5
European Economic and Social Committee
Brussels, 9th March 2008Social Economy Category
Minutes of the meeting held on 5th March 2008
PARTICIPANTS
Present: Gunta Anca, Miklos Barabas, Lucien Bouis, Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna, Mario Campli, Martin Chren, Tomazs Czajkowski, Roman Haken, Jean François Hoffelt, Meelis Joost, Ingrid Kössler, Eugen Lucan, Poul Lüneborg, Marzena Mendza-Drozd, Jaroslav Nemec, Maureen O'Neill, Krzystof Pater, Cristan Pirvulescu, Ionut Sibian, Primoz Sporar, Pavel Trantina, Marie Zvolska.
Excused: Soscha zu Eulenburg, Mall Hellam, Luca Jahier, Tom Jones, Jane Morrice, Martin Nose, Jan Olsson, Jean-Paul Panzani, Donka Sokolova, Frank Stöhr, Janos Toth.
Absent: Teresa Costa Macedo, Angelo Grasso, Maria Herczog, Mette Kindberg.
Alternates: Ulrich Tiburcy (alt. Soscha zu Eulenburg), Anne-Caire Le Bodic (alt. Frank Stöhr), Gun-Britt Martensson (alt. Jan Olsson), Pablo Lopez Alvarez (alt. Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna)
Observers: Juan Corbalan (CCAE), Ana Mohedano (EFC), Christophe Morvan (CEGES), Marcel Smeets (AIM), Alatis et assistant de Mario Campli.
MAIN POINTS AND AGREEMENTS
1. – Introduction and briefing of new regime for EESC Categories
The spokesperson started giving a debrief of the meeting held between the spokesperson of the different EESC Categories and Group III president, Staffan Nilsson, to discuss about the role of Group III secretariat in relation to the categories’ activities. In that meeting it was agreed that:
ü It will be the responsibility of the spokesperson to
- Prepare the meeting agendas, work programme, meeting minutes and other working documents for the meetings.
- Draft the invitations for the external speakers, do the follow-up and confirm their participation.
ü For its part the role of Group III secretariat will be limited mainly to all the internal procedural (application for the budgetary group, etc.) and logistical aspects (room reservation, elaboration of participants lists, physical sending of the invitations, etc.), as well as the update of the website.
ü There will be three meetings a year.
From the point of view of the functioning of the Social Economy Category, the above does not imply important changes as to the way we have already been functioning for the last year.
2. – Exchange of views Anne Ferreira MEP, chairwoman of the European Parliament Social Economy Intergroup
Anne Ferreira started by providing an overview of the activities of the Integroup including the forthcoming exhibition on Social Economy (13th to 16th May) and the European Socialist Party Conference on Social Economy (15th May). Her main points were as follows:
ü The Intergroup sees the Social Economy Category as a partner, as both institutions share the same vision of Social Economy.
ü EU legislation leaves a place for Social Economy.
ü It is important to fight for the acknowledgement of the specificities of the Social Economy and to be vigilant to make sure that they are duly taken into account in relevant EU policies and legislative initiatives.
ü Social Economy is a source of more and better employment.
ü She thanked the spokesperson for having presented the preliminary findings of the CIRIEC study in the Intergroup and kindly invited him to present the final findings during the Parliament’s conference on 15th May.
Her intervention was followed by a very rich exchange of views with the Category members, during which she showed her availability to take part in future Category meetings and debates. It was also agreed to maintain a close dialogue and exchange of information. As part of the latter it was agreed to circulate the Integroup’s Memorandum on Social Economy to the Category members.
3. – Evaluation of 2007 activities
Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna, in his capacity as spokesperson, made an evaluation of the work and activities developed by the Category during 2007, namely:
ü Category has grown up to 37 members from around 20 different countries.
ü Organisation of different events to increase the external visibility and impact of the Category:
- Seminar on Social Economy and Equal Opportunities (April 2007).
- Seminar for the launch of the study on Social Economy in the EU (December 2007).
ü Strengthening of relationships with key Social Economy stakeholders at EU level (DG Enterprise unit in charge of Social Economy, Social Economy Europe, European Parliament Social Economy Integroup, Liaison Group, etc.)
ü More presence of the Category in the EESC publications, both from Group III and the Committee’s newsletters.
ü Better presence in the website.
ü Methodological improvements: systematic elaboration and update of Category documents (working programme, meeting minutes, etc.), systematic development of table identifying the presence of Category members in the study groups, etc.
There was overall agreement on the positive assessment of the Category’s evolution and a shared commitment to make further progress.
4. – Definition of work priorities for 2008
There was an exchange of views regarding what the priorities for 2008 should be. Main proposals were as follows:
ü Organisation of a seminar on SIG jointly with TEN Section (20th May) – see below.
