Brussels, 17/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - Patrizia Toia (ALDE, Italy) is, on Wednesday 18 February during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, to present her own-initiative report on the social economy. In her report, Ms Toia calls for the importance of social economy to be recognised because of the contribution it makes to the European economy. Recognition of the concept of social economy requires a legal framework at EU level, Patrizia Toia says.
In her report, Patrizia Toia states it is necessary to have recognition of European status for associations, mutual societies and foundations in order to ensure companies of the social economy are equally treated under internal market rules. Commission withdrawal of the proposals relating to a European mutual status and a European association status are a serious setback for the development of these forms of social economy within the European Union. The rapporteur therefore calls on the Commission and on member states to develop a legal framework that recognises the social economy as a third sector.
Ms Toia underlines the fact that the social economy: - helps to restore three major imbalances in the labour market: unemployment, job instability and the exclusion of the unemployed from social life and employment; - plays a key role in improving employability and creates jobs which, generally speaking, are not relocated, thus contributing to the attainment of the Lisbon Strategy goals. She calls on the Commission to ensure that the characteristics of the social economy (aims, values and working methods) are taken into account in developing European policies, and to study the reactivation of the budgetary line specific to the social economy. Finally, the rapporteur invites the Commission and member states to develop programmes that target social companies and allow investment in the social economy to be facilitated. (G.B./transl.jl)