XVth General Assembly of Social Economy Europe was held on June 8 as hybrid event in Brussels, at Solidaris Mutual. Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of CEPES, was re-elected as SEE President for a three years mandate alongside with the same team of Vice-Presidents: Alain Coheur (AIM), Patrizia Bussi (ENSIE) and Jérôme Saddier (ESS-France).
During the assembly, SEE video Annual Report was approved, including messages from Commissioners Nicolas Schmit and Thierry Breton, Spanish Vice-President Yolanda Díaz, political economist Maja Göpel and SEE leaders.
At the heart of the Future of Europe
As stated at the event, Social Economy is a citizens’s-led movement based on collective entrepreneurship, democracy, solidarity, and engagement with the local communities. Principles that -transformed into action- produce economic and social progress, innovation, quality jobs, just transitions, welfare and social protection, quality social services, sustainable finance, equal opportunities and more. Together with its members, building alliances and synergies with initiatives as La République de l’ESS, led by ESS-France, and Economiesociale.be led by ConcertES, SEE will be launching an ambitious campaign under the motto #SocialEconomy4Future.
Social Economy Action Plan
SEE will deepen and further explain its proposals for the Social Economy Action Plan to EU leaders with two key visibility moments: 7 October 2021 in San Sebastian & 11-12 October in Slovenia (Slovenian Presidency of the Council Social Economy Conference).
Maravillas Espín, Director-General for Social Economy of the Spanish Government, took part in the Assembly. She thanked SEE for its work as the collective voice of all social economy enterprises in the EU. She stressed that Spain will dedicate at least 100 million€ to strengthening the Social Economy through the National Recovery & Resilience Plan, recently submitted to the European Commission. Furthermore, she stressed her willingness to build synergies between the EU Social Economy Action Plan and the Spanish Social Economy Strategy 2021-2027. Both initiatives will be approved by the end of the year on the 10th Anniversary of the Spanish Social Economy Law and the Social Business Initiative.
Patrizia Toia (Member of European Parliament) also congratulated SEE and its members, as well as the whole social economy community, for their role during the pandemic: “You have conquered a seat at the table. You can build an EU combining innovation and dynamism with humanism”.
Furthermore, two new members were welcomed at SEE family: Diesis Network and The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises.
SEE President Juan Antonio Pedreño declared: “Thanks to all SEE members for their trust and support. The next three years are of outmost importance to scale up the Social Economy and overcome historic obstacles: the social economy should be recognized in the treaties, we should have a seat at the inter-sectorial social dialogue, we should further contribute to just Green and Digital Transitions and to strengthen our European project: a project of democracy, peace and solidarity, a catalyst of economic and social progress for all”.
The new Board of Directors of all SEE members:
- Juan Antonio Pedreño (President, representing CEPES)
- Alain Coheur (VP, representing AIM)
- Patrizia Bussi (VP representing ENSIE)
- Jérôme Saddier (VP, representing ESS-France)
- Sarah Goddard (AMICE)
- Filipa Farelo (CASES)
- Diana Dovgan (CECOP)
- Matthieu de Poorter (CEDAG)
- Alice Van de Vyvere (ConcertES)
- Luca Pastorelli (DIESIS)
- Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna (EFC)
- EMN representative, Heather Roy (Eurodiaconia)
- Peru Sasia (FEBEA)
- Claudia Fiaschi (Forum Terzo Settore)
- Aurélie Chompret (IPSE)
- Luigi Martignetti (REVES)
- Paul O’Sullivan (The Wheel).