ü Push for the elaboration of an own-initiative opinion on the plurality of forms of enterprise – see below.
ü Follow closely the Commission investigations concerning cooperatives taxation.
ü Establish relations with territories and regions. Explore possibility of collaboration with the Committee of the Regions. To that effect it was agreed to invite REVES (European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy) to one of our next meetings, in order to discuss how this idea could be moved forward.
ü Strengthen relationship with Liaison Group – include systematically in the Category agendas a debriefing by Marcel Smets. Miklos Barabas will also provide a debriefing on the Category activities in the next meeting of the Liaison Group.
ü Increase the use of Social Economy experts in the relevant study groups.
ü Include the representativeness issue in the agenda of one of the next meetings.
ü Include in the agenda as an information item the Sub-Committee on the Lisbon Strategy.
ü Include also an information point on the activities of the “Social Economy Troika”
ü Include section of “best practices” in the Category’s agendas
5. – Organisation of a seminar on Services of General Interest
Following a proposal by Janos Toth (TEN Section president) it was agreed to organise a seminar on Services of General Interest (SIG) jointly with the TEN Section and the working group on SIG.
The following options were presented by Agota Bazsik (TEN secretariat) as topics:
ü The impact of the new Treaty regarding services of general interest and its possible implementation based on the paper of the high-level expert group and the analysis of national Economic and Social Council
ü How to better involve in the ongoing debate on SGI the associations of users (families, disabled people, elderly people, etc.) at national and European level?
ü How to enhance the value and the specificity of services given in the social economy?
ü Preparation of the social forum on social services of general interest that will take place during the French Presidency at Paris at the end of October 2008
After a discussion it was agreed to try to integrate the different topics in the seminar, perhaps through different roundtables. The preparation of the Paris Forum should not be a topic in itself but rather something to have in mind when it comes to make concrete proposals and define their follow-up.
Lucien Bouis volunteered to send some proposal in writing to make sure that the associations’ angle was duly taken into account.
Members were also asked to provide ideas for the speakers and the participants and send their contact details to the TEN Section secretariat.
6. – Cooperatives Taxation
In the context of the worrying developments concerning the different ongoing investigations undertaking by the Commission on cooperatives taxation, a presentation was made by Mario Campli and Juan Corbalan (from the Spanish farmers cooperatives). This was followed by a debate. Main conclusions were as follows:
ü What is at stake with the ongoing investigations is the legal and tax treatment of cooperatives and, as a consequence, their very feasibility and existance.
ü The changes defended by the Commission will make that there is no interest in becoming a cooperative
ü It is crucial to educate policy-makers about the specificity of cooperatives, not only from a taxation point of view but also from a company law perspective.
ü If things continue down this path there is a real risk of “decooperativesation”, similar to the process of “demutualization” that took place in the past
ü There is also a risk of domino-effect to other countries and other forms of Social Economy enterprise
ü The Category should be active in this debate. An own-initiative opinion would be a good tool.
7. – Own-initiative opinion
Following the lack of success of the attempts to get the French Presidency to ask for an exploratory opinion on Social Economy, it was agreed that the Category should push for an own-initiative opinion that could address, amongst others, the attacks that the cooperative movement is suffering.
Contacts with INT president (Bernardo Hernandez-Bataller) have been made by the spokesperson, Jean-Francois Hoffelt and Jan Olsson, and he is in line. A new meeting with him will take place on 12th March in order to talk about how moving things forward.
In order to be successful the angle to be taken should be broad (around the plurality of forms of enterprise and competitiveness) and not limited to Social Economy.
8. – Any other business
Members were asked to send to the Category secretariat databases (in excel format) with the contact details of the people/organisations/institutions to which they would like the study to be sent to.
Next meeting will take place on 20th May from 10.00 to 11.00. Most time will be devoted to an exchange of views with Jerome Faure, Inter-ministerial Delegate for Innovation, Social Experimentation and Social Economy (French Government). It will be followed by the seminar on SIG jointly organised by the Category and the TEN Section (11.00 to 17.00).
ACTION POINTSØ Secretariat to circulate European Parliament Intergroup Memorandum on Social Economy
Ø Spokesperson to present EESC study on Social Economy during Parliament’s conference on Social Economy (15th May)
Ø Spokesperson to incorporate members’ suggestions into 2008 programme and future meetings’ agendas
Ø Miklos Barabas to brief Liaison Group on Category’s activities
Ø Spokesperson to liaise with TEN president for the closing of the programme of the SIG Seminar
Ø Members to send proposals to TEN secretariat as to speakers and participants
Ø Lucien Bouis to send proposal for seminar theme
Ø Spokesperson, Jean-Francois Hoffelt and Jan Olsson to liaise with INT president to obtain own-initiative opinion.