recommandations-eco-sociales-elect

10 recommendations to strengthen social economy

Monday, 1 April 2019

Microfinance Centre, Rreuse, Caritas Europe, Ensie, CECOP, The European Microfinance Network and Euclid Network make 10 recommendations to the European institutions.

In the coming EU elections in May 2019, leaders of social enterprises call upon MEPs to make a favourable social enterprise ecosystem:

  1. Set the European Pillar of Social Rights as a priority in the future EU agenda, and encourage Member States to implement it.
  2. Seek consistent legal frameworks for social enterprises and microfinance institutions in order to make better use of the single market.
  3. Improve the ease of access to EU (financial) support for social enterprises and microfinance institutions, and continue to improve the combination of centralised and decentralised budget instruments to support the social enterprise sector.
  4. Leverage private investments to extend the impact of public funds for social enterprises and microfinance institutions.
  5. Take account of the social impact of social enterprises to better demonstrate their positive effect on the economy.
  6. Encourage public authorities to increase the number of public procurement contracts awarded to social enterprises.
  7. Incentivise Member States to reduce value-added tax for activities contributing to social welfare.
  8. Further develop the European Semester as a participative decision process in which also social enterprises and their representatives can take part.
  9. Maintain the Social Economy Intergroup in the European Parliament during the next parliamentary cycle.
  10. Push for greater awareness of social enterprises by universities, youth, consumers, businesses, and public authorities at different levels of government.

This set of recommendations is linked with the Social Economy Europe memorandum that makes 10 proposals to make social economy « a driver of economy and social progress in Europe ».

Click here for more information about the SEE memorandum.