A Eurobarometer survey, a series of public opinion surveys conducted across the European Union, has revealed that Europeans recognise the value of the social economy and strongly endorse policies aimed at developing the sector.
The ‘social economy in the life of Europeans’ survey examined awareness and understanding, personal engagement and perceptions of the social economy, which comprises at least 4.3 million entities, employing over 11.5 million people in a variety of economic sectors across Europe.
One of the main drivers of the social economy is the co-operative model, spearheading the enthusiasm across Europe for the social economic sector.
Former director general of the International Cooperative Alliance, Bruno Roelants, wrote in Social Economy News: “Co-operatives indeed have a special responsibility in the social economy at global level because of their sheer numbers, their employment impact, their sectoral diversity, their impact on the economy and above all their benchmarking role due to the international standards grouped in the Statement on the Cooperative Identity.”
Findings report that 93% of Europeans think businesses should be guided by social economy values, such as focusing on social and environmental goals, redistributing profits, and operating with democratic governance structures.
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Over half of EU citizens are not only familiar with the concept of the social economy, but believe it has an important impact on their personal wellbeing (61%) and the wellbeing of society (75%).
This is despite only a third of Europeans saying they had ever received support from social economy organisations.
On the impact the sector has on society, a majority of respondents were most likely to cite health and social care as the sector in which social economy organisations make the biggest difference, followed by education and training.
President of the International Health Cooperative Organisation, Dr Carlos Zarco, celebrated the findings in a LinkedIn post, stating: “Co-operatives, with their inherent focus on people, democratic control, and reinvestment of profits for the benefit of members and the community, are a core component of the social economy.”
He explained that in the wake of this report, the co-operative sector should “use this momentum to raise public and political awareness of cooperatives’ significant contribution to employment, local economies, and tackling societal challenges”.
This notion is shared by the report which notes that close to one out of six citizens are unsure of, or do not see any development of the social economy.
It stated that there is a need for “greater policy support, clearer communication and increased visibility to strengthen public understanding of, and confidence in, the role of social economy in society”.
The findings also show that social and ethical considerations are highly influential in shaping citizens’ consumption decisions.
The report found that more than three quarters of EU consumers think local production, social standards and environmental standards are important considerations, with 81% of respondents valuing social standards as important.
It concluded that “these findings highlight a widespread public support for inclusive, sustainable, and participatory economic models”.
