Can the European Union lead the way in the green and digital transitions? And, if so, what role can co-ops play in driving industrial transformation? A new EU Proximity and Social Economy Platform aims to provide answers to these questions by fostering collaboration, learning, and resource-sharing among social economy actors.
Launched during an online event on 6 February, the new platform focuses on the proximity and social economy as one of the 14 industrial ecosystems identified by the Commission’s industrial strategy.
The launch event heard from a range of stakeholders, including Simel Esim, the head of the International Labour Organisation’s Cooperative Unit, who pointed out the EU’s role in shaping narratives, adding that its approach has implications. She also explained that social economy actors need appropriate support programmes to succeed and that immediate crisis responses had to be connected with long-term development.
Esim, who also co-chairs the United Nations Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy, said the platform launch was part of a broader ecosystem to ensure that European expertise contributes to international dialogues.
“We remain committed to deepening out collaboration,” she said.
With the publication of its Transition Pathway for Proximity and Social Economy in 2022, the Commission also launched a call for pledges to collect concrete actions social economy entities and other relevant stakeholders will undertake to help achieve the actions laid out in the pathway.
By November 2024 a total of 214 pledges had been submitted, 60% of them concerning the green transition. One of the most popular action areas was addressing the capacity and skills gap, with 28 pledges. Other actions includes. Reinforcing business to business collaboration which had 24 pledges and boosting digital skills with 22 pledges. Social economy entities submitted 30% (66) of pledges, more than any other social economy sector.
Meanwhile, the digital transition is underrepresented in pledges with only 34% of total pledges. Eastern European and nordic countries also had a lower participation, highlighting a need for further engagement. Similarly, the academic sector did not submit any pledges, which means the Commission needs to reinforce the links with this sector. Organisations can continue to submit pledges until 1 June.
The event heard from representative of some of the organisations that have submitted pledges: Angela Achiței, president, ADV Group; Nick Weir, community facilitator, Open Food Network Europe; and Sofia Breitholtz, CEO, Reach for Change.
Achiței said that social enterprises can address digital exclusion, fostering green innovation and creating social responsible jobs.
One of ADV’s social enterprises, Job Direct, connects disabled people with companies looking for employees as well as help these enterprises integrate assisted technology in the workplace to provide a better environment for disabled people. One of these enterprises is OilRight, which uses cooking oil that would otherwise be wasted to make scented candles.
Another social enterprises is Bricked, which transforms damaged bricks into raw materials or home decorations. Achiței explained that this social enterprise aims to provide employment to disadvantaged communities, such as Roma minorities.
Yet, she argued, procurement law needs improvement and public authorities need to be trained in integrating social and environmental clauses in procurement procedures.
Word weighed in on the issue, explaining how the Open Food Network Food hubs are enabling small-scale farmers and growers to co-operate together to take on public sector contracts with schools, hospitals, etc. The hubs take on the public sector contract and then source and consolidate the produce from multiple producers (who individually would not be able to take on such a contract).
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He added that ownership and control are key issues when it comes to the social economy. The open food network is a global platform co-operative of farmers, growers, eaters, buyers developed 13 years ago, creating an alternative food system using open source technology and the platform is in common ownership. People can have an input into the future of the platform, in direct contrast to other platforms, which are owned and controlled by individuals for the private sector, he explained.
“If we are going to build a strong social economy, we need to have co-ownership and control,” he said.
Breitholtz also pointed out that conducive policy frameworks and regulations can be a challenge to registering social enterprises. She also highlighted the added value of participatory governance, explaining that social enterprises are more successful when they work with the people for whom they provide products and serves to develop a solution to a challenge.
“There can be different legal forms to do that but it’s important to have the beneficiaries from start to finish – co-designing the solution from the beginning to end, testing it, having them at the table and including them in the scaling up as well,” she said.
This platform is based on the Transition Path co-created by the European Commission and stakeholders active in the neighbourhood and social economy, aiming to support the EU’s transition to a sustainable, resilient, and competitive economy. The European Commission has launched this stakeholder support platform with implementation support from Euricse, Diesis Network, Social Economy Europe, and EY.
Ilana Gotz, a project manager at Euricse said the platform aims to foster collaboration between different social economy actors, enabling them to have online conversations and exchange knowledge. The platform features a best practices section, a news section, and a section with seven thematic areas.
To help it promote the platform, the European Commission has recruited individuals and organisations who will act as its ambassadors.
Three of them attended the launch event: Erdmuthe Klaer-Morselli, European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy; Jaume Puigpinos, Third Sector Platform of Catalonia; and Konstantinos Papadakis, Union of Social and Solidarity Economy Organizations of Crete.
Klaer-Morselli said she hoped to get inspiration from the platform and its members, and collect evidence for policymakers regarding the added value of the social economy, and integrating it into economic development strategies. She is particularly interested in how platform members use and manage lands and buildings, creating public, civic spaces in cities, rural areas via community co-ops or community land trusts.
Puigpinos joined the platform guided by a desire to give visibility to Catalonia’s vibrant social economy sector, particularly its co-operatives.
“We are trying to have a more cohesive movement in Europe,” he said, “but we still have work to do in bringing local and regional organisations closer to Brussels and making it easier for them to be able to participate in these networking and co-operative spaces. It’s about being able to scale up needs, challenges priorities, and proposals,” he added.
Papadakis became a platform ambassador to help implement the EU’s vision on the ground, ensuring policies and strategies translate into real world impact
Yet, he wanted that “the social economy is not a one-size fits all model,” adding that its diversity “is both a challenge and an asset”.
As an ambassador he aims to not just raise awareness about the sector but also create policy alignment.
“This platform is an opportunity for collective action,” he said, “bringing together different stakeholders to co-create solutions.”
He described it as a “critical resource”, concluding by asking participants to “take time exploring the platform.”
This article was last amended on 14 March to clarify who all the implementation partners are.
