The Commission launch event for the new action plan for the social economy will take place in-person in Brussels and online on 16 December 2021.

The European Commission intends to present a new action plan to support the social economy in December 2021. With the action plan the Commission will propose a coherent set of measures aimed at creating enabling conditions for the social economy to fulfil its potential to contribute to fair, sustainable and inclusive growth.

We can only achieve this goal through partnership and cooperation. This is why, to mark the launch of the action plan, we would like to bring together social entrepreneurs and representatives from social economy organisations from all over Europe (and beyond) to discuss the new opportunities offered by the action plan and its contribution to a more sustainable future.

Agenda

13.30 – 14.30 Registration of in-person participants at venue & welcome coffee

14.30 – 14.35 Welcome & remarks about the event - Tamsin Rose, moderator

14.35 – 14.45 Scene-setter by Nicolas Hazard, founder and CEO of INCO and special adviser in charge of the social and solidarity economy at the European Commission

14.45 – 15.15 Interview with Commissioner Nicolas Schmit and Commissioner Thierry Breton on the new EU Action Plan for the social economy. Reaction from Martin Sandbu, FT (virtual participation), and Q&A with the room and online participants

15.20 – 15.50 Fireside chat with Professor Muhammad Yunus: Building a 3 zero world: The time is now - social entrepreneur, banker, economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner (virtual participation)

15.50 – 16.15 Coffee break

16.15 – 16.45 Round table 1: NEW ALLIANCES FOR AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR PEOPLE

Speakers:

• Marta Lozano Molano, Founding Member of Wazo Cooperative (creating opportunities for rural community in Spanish Extremadura region)
• Sofi Fridland, Just Arrived (work integration for migrants, Sweden)
• Stefan van Tulder, founder of Talent Data Labs (Netherlands)

16.50 – 17.30 Round table 2: FINANCING THE SCALE-UP

Speakers:

• Victor Iancu, co-founder and president, Cooperativa de Energie (sustainable energy Romania)
• Vesna Bajsanski-Agić,  Executive Director at Mozaik Foundation (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Jean Moreau, Co-founder Phenix (zero waste economy, France)
• Georg Tschare, CEO Sign Time GmbH (sign language, Austria)

17.35 – 18.00 Wrap-up, looking forward & call to support the implementation of the action plan

Speakers:

• Patrizia Toia, Co-Chair European Parliament Social Economy Intergroup, (virtual participation)
• David Errard, Adviser, Employment, Social Policy and Health Division, Permanent Representation of France to the EU (French presidency)
• Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy Europe

Web streaming

The recording of the streaming in English is now available.