delgado Confederación Española de Cooperativas de Trabajo (COCETA) Director
54 Anne-Laure Desgris SmartCoop Belgium CEO
55 Jakob Detering Impact Hub Vienna GmbH Managing Director
56 Tereza Dostálová TESSEA ČR z.s. Direktor
57 Diana Dovgan CECOP Secretary General
58 Miroslav Ďumbala Registrovaný sociálny podnik ALFA s.r.o. owner, managing director
59 Wieteke Dupain Euclid Network – the European Social Enterprise Network CEO
60 Lucie Durand Yunus Social Business GmbH co-CEO
61 Diego Dutto Legscoopsociali National Director
62 Dietrich Eisold Impact Dresden GmbH Managing Director
63 Filipa Farelo Cooperartiva Antonio Sérgio para a Economía Social Coordinator Department of Institutional Relations, Cooperative Sector and Statistics
64 Claudio Farrugia Malta Co-operative Federation CEO
65 Zane Feldmane Impact Hub Liepāja Board Member
66 Antonín Ferdan HUB Mladá Boleslav Director
67 Nathalie FERNANDEZ CIRIEC-France CA
68 Maryline Filippi Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRAE Umr SAD-APT, SAD Paris Saclay Professor
69 Athina Fragkouli Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos President of the BoD
70 Jesper Frilund Skäggbyrån ekonomiska förening Boardmember
71 Petru Vasile Gafiuc Bucovina Institute president
72 Simone Gamberini Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane Co-President
73 Simone Gamberini Legacoop President
74 Maurizio Gardini Confcooperative President
75 Maurizio Gardini Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane Co-President
76 Marco Gargiulo Consorzio nazionale Idee in Rete CEO
77 Tatiana Glad Impact Hub Network Executive Director
78 Nerea González Roncal Impact Hub Donostia S.Coop President
79 Chris Gordon Irish Social Enterprise Network CEO
80 Barbara Grintal Institut Trust, Etri group, Slovenia manager
81 Alena Gunárová Aliancia pre socialnu ekonomiku na Slovensku, ASES President
82 Sinem Güravşar Gökçe İstasyonTEDU – TED University Center for Social Innovation Manager
83 Gustav Gyllensten Restaff ekonomiska förening Director
84 Gordon Hahn Coompanion CEO
85 Jarmo Hänninen Coop Finland Association Chairman of the Board
86 Ľubomír Haško Excelent konateľ
87 Jaroslav Hefka cShop SK s. r. o. r.s.p. CEO
88 Anja Hirschfelder Impact Hub Leipzig Director
89 Miloš Hlavatý MH ASIST, s.r.o., r.s.p. konateľ
90 Margaréta Hlbocká Margaret, s.r.o. r.s.p. Director
91 Peter Holbrook Social Enterprise UK Chief Executive
92 Vegim Hoti Impact Hub Antwerp Project Manager
93 Marek Hudon Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (ULB) Professor
94 Justyna Iwankiewicz West Pomerania Social Economy Support Centre Manager
95 Dragoș Jaliu fonduri-structurale.ro/consolid8 CEO
96 Želmíra Jamrichová STAVJAM s.r.o., r.s.p. CEO
97 Martina Jandzíková STM SK Konateľ
98 Viera Jantošovičová Matky v práci, s.r.o. Owner, Managing Director
99 Luis Miguel Jurado Confederación Española de Cooperativas de Trabajo (COCETA) President
100 Lena Kalinina SSE Union of Thessaly, Greece (KOINON TΗESSALON) ViceChair
101 Susanna Kallama ARVO, The Finnish Association of Social Enterprises CEO
102 Monika Kašáková Salón Moni s.r.o,r.s.p Slovakia CEO
103 Stelios Katomeris SSE Union of Attica, Greece (DYNAMIKI) Chairman
104 Stylianos Katomeris Social Economy Workshop CEO
