European Conference on Social Economy
The debates hosted nearly six hundred representatives and experts in the sector.
Over the 13th and 14th of November, the city of San Sebastian was the setting for the European Conference on Social Economy: People, Planet, Action; held within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
Almost six hundred experts in social economy and representatives of the governments of the European Union met up in San Sebastian and took part in the debates aimed at promoting and exporting this model of inclusive economy, deep-rooted in the region and that redistributes wealth. The participants analysed steps and proposals in order to continue delving into the implantation of a type of company that employs over 13.6 million people in Europe, 6.3% of the active population.
The Spanish social economy, which means over 10% of the gross domestic product, is an international benchmark and recently has reaffirmed its commitment to this economic model with the approval of the first resolution by the United Nations last April that backs the social economy or, more recently, the adoption in the Employment and Social Policy Council of a pioneer recommendation on social economy to motivate its effective implantation in the 27 countries of the European Union.
The San Sebastian Manifesto
During the summit, the San Sebastian Manifesto for Social Economy was presented, a document signed by representatives of 19 countries of the European Union that seeks to promote European policies that make the sector move forward.
With the sights set on the debates that must be included on the agenda of the European Parliament and Commission during the next legislature, the manifesto signed in San Sebastian intends to strengthen this way of understanding the economy that is completely in line with the 2030 Agenda goals and which has been turned into a guarantee for the teaching work, for innovation and for social cohesion.
The conference also was the framework for acknowledging the leadership of the European Commission in the promotion of the social economy and the cooperatives with the Denon Artea award, which the Basque Country Higher Board of Cooperatives awarded to the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmitt.
