EUCommissioner Barnier +French Minister Hamon to EuroFora: Social Economy potential v. Global Crisis

*Strasbourg/PMC/Angelo Marcopolo/- While EU Commission vice-President Antonio Tajani's earlier statement here that EU recognizes Social Economy Businesses as a special category of Enterprises, was at everybody's ears and mouths Today, both experienced French Minister Benoit Hamon, former MEP, and EU Commissioner for the Common Market, former Minister, Michel Barnier, replying to "EuroFora"s relevant Questions, strongly supported the prospect for Europe to boost its Social Economy sector anew, in order to help better face the Global Crisis : An original and topical issue widely discussed in Strasbourg during a 2 Day-long EU Conference which concluded Today (Friday) Afternoon with a "Declaration" for the Future  (See Infra).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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     - "I do Hope that the sector of Social Economy will Help the European Union to get out of the (Global) Crisis Earlier", experienced EU Commissioner for Markets, and long-time former Minister, Michel Barnier, energetically replied to from the outset to an "EuroFora"s Question.

    - "Already, it's the sector (of the Economy) which Resisted More than any other to the (Global) Crisis !",  Barnier observed, meanwhile.

    - "Now, considering what it represents also at a Humanitarian  level, and on that of Values, I decided to co-organize this (Collective) Event", he explained in conclusion of his reply to "EuroFora"s query.

    + Barnier also anounced his intention to seriously consider the possibility to "make this Rendez-Vous at a Regular pace" in the Future, as he said at the End of the EU Conference on Social Economy, largely applauded by the participants.

    Yesterday afternoon he had launched this original European 2 Days' Conference, (which included also Manifold parallel presentations of Real Projects in Social Economy by various active participants, founders of Social Enterprises, Co-op movements, Mutual Assistance Groupings, Associations, etc., f.ex. at a "World-Café" parallel series of sessions, etc), together with EU Commission's vice-President Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and SMEs, as well as EU Commissioner Laszlo Andor, in charge of Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.
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    + Barnier's European-wide optimism was strongly supported and practically incited to be further developed in real practice, inter alia also by the key French Minister for Social Economy and Consumption, Benoit Hamon, particularly in his Reply to an "EuroFora"s Question :

    Questioned by "EuroFora" about the existence of an Ambition to develop a European roadmap to Social Economy, the experienced Hamon, (familiar to Strasbourg as former MEP at EU Parliament), appeared careful but eager to move forward in this regard, Europe-wide :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            - "I believe very much in Social Economy. It's one of those areas where each EU Country has real advantages."

- "But, what is currently lacking is a Strong Ambition and Strategy in order to shape the Structure of such a (possible) Development", the key French Minister told us.

    =>  Thus,  "if EU Commission adopts an Agenda, in this regard, - something which seems to start with the (EU) Statute for the European Mutual Insurance Company - then, we shall have there something concerte and, in my view, Positive", he incited, in reply to "EuroFora".

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    - Naturally, "the Social Businessman is not there in order to serve as an alternative or Substitute to a(n eventual) Lack of Solidarity and of Social Policies", Hamon observed earlier at his Address to the EU Conference's Plenary, triggering a spontaneous agreement by most participants. Europe could support Social Enterprises which aim mainly at producing a Social Impact, to usefuly respond to real Needs of Solidarity, instead of searching just to make Profits, but, nevertheless, "the Market cannot assume the (Political) responsiblity for pure Solidarity", he warned.

    - However, "our Political Responsibility, Today in Europe is Threefold : EU provides for Democracy, for the Market and , but not yet for Solidarity, nor Social Security, etc. 

  - "But, if EU Commission's Initiative succeeds, given also the fact that it coincides with many other (National) Initiatves throughout Europe in Social Economy, (including, f.ex. France's decision to include many Social Economy Enterprises' projects amon the Recipients of State Aides for "Investments of the Future", a part of which he personaly reviewed in Strasbourg later Today), at the end of the process, it could ensure a collective capacity also for (efficient) Solidarity", Hamon  concluded, proposing instead, what he called "a Strategy of Co-Poduction", "without distribution of Profits", largely applauded by the participants.

