News of the European Social Economy
SEN#25November 2023
Social Economy: beyond the consensus
By Ricardo Río, Mayor of Braga (Portugal), Member of the European Committee of the Regions
"At the Committee of the Regions, we see that the social economy has plenty of untapped potential and we have many shared interests. Along with other European institutions and organisations, we are fully committed to promoting the social economy. Even today, hundreds of cooperatives, social enterprises, associations and foundations are an essential part of our local ecosystems. Locally rooted, these actors know and respond to the needs in our communities. By doing so, they are crucial not only in fostering fair, inclusive and sustainable local development and economic growth, providing jobs as well as goods and services, but also proposing innovative solutions and contributing to the social cohesion and wellbeing."
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19 EU Governments Join the Promotion of Social Economy with the Signing of the San Sebastian Manifesto
From November 13 to 14, 2023, the High-Level Conference on social economy titled 'People, Planet, Action' took place in San Sebastian, the capital of the Social Economy for 2023. The event brought together 600 participants, including high representatives from EU governments and European institutions, key figures from the social economy sector, and international academic experts. The Conference concluded with the presentation of the 'San Sebastian Manifesto,' a document signed by representatives of 19 EU countries, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions of the EU, and Social Economy Europe.
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2nd European Social Economy Awards
As the final highlight of the European Social Economy Conference in San Sebastian, the awards ceremony for the 2nd edition of the Social Economy Europe Awards took place on November 14. These awards are presented biennially. In this edition, 12 finalist organizations were recognized across four different categories, along with 5 institutional awards.
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The UN promotes the declaration of a 2nd International Year of Cooperatives in 2025
The United Nations, in a new resolution that adds to those adopted in recent months to promote the social and solidarity economy, advocates 2025 be declared the International Year of Co-operatives, the second after the successful one in 2012.This was approved on November 3 by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly - responsible for social, humanitarian, and cultural affairs - in proposal A/C.3/78/L.11.
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The European Confederation of Agri-Food Cooperatives (COGECA) promotes generational change in the agricultural and livestock sector
On this topic, COGECA held the Business Forum ‘Fostering the Future of Farming: The Importance of Cooperatives in Cultivating Our New Generation of Young Farmers’ in Tarragona, Spain.
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10 Years of the Portuguese Social Economy Framework Law
On November 7th, the Autonomous University of Lisbon hosted the conference 'Social Economy: Trends and Perspectives,' marking the tenth anniversary of the Portuguese Social Economy Framework Law. During the same event, the Observatory of Social Economy in Portugal was also introduced.
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FEBEA held its Annual Assembly and Conference in Athens, highlighting the contribution of ethical banking to sustainability
The Annual Conference of FEBEA served as a testament to the commitment of ethical banks across Europe and beyond, promoting financial practices that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. The FEBEA assembly re-elected Pedro Manuel Sasia Santos as president.
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France: 2023 Edition of the Commented Atlas of the Social and Solidarity Economy
The new edition of the Commented Atlas of the SSE was unveiled at the national launch event for the Month of the Social Solidarity Economy, organised by ESS France on 6 November in the presence of Minister Olivia Grégoire. This reference work fills in the gaps in public statistics on the SSE and highlights the profound and dynamic transformations that the stakeholders are undertaking on a daily basis!
Read moreSocial Economy Schedule
European Conference 'The Social economy at the Core of Transitions', 12-13 February 2024 | Liège (Belgium)
This meeting focusing on inclusive, green and digital transitions presents a unique opportunity for the social economy ecosystem to unite practitioners, scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders to share and exchange perspectives on innovative, resilient and inspiring economic models for a more social and sustainable Europe. Participation is open to all. Website, program and practical information available.
+infoPOWERCOOP International Seminar - self-consumption energy communities – Coimbra, January 24 and 25, 2024
The IUDESCOOP-University of Valencia, the University of Coimbra and the Higher Institute of Accounting of Porto (ISCAP) invite you to participate in this Seminar, in which a preview of the results of the POWERCOOP research group will be presented, with the aim of promoting the debate of the energy communities with public and private entities.
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