Roundtable – b: Public Policies and legislations in progress on SSE in Europe

How do the EU institutions promote “the spread and strengthening of the social economy as key driver of economic and social development in the European Union”, in line with the EU 2020 strategy? EU parliament’s Social Economy intergroup states that “social economy is able to bring innovative solutions for social cohesion and inclusion, job creation, entrepreneurial spirit, growth and the promotion of active citizenship“. Although some work has been made during the last Parliament’s and Commission’s mandates, a lot still has to be done. It is not just about further integrating SSE in the EU structural and investment funds, as well as in EU’s policy towards SMEs; it's about using public policies at the local, national and EU level to allow a more participative, self-managed, democratic and cooperative economy. The diversity of social economy initiatives on the EU territory should also be assessed, through research on the topic, specific calls and regulations. These topics will be discussed during this round table with social economy stakeholders active at EU level.