Commission proposal for a Council recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions
4.10.2023
Question for oral answer O-000045/2023
to the Commission
Rule 136
Dragoş Pîslaru
on behalf of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
The social economy encompasses many different sectors and accounts for 2.8 million entities in the EU, employing around 13.6 million workers. Parliament’s resolution of 6 July 2022 on the EU action plan for the social economy[1] underlined the primacy of people as well as social and environmental purposes over profit in the social economy. However, since the resolution was adopted, the context has evolved towards a period of high inflation, a cost of living crisis and greater geopolitical instability.
The proposal for a Council recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions is timely. It will promote the visibility of the social economy and the principles that underpin it (solidarity, social inclusion and social investment) and create an environment for the social economy to thrive, including the necessary access to markets and finance.
Given this:
- 1.How is the Commission monitoring Member States’ follow-up on social economy commitments in their Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) and through the European Semester? What have its main findings on these been so far?
- 2.How has the Commission stepped up efforts to promote the social economy and to identify solutions to remove obstacles to allow for employee ownership through cooperatives or other forms of worker-owned social economy entities? How is the Commission planning to support social economy entities’ access to digital tools, new technologies and funding, in particular the access to these for entities owned and/or managed by women?
- 3.How will the Commission ensure that EU financial support to social economy entities is compliant with the applicable environmental, social and labour law obligations?
- 4.How is the Commission promoting broader collective bargaining coverage, workers’ participation and democratic governance in social economy entities?
- 5.How will the Commission ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
- 6.Is the upcoming study on social economy labels also looking into a standardised system at Union level? Can the Commission provide any updates to Parliament’s invitation to examine the feasibility and practicality of social impact bonds?
Submitted: 4.10.2023
Lapses: 5.1.2024
- [1] OJ C 47, 7.2.2023, p. 171.