    - The Global Crisis revealed also the Limits of that Model of Businesses which focused too much on Profits, to the detriment of Investments, provoking often their Decline, denounced later the French Minister, speakingto Journalists in Strasbourg, including "EuroFora", while, on the contrary, the Social Economy Enterprise mainly invests its income, becoming more resilient. SEEs can also be Competitive, and learn to live with their various incomes, as other Enterprises, but should only be Careful on 1 point, mainly on Salaries, where they'd better be exemplary, Hamon advised, (apparently warning both those who distribute too High Salaries, at least to some of their members, and those who, on the contrary, don't pay enough to their workers).

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    The "EU Agenda" or Timetable for Social Economy's desirable Development in the foreseable Future, that Hamon had invited the EU to adopt, in his Reply to "EuroFora"s Question, was almost Highlighted, later-on, during a High-Level Panel Discussion at the Conference's Plenary, by Italian Minister of Labour and Social Policies, Enrico Giovannini :

    - Minister Giovannini reminded, in substance, that Social Economy had already appeared in History very Early in Italy, so that the Country had "a long Experience" of such a reality, as well as almost all Europe, in general, at least compared to the rest of the World.

    => -  Next Year (2015), the Mid-Term Review of EU's 2020 Strategy could offer a 1st opportunity to really start using also the Social Economy's potential, he also observed, while stressing, in addition, the forthcoming Italian EU Council's rotating Chairmanship's intention, (right after Greece, which was also largely Present in this collective EU event : Comp. Infra), to boost further Social Enterprises' role in Europe.

    + That's practicaly what asks the 1st "Declaration of Strasbourg", adopted by this 2014 EU Conference's concluding Plenary session, which points, inter alia, also to Social Economy's "Values" as well as exceptional "Resilience" vis a vis the recent Global Crisis, since it is the only sector of EU Economies which "didn't crash" at all during all these years...

    - An experienced EU Commission's Officer, Apostolos Ioakimides from Greece, currently dealing with the promotion of Social, i.e. Non-Profit driven Enterprises, which work with an income in a sustainable way, (they can even be Humanitarian, on the only condition that they manage to have an Income whatever, be it f.ex. by Donations, as Foundations, etc), stressed that the main purpose was to see how we (EU) can forge Policies able to promote Social Enterprises, by giving them an even Playing Field, in order to create more Favorable Situations for them, convincing also National Authorities to recognize their Rights as Enterprises, while also taking into account their Particularities"  : 

-  In fact, already, "they are all over Europe", he told "EuroFora". "Not that much developed in my country : Greece, nor in Cyprus, (except perhaps from Associations/Foundations), while Italy has very strong Cooperatives, in France the sector of Associations and Cooperatives is strong enough, Germany has also many facilitating Banks for non-profit enterprises, but there is also a Strong Interest by Spain, while the UK has Historically "the Strongest Sector", being "Pioneers" in Social Economy, f.ex. the 1st Cooperatives were created in the UK, already since the Industrialisation, when they had started with Humanitarian organisations, and, little by little they developed also this kind of Social Enterprises in order to try to Help Poor Workers to control Prices and get Food at Lower Prices, etc.

    Today, however, the Social Economy enterprises can be present also at many other sectors of activity, often with "Innovative" projects, f.ex. such as those reviewed on the spot at another location in Strasbourg, later this Afternoon, by French Minister Hamon after an apparently rigorous selection according to their Quality, (comp. Supra), or even "InnovationAL" : a structure dedicated into helping in Europe Innovative Projects from ...Latin America, as a sympathetic and serious-looking Argentinian Young Lady told "EuroFora",

an Italy-based "World Forum" on Social Economy, reportedly active throughout all the Globe at various relevant International Events, in order to facilitate Contacts and interested Citizens' participation, certain German Enterprises working on Fresh Vegetables/Fruits with Migrants and other Poor Jobless People, or hiring Handicaped persons for Building restorations/Renovations etc. with the locacius Logo : "Our Capîtal is Humanity !",

without forgetting also the case of Greek Dr. John Nasioulas, a holder of a PhD. Thesis focused on Social Economy, and Director of Thessaloniki's "Social Economy Institute", as well as Expert regularly invited by EU Commission at its "GECES" Committee of Independent Expertise on this field, and often offering his services as Consultant to the Greek State or to various Local/Regional Authorities, etc., that "EuroFora" cought surprisingly speaking ... in Greek language with a .. Romanian young lady, Manager of other SE bodies, (at the same level as English !), reminding of Ancient Greece's "good old times" in that area hardly hit recently by the Crisis during the last 5 Years...