Cooperatives EuropeEuropean Region of the ICA

SOCIAL ECONOMY: A KEY SECTOR FOR GROWTH AND JOBS IN THE GLOBAL CRISIS: A

EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

Rainer SchlüterDirector Regional ICA

•WHO WE ARE: Cooperatives Europe, organisation, key figures, challenges•SOCIAL ECONOMY IN EUROPE – challenges: structure and representatives, identity and wording, who is in and who is out?•BEYOND LEGAL DEFINITION AND WORDS: 3 strategies of political integration at EU level – SE as employer organisations, SE an essential part of civil society, SE part of the new social movements•RECENT EVOLUTIONS, PROPOSALS FOR COMMON ACTION

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

176 national Cooperative organisations in 33 European countriesare members of Cooperatives Europerepresenting

263.000 co-operative enterprises160 million members5,5 million jobs

At European level Co-operatives are organised in 7 business sectors, 6 are members of Cooperatives Europe (agriculture, banking, housing, industry and services, consumer, pharmacies) , the insurance sector is not a member (AMICE)

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

WHO WE ARECooperatives Europe

Key figures

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

REPRESENTATIVENESS OF COOPERATIVES EUROPE

Co-operative Enterprises in Europe

78%

22%

Members of CooperativesEurope

Non members of CooperativesEurope

NUMBER OF CO-

OPERATIVE

ENTERPRISES MEMBER

OF COOPERATIVES

EUROPE (EU)

Jobs in co-operatives, members of

Cooperatives Europe (Employer)

-structure, representativeness, capacity

-Identity and wording

-Who is in and who is out?

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

SOCIAL ECONOMY in Europe

SOCIAL ECONOMY in Europe

Confusing wordings but more then 10% of European Economy

-Social and Solidarity Economy

-Solidarity Economy

-Community Economy

-Third Sector

-Third System

-Not for profit

-CMAF

For profit or not , private or public, enterprises or not

Three strategies of political integration at European level:

•SE AS EMPLOYER ORGANISATIONS: are we a different and better

employer?, particularly in the recent economic crisis (restructuring, take

overs, ...)

•SE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF CIVIL SOCIETY (coops biggest

membership orhanisation ) do we have common request to public policy? Public

procurement, state aid, tax, participation&consultation

•SE PART OF THE NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: do we want to

change our society? Attac, New economic order, Slow Economy, Fair&Square,

Alternative Economy

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

BEYOND LEGAL DEFINITION AND WORDS

Co-operative organisations vested with a negotiation mandate as Empoyer organisations

CEGES recent crisis, CEPES, new law for SE Employer organisation, Solidarity Economy FR in CES, Social Enterprise law (IT)

Restructuring, worker take overs, privatisations, new role for Social Economy and Co-operativesLarge unemployment, cooperative and SE selfhelp on the agendaEthical and responsible economic behaviour, stronger awareness in societyIncrease of Ethical financeCooperating together north and south , consumers, financers and producersStronger co-operative business integration between north and SouthVisibility of our ethical business modelBuild new and strong alliances (TU, LA, Solidarity Economy, NGO’s….)

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective

RECENT EVOLUTIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR COMMON ACTION

Rainer Schlüter

Cooperatives Europe105, Ave Milcamps – BE1030 Brusselsr.schluter@coopseurope.coopwww.coopseurope.coop

Social Economy – a key actor for growth and jobs in the global crisis. A European perspective