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Social
Economy (CMAFs) on the European agenda
The economic and social significance of Social
Economy
enterprises is widely recognised.
Their importance is also growing in
the face of new emerging needs. Recent figures indicate that
approximately 9
million people are employed
by CMAFs
in the European Union.
Co-operatives in the production
and
the consumer areas
have, depending on the source of the data,
between 78 and 150
million members in the
Union.  Almost one
third of all Europeans are
insured with mutual insurers against the economic risks of illness or old
age.  The Social Economy,
particularly co-operatives and associations,
can also
make a substantial contribution to the
integration of the economies of the Candidate
Countries. 
In December 1998, the Vienna European Council
reaffirmed employment as the top priority of the European Union and
stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to employment policy. The
Council welcomed the Commission's proposal for Employment Guidelines for
1999, which again recognise the employment potential of the Social Economy
("Exploiting new opportunities for job creation", guideline 12) by stating
that the Member States should promote measures to exploit fully the
possibilities offered by job creation at local level, in the Social
Economy, in the area of environmental technologies and in new activities
linked to needs not yet satisfied by the market, and examine, with the aim
of reducing, any obstacle in the way of such measures. 

The Commission
Guidelines for 2001 (agreed by the Council on 19 January 2001) for the
National Action Plans for Employment continue to emphasise the importance
of the social economy under the entrepreneurship pillar. Guideline 11
calls on Member States to "encourage local and regional authorities to
develop partnership-based strategies for employment in order to exploit
fully the possibilities offered by job creation at local level and in the
social economy".  
For further
information on employment guidelines, national action plans,
as well as local initiatives, which are very relevant for the social
economy, please consult the Employment and Social Fund Web pages: http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/empl_esf/index_en.htm.

The European Parliament has on several occasions pointed to the need
for Community actions to take full account of the Social Economy's
potential for economic growth, employment and citizen
participation.
The Commission's Communication on Promoting
the Role of Voluntary Organisations and Foundations in Europe
aimed at illustrating the growing importance of voluntary
organisations and foundations within the European Union and to show what
problems and challenges these organisations are facing. It has produced a
positive response from the sector, the European Parliament, the Committee
of the Regions, and the Economic and Social Committee. It was followed up by a series of
National Conferences and experts' meetings, each of which
addressed one of the Communication's themes.
CMAFs
primarily co-operatives and associations
(including those usually referred to as Non-Governmental Organisations or
NGOs)
are involved in the implementation of Community programmes and
actions.  They figure most prominently in employment policy, regional
cohesion, education and training, economic development in countries in
Central and Eastern Europe and in developing countries. As a result,
community programmes and actions are increasingly making specific
provision for the participation of these organisations. Examples of
this are:

the setting aside of 1% of the European Social Fund for a Local
Social Capital Fund open exclusively to non-profit organisations


the stronger emphasis on the role of Social Economy organisations in
the Structural Funds  and in Community Initiatives

the proposals for a European Volunteer Service programme

the Third System and Employment budget line 


the Liaison Committee of Development NGOs (http://www.oneworld.net/)

Civil Dialogue via many different civil society organisations
including NGOs at regional, national and European levels

European Social Policy Conferences in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003
In 1993 the Commission submitted to the Council the European Statutes
for Co-operatives, Mutual Societies
and Associations with the aim of improving the conditions for
transnational working by Social Economy bodies. The discussion of the proposals has been reactivated after agreement
on the European Enterprise Statute end 2000 and in July 2003 the Statute
for a European Co-operative was adopted. 
For further
information click on the European
Statutes and on the history
of Community support to the Social Economy enterprises.
The Consultative Committee for
Cooperatives, Mutuals, Associations and Foundations (CCCMAF), established by the Commission from March 1998 to November 2000, and the more recent
autonomous Permanent European Conference of Co-operatives, Mutual societies,
Associations and Foundations (PEC-CMAF)
established since 17th November 2000 is an important interlocutor
for the Commission on all
questions relating to the promotion and implementation of Community policy
on the Social Economy.  The Permanent
Conference is a forum for
continuous dialogue between the Commission and the CMAF and a medium for the
circulation of information.
Last update:
28/10/2003