105 Merve Kavas Yekpare Social Enterprise Turkiye Director
106 Françoise Kemajou Pour la Solidarité Director
107 Pavol Kmeť BKS Úspech, s.r.o CEO
108 Patrik Kniš Patricius.sk r.s.p s.r.o owner, managing director
109 Sreten Koceski CDI Macedonia Director
110 Dimitris Kokkinakis Impact Hub Athens Co – Founder|CEO
111 Harri Kostilainen Finnish Social Enterprise Research Network – FinSERN ry CEO
112 Yves KOTTELAT CIRIEC France Trésorier
113 Sotirios Koupidis Panhellenic Federation of Social Cooperatives of Limited Liability President
114 Anna Kratochvílová SWEET REVELATION s.r.o., r.s.p. Konateľ
115 Felicitas Kresimon Social Firms Euorpe CEFEC General Secretary
116 Kimmo Kumlander Silta-Valmennusyhdistys ry CEO
117 Zdenka Kuviková FOKUS ČR Chairman
118 Andri Kyriacou SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education Executive Director
119 Ioannis Lagos MENALON SOCIAL ENTERPRISE President
120 Domenico Andrea Laguardia Legacoop Produzione e Servizi Director and Vice President
121 Sophie Lamprou Impact Hub Athens co-founder, CEO
122 Antoine Laurent Fédération des entreprises d’insertion (FEI) Executive Director
123 Brieuc Laurent Gammes asbl Director
124 Vladislav Lazarov National Union of Worker Producers’ Cooperatives President
125 Lago Lena Basta Executive Chairman of the Board Basta
126 Ján Leštinský ELWORK, s.r.o. Director
127 Mikael Leyi SOLIDAR Secretary General
128 John Logue Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI) CEO
129 Rafael López García Faedei President
130 Marija Lovrenčič Allium z.o.o.. so.p., Etri Group, Slovenia President
131 Yannick Lucas GECES Member
132 babs macgregor workers.coop ( UK) International Representative
133 Jan Mácha FOKUS Tábor, z.s. Director
134 Zuzana Maďarová TEHLAN, s.r.o.
135 Chris Makliri Social Cooperative KoiSPE Diadromes BoD Member
136 Weronika Margula Social Firms Europe CEFEC Technical Officer
137 Hård af Segerstad Marie-Louise Göteborgs förenade sociala arbetskooperativ Manager
138 Margita Marková millhill s.r.o., r.s.p., Slovakia CEO
139 Rose Marley Co-operatives UK CEO
140 Lourdes Marquez Fundacion ONCE Directora of Alliance and Intrenational Relations
141 Chris Martin Social Enterprise Scotland CEO
142 Denisa Marušincová Matky v práci, s.r.o. Project coordinator
143 Alberto Masetti-Zannini Impact Hub Network Global Development Director
144 Cristian Mateescu Romanian National Union of Handicraft and Production Cooperatives Association – UCECOM Vice-President
145 Agnès Mathis Cooperatives Europe Director
146 Mathias Maucher Social Services Europe (SSE) Policy & Project Coordinator
147 Deolinda Meira CIRIEC Portugal; Polytechnic University of Porto Member; Professor
148 Michael Meyer WU Vienna University of Economics and Business Professor and Head of Compentece Center for NPOs and Social Entrepreneurship
149 Georg Mildenberger Centre for Social Investment, University of Heidelberg Acting Director / Head of Research
150 Marcella Militello BASTA! – Belgian Antimafia: Steps Towards Awareness! President
151 Cezary Mizejewski National Audit Union of Social Cooperatives President
152 Ségolène MOLLARD CRESS PACA Responsable Développement d’affaires et achats responsables pour les entreprises de l’ESS
