New European commissioner takes on social economy responsibility from Nicolas Schmit
BRUSSELS BRIEFING: The new European commissioner for jobs – whose role includes oversight of the social economy – has been announced. Our correspondent in Brussels, Euclid Network policy lead Toby Gazeley, looks at the latest news from the EU.
As 2024 begins to draw to a close, all eyes seem to be on Washington rather than Brussels. But developments in the European social economy have not taken a break. Autumn is always a busy time with events almost every day and the final push to round up long-running projects and reports before the end of the year.
November signified an important month for the EU’s Social Economy Action Plan marking one year since the adoption of the European Commission’s Recommendation to the European Council on Social Economy Framework Conditions. This means that EU member states are officially halfway through the two-year implementation window where they have been asked to develop, update and adopt strategies to support the social economy and improve the conditions in which social enterprises operate.
The Brussels machine is not known for fast action, but already some progress can be seen, for example, in the adoption of a new social enterprise policy ‘Trading for Impact’ in Ireland this summer. EU policymakers remain optimistic that by November 2025, all EU member states will have put in place a strategy to support the social economy in their country.
The Brussels machine is not known for fast action, but already some progress can be seen on the adoption of the Social Economy Action Plan
Developing strategies to support the social economy is an important measure that could lead to more recognition and unlock financing. To develop these strategies, understanding the social economy in a given country is key. In October, the study on the EU’s social economy ecosystems was published which aims to provide a basic understanding of the size, shape and composition of the EU’s social economy ecosystems. While this is an extensive report, social enterprises still remain included as an awkward addition to the conceptualisation of the European social economy. The report adds complexities in understanding what social enterprises are, underestimating their number and impact due to a narrow conceptualisation of social enterprises based on their legal form. Without more supportive legal frameworks for social enterprises, it is unsurprising that difficulties in identifying and understanding their impact continue. The risk now is that social enterprises will be understood in this understated and restrictive way, turning back much progress which has been achieved in the integration of social enterprises into the conceptualisation of the European social economy.
Roxana Mînzatu steps into Nicolas Schmit’s shoes
Roxana Mînzatu is executive vice president for social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness, with the social economy in her brief
The new European Commission is gradually taking shape (read more about this in my column published in September) and with this comes new challenges, but also new opportunities, for the social economy. The new commissioner taking on longstanding social economy champion Nicolas Schmit’s portfolio will be Roxana Mînzatu, appointed as executive vice president for social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness. She is aware and supportive of the social economy and the topic has been officially mentioned in her Mission Letter. This letter, which was sent by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Mînzatu on 1 December, gives the political direction to the tasks and responsibilities Mînzatu will have over the next five years of the Commission’s mandate.
Efforts are still ongoing to try to achieve the renewal of the Social Economy Intergroup in the European Parliament. This is an official ‘interest group’ in the European Parliament in which MEPs across political groups and working committees meet to push for more progress on the social economy. The Intergroup has been an important actor working with social economy stakeholders to encourage action from the Commission. With an ever more complex geopolitical climate and increasing calls on the EU to act in more areas, the Intergroup would be an invaluable forum to hold the Commission to account.
2024 has been a busy year, both for the social economy and for global democracy with so many elections across Europe and the world. 2025 looks set to be another busy year with new and persistent challenges. However, ensuring that the social economy remains high on the political agenda would seem to be task number one.
Photo of Roxana Mînzatu by Bogdan Hoyaux, (c) European Union, 2024, CC BY 4.0
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