The social economy will be a key priority for the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The country, which took over the six-month rotating presidency on 1 July, announced its main lines of action based on four priorities: reindustrialising the EU and guaranteeing its open strategic autonomy, advancing in the green transition, promoting greater social and economic justice, and strengthening European unity.
Spain suggests a number of measures for greater social and economic justice, including promoting “a social economy in which wealth creation reaches all Europeans”.
The Spanish Presidency also sees the social economy as an important element of its agenda for employment, which will be guided by three principal themes: social dialogue, decent work and the social economy. And it pledges to “work hand in hand with the Commission to include all the actions within the new Social Economy Action Plan and to achieve the adoption of the proposal for a council recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions”.
Cooperatives Europe, which represents 84 member organisations from 33 European countries across all business sectors, described the Spanish Presidency programme as “ambitious”.
The apex welcomed the presidency’s pledge to promote the Social Economy Action Plan, the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the rights of workers. “We particularly welcome the presidency’s eagerness to foster the adoption of Council conclusions on democracy at work and green collective bargaining,” it said. “Co-operatives have democracy at the core of their DNA and workers’ participation at the heart of their governance.”
Cooperatives Europe was also pleased with the importance given to the green and digital (twin) transition in the programme. “Spain will put digitalisation in the spotlight with proposals for two council recommendations on improving digital skills in education and training and on the key enabling factors for successful digital education and training. In that regard, we support the efforts to better integrate companies into the training system and have high hopes to see more co-operatives included in the future,” it said.
The Spanish Presidency also promises to “define an effective industrial policy for Europe, giving special consideration to the role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),” a move welcomed by Cooperatives Europe.
“We call on the presidency to do so through the midterm review of the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2021-2027 by sustaining financial aid for SMEs and through the revision of the competitiveness and State aid control policies,” it said.
“We have high hopes for this ambitious programme which sounds promising for cooperatives across Europe. It is now up to Spain to stay on course to bring to life its promises. Cooperatives Europe follows these developments closely.”
In her address at the European Social Economy Conference in Gothenburg (7-9 June), Yolanda Díaz, minister of labor and social economy and second vice president of Spain, reiterated her government’s commitment to the European Social Economy Action Plan. The Spanish Presidency hold a European Social Economy Conference in San Sebastian on 13-14 November, she added.
