Public policies thematic group

EU action plan for social economy - RIPESS EU contribution

We have less than a week left to send contributions to the public consultation by the European Commission, based on their roadmap (see the attached document) for a Social Economy action plan: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12743-Social-Economy-Action-Plan

Let's collect some ideas here and have a final 1 page document with our contributions.

After reading Roadmap it seems to me very status quo document, even in this very specific time shaped by unprecedented crisis. If you check the end of pg 2 where it starts with Therefore, the action plan could put forward EU level policies, programmes, processes and tools to:

...

all the things that they are advocating are pretty much the same as in prevoiuse this style documents like visibility, networking, promotion, education, scaling up, digitalisation and greening social economy (OMG:(). So, we should advocate for more deep and transformative approach even if it is just for social economy and not SSE. don't know if you notice in EMES reaction they are constantly talking on SSE sector even thou before they were also focused more on social enterprises and economy. Perhaps we can make a link to Toledo Declaration from this year where they are mentioned “The Social and Solidarity Economy as a key driver for an inclusive and sustainable future” https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/2021/01/12/19-eu-member-states-adopt-toledo-declaration-on-social-and-solidarity-economy/

i would use from our strategic document part about couses for current crises and what we need. Then suggest to put in the document:

1. support public policies for SSE that will strength real transformative potentials in local communities and initiate needed changes after COVID-19 crises.

2. ensure trainings and educational program for social economy organisations so that they get capacity and skills to operate in recovery period with main focus on social mission, democratic managements and solidarity in local, EU and global context.

3. spread know-how and practice of social balance measurement tools so that impact of SSE organisation is not dependent mostly on financial issue, but to contribution for general wellbeing and common good.

Agree with your proposals, Drazen.

Please bear in mind that today is the last day to dubmit something, and that I can't do it as I explained in my email. SO Drazen or Jason, plese go ahead!

Thanks, Drazen!
I agree with you that the document still makes too much reference to the 2011 Social Business Initiative of the EC, with its 5 areas of intervention: i. regulatory and institutional environment, ii. visibility, recognition and better understanding, iii. access to finance, iv. new technologies and digitisation and v. international cooperation.
The Commission's 2020 communication "A strong social Europe for a just transition" is much more interesting... (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:e8c76c67-37a0-11ea-ba6e-01aa75ed71a1.0003.02/DOC_1&format=PDF) and we can certainly cite the Toledo declaration on SSE (which, by the way, we haven't signed...).
I would also relaunch, together with FTAO/WFTO, the Build Back Fairer statement (https://fairtrade-advocacy.org/ftao-publications/build-back-fairer).

I have worked on a text to contribute to the SE Action Plan, due today.  I've included Drazen's remarks and tried to make it coherent with our previous documents, campaigns and working areas.  It would need time for discussion, but we don't have it (as this is a last-minute attempt to say something...)... so I'm asking you if you have time to have a look and if you find something that you don't think should go there.

Here is the link: https://cloud.ripess.eu/index.php/s/4PDPYZkwtGQQmkT

(French is purely deepl translation...)

There are certainly many issues missing, but I tried to keep it short and not duplicate other statements.  We might want to work on this further, if the public policies group is willing to engage in the process and in the next step, the Mannheim forum (https://www.euses2020.eu) - end of May.

Thank you Jason for this very relevant contribution and to all for your exchanges and contributions !
The different dimensions of public policy are well expressed in this contribution. The SSE is well seen as a movement of social, cultural and democratic transformation, including at the same time a need for social protection system, education, etc. , public policies for social and ecological justice, citizen participation..., institutional regulations and organizations, support for citizens' initiatives, cooperative and non-profit initiatives....