153 Mária Molnárová Centrála s.r.o., SLOVAKIA Director
154 José Luis Monzón Campos CIRIEC-Spain Director
155 Neva Nahtigal RREUSE – Reuse and Recycling European Union Social Enteprises Director
156 Marco Nannini Angels4Impact – Italy President
157 Matthias Neitsch Re-Use Austria Director
158 Paul Nilsson Skoopi, national network of work integration social enterprises in Sweden Controller
159 Byrne Noreen Centre for Co-operative Studies, University College Cork, Ireland.
160 Pavel Novák Fokus Praha, z.ú. Manager
161 Mária Ondriašová MARION ZM s.r.o. President
162 Róbert Palko PSML s.r.o. Konateľ
163 Zuzana Pallová EkonMedia s.r.o., r.s.p. CEO
164 Konstantinos Papadakis AgroID SCE President
165 Jorgos Papadakis European Microfinance Network (EMN) Managing Director
166 Konstantinos Papadakis Panhellenic Confederation of SSE Unions (PASE KALO) VC of EU & International Policies, GECES Member
167 Gianluca Pastorelli Diesis Network Executive President
168 Janusz Paszkowski National Auditing Union of Cooperatives (NAUWC) President
169 Jelena Pavlovic ACT Group Management board member
170 Margaréta Pecová JUMBO MOJMÍROVCE spol. s r.o. Director
171 Kaat Peeters Sociale InnovatieFabriek , Belgium CEO
172 Jan Peloza Impact Hub Ljubljana Director
173 Joaquim Pequicho CONFECOOP – Confederação Cooperativa Portuguesa Vice-President and Director
174 Guillem Perdrix Federació de Cooperatives de Treball de Catalunya Director
175 Frederik Petersen KOOPERATIONEN denmark President
176 Francesca PETRELLA EMES international research network for Social Enterprise President
177 Przemyslaw Piechocki Association for Social Cooperatives CEO
178 Giacomo Pinaffo Fondazione MeSSInA – Ente Filantropico Secretary General
179 René Pisko CIBEKA s. r. o., r. s. p. CEO
180 José Alberto Pitacas CIRIEC (Centre international de recherches et d’information sur l’économie publique, sociale et coopérative – Aisbl) Auditor
181 Matej Plesnik POH, s.r.o. “registrovaný sociálny podnik” CEO
182 Carmen Podani ACDC Romania – Association for Community Development Consultants vicepresident
183 Leonardo Pofferi Cogeca Vice President
184 Raluca Prelucă fonduri-structurale.ro/consolid8 Partner
185 Lukáš Priškin Kvalitné služby s.r.o. director
186 Lenka Puh Institut Lintvern so.p., Etri Group, Slovenia Manager
187 Mortier Quentin Solidarité des Alternatives Wallonnes et Bruxelloises Co-director
188 Edoardo Ramondo Impact Hub Torino Manager
189 Andrea Rapisardi Impact Hub Firenze Manager
190 Johanna Rapp Impact Hub Munich GmbH Steward Owner & Managing Director
191 Sibylle Reichert Association Internationale de la Mutualité (AIM) Executive Director
192 Felicia Relenschi AFIN IFN SA & Social Finance Association, Romania General Director
193 Naana Rench Social Trade ekonomisk förening President
194 Francesco Rocca Impact hub Lisbon Director
195 Heather Roy Eurodiaconia Secretary General
196 Radka Rybáková Futurum F s.r.o. Director
197 barbara SAK CIRIEC (Centre international de recherches et d’information sur l’économie publique, sociale et coopérative – Aisbl) Director
198 Gianluca Salvatori EURICSE – European Research Institute on Cooperatives and Social Enterprises Secretary General
199 Anna Šamajová Viana Art o.z. Director
200 Giovanni Schiavone AGCI President
201 Rainer Schlüter Fondazione MeSSina European Project Manager
202 Louise Scott media co-op Manager & Producer
203 Thierry Sibieude FAIR (Financer Accompagner Impacter Rassembler) President
204 Hugues SIBILLE Le Labo de l’ESS president
205 Bénédicte Sohet ConcertES (Concertation des organisations représentatives de l’économie sociale – 24 membres) Secretary General
206 Daniel Sorrosal European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financiers Secretary General
207 Andreas Stefanidis Academy of Entrepreneurship President
208 Liselott Ström E.L.S.A Ekonomisk förening Director
209 Jozef Suja Modrokamenský podnik s.r.o. konateľ
210 Hanna Surmatz Philanthtropy Europe Association (Philea) Head of Policy
211 Rastislav Suroviak Obecný podnik Pribiš s.r.o., r.s.p. Director
212 Pernilla Svebo Vägen ut! kooperativen President
213 Františka Svobodová EkoRent, s.r.o. Manager
214 Irene Tarradellas Ricart Impact Hub Barcelona (Impact Hub Barcelona S.L.) Director
215 Dimitrios Tataridis Social Cooperative KoiSPE of Nautilos President of the BoD
216 Elsebeth Terkelsen European Green Cities Senior Consultant
217 Sotiris Themistokleous Center for Social Innovation – CSI Director
218 Claire Thoury Le Mouvement Associatif Présidente
219 Roberta Trovarelli Legacoop Emilia Romagna Head of international projects and relations
220 Sotiris Tsoukarelis SSE Union of Εpirous, Greece (KOINO KALO) Chairman
221 Leif Tyrén Coompanion Värmland Director
222 Anna Tyrén JösseNavet ekonomisk förening President
223 Ana Umbelino European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy (REVES) President
224 Corine van de Burgt ENSIE President
225 Esmeralda van der Naaten De Omslag CEO
226 Peter VANDOR Vienna University of Economics and Business WU WIen / Social Entrepreneurship Center Senior researcher, Director
227 Haris Vanidis SSE Union of Western Macedonia, Greece (EFKALODYM) Chairman
228 Vitlena Vasileva European Development Foundation Founder
229 Petr Vítek Impact Hub Brno, Prague, Ostrava Co-founder, Co-owner
230 Johannes Völlenklee Impact Hub Tirol GmbH Co-CEO
231 Duncan Walker Irish Social Enterprise Network EU Project Manager
232 Tony Ward The Wheel Acting CEO
233 Natalia Wegner Koszalin Regional Development Agency President
234 Maria Zafiropoulou SSE Union of Western Greece (SYMPOLITEIA) Chairwoman
235 Regita Zeiļa Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia Director
236 Jan Zucha municipality Nova Bosaca, Slovakia mayor
Policy paper
Manifesto
