What's the issue?

It is estimated that the social economy accounts for 6.4% of employment and represents 11.9 million jobs and between 6 to 8% of GDP across 27 European Union (EU) countries. Our recent publication Regional Strategies for the Social Economy: Examples from France, Spain, Sweden and Poland suggests that governments in Europe and beyond are increasingly tapping into the potential of the social economy. This is particularly true in light of decentralisation trends. The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced this trend, which will likely continue during the recovery. Regions, cities and municipalities have built partnerships and designed support packages for social economy organisations, social enterprises and social innovation ecosystems to continue to deliver essential services, target the most vulnerable groups and preserve jobs. Such strategies will be part of regional and local responses in the recovery to help i) people embrace news ways of producing, consuming and working, ii) the transition to sustainable and inclusive development and iii) encourage organisations and enterprises to adopt more social-purpose driven business models.

Why attend?

This webinar will explore how subnational governments - regions, cities and municipalities - are supporting social economy organisations, social enterprises and social innovators during the crisis and how they include the social economy in their overarching strategies for local development. The main findings and policy orientations of the publication Regional Strategies for the Social Economy: Examples from France, Spain, Sweden and Poland will be used as a basis to discuss the following issues: 

• How did/should regional and local authorities support the social economy during the crisis and beyond?
• What could/should regional and local authorities do to scale-up the positive impact and resilience of the social economy ecosystems to support people’s well-being and work opportunities, as well as the inclusive and sustainable development of places?

Webinar Highlights

Please find below the presentations shared during the meeting:

OECD Regional Strategies for the Social Economy Examples from France, Spain, Sweden and Poland, delivered by Amal Chevreau

S3 as a Tool for Regional Growth: the Sample of Social Economy in Navarra, delivered by Mikel Irujo Amezaga Region Navarre, Spain 

Social Economy Recovery, delivered by Karel Vanderpoorten European Commission - DG GROW

The Social Economy In Regions and Cities: Ways Forward, delivered by Ana Umbelino-City of Torres Vedras, Portugal 

European Social Fund Plus +, delivered by Miia –Rossi Gray, European Commission - DG EMPL 

Contact

antonella.noya@oecd.org 

amal.chevreau@oecd.org

Agenda

Antonella Noya (Moderator)
Head of Social Economy and Innovation Unit
Local Employment, Skills and Social Innovation Division
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities

Karen Maguire
Head of Local Employment, Skills
and Social Innovation Division
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities

Joaquim Oliveira Martins
Deputy Director
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Citie

Amal Chevreau
Policy Analyst, Social Economy & Innovation Unit
Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities

Luigi Martignetti
Secretary General of REVES
European Network of Cities & Regions for the Social Economy

Mikel Irujo Amezaga
Director General of Foreign Affairs Region Navarre-Spain

Andres Bro
Development Manager
Region Örebro County-Sweden

Sarah Prince-Robin
Diplomatic Advisor to the High Commissioner for
and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation- France

Ana Umbelino
Vice Mayor
Torres Vedras- Portugal

Jakub Schimanek
Labour Market and Social Inclusion Unit,
Ministry of Investment and Economic Development – Poland

Miia Rossi-Gray
Policy Officer, Directorate-General Employment
and Social Inclusion European Commission

Karel Vanderpoorten
Policy officer, Directorate-General for Internal Market,
Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs - European Commission

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