It looks like it Social economy is in style. We saw how it made headlines last year and featured in many speeches. Therefore, at the beginning of 2023, at the request of the Spanish government, the UN Promote social and solidarity economy for sustainable development. This is a historic milestone as it is the first resolution to decide to promote the social and solidarity economy globally.
To understand what the social and solidarity economy means, we can go to the official definitions collected by the ILO (International Labor Organization) in 2022 and Law 5/2011, March 29, on the social economy. Talking about An economy made up of social institutions such as associations, trusts, cooperatives, plug-in institutions.
Also, they come to share principles The primacy of people over social capitalDemocracy in their decision-making and management, transparency and reinvestment of all or most of their profits in the social causes for which they do their work.
In other words, it is about an economy that seeks a social good that does not measure its success in income statements, but rather in addressing a need in our society.
For its part, The European Union intends to continue to lead this movementAdded in October, again at our country's request, was a recommendation to promote the social economy across the European Union, approved by the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Council.
The European Conference on the Social Economy, promoted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, held in San Sebastián in November helped to certify the undeniable contribution of the Social Economy. Creating quality employment, as well as its proven profitability.
European scaleSocial economy It provides employment to nearly 14 million people, representing 6.3% of the EU workforce. In Spain, thanks to this model that prioritizes social benefit over economic benefit, two million people work, reaching a contribution of 10% to GDP. These data place the role of the socioeconomic: an actor to be taken into account.
The conference had a significant milestone, the signing of the San Sebastian Declaration. 19 Member States and European institutions confirmed their firm commitment to involve themselves in promotional activities and legislative developments on this matter.
They also pledged to renew the European Parliament's Social Economic Committee and initiate mandatory measures to ambitiously implement the European Social Economic Action Plan. Finally, do Make the social economy a tool in the EU's foreign policy and to mobilize funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other EU instruments.
As such, the San Sebastian Report presents a relevant role for the social economy to play in green, social and fair transition. Strengthen the social economy It is synonymous with decent and quality workFrom companies committed to climate and quality of life.
and AERESS (Spanish Association of Restorers of the Social and Solidarity Economy) We have been following this model and philosophy for 30 years.. Our associated companies have a social and environmental mission: Providing employment and opportunities to those at risk of social exclusion By recovering materials and waste.
At AERESS, the aims of the social economy are combined to meet the needs of people, and the aims of the circular economy to meet the needs of the planet.
Our work connected with current shortcomings and challenges requires not only institutional announcements but also concrete support.. The public sector must comply with the law of contract reserved for social enterprises, and put its obligations from theory to practice.
At the same time, if it is recognized that social enterprises do not play by the same rules of the game as the traditional economy, it must adapt to our ecosystem to guarantee our impacts. A reduction in VAT on goods used from the social and solidarity economy is a measure that has historically been requested by our sector.
We conclude 2023 as a great year of milestones for our sector. We believe that 2024 will be the year of paradigm shift: Our public officials must be familiar with comprehensive and compelling community and national laws when contracting with social enterprises, and aware of the social and environmental impact our community can make through its daily purchases.
The same roadmap is still on our agenda, Create decent, quality jobs without compromising the future of our planet.
*** Carmen Aja is the director of AERESS.
