Social Economy Europe

Social Economy Europe (SEE) is the voice of 4.3 million social economy enterprises and organizations in the European Union. Created in November 2000 under the name CEP-CMAF (European Standing Conference of Cooperatives, Mutuals, Associations and Foundations), it officially became Social Economy Europe in 2008. SEE represents a growing network of 28 EU members from the European Social Economy Community. Its primary purpose is to establish a permanent dialogue between the social economy and European Institutions. The organization advocates for the diverse entities that make up the social economy, including cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations, and social enterprises. These social economy actors share common values: they prioritize people over profits, operate with democratic governance, and reinvest most of their profits. The social economy is a significant socio-economic force in Europe, accounting for 8% of the EU's GDP, employing 13.6 million people, and mobilizing over 55 million volunteers. Social Economy Europe actively targets several key EU files, including the European Social Economy Action Plan, European Pillar of Social Rights, Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions, and various EU strategies related to industry, SMEs, the Single Market, and the Green Deal. Through these efforts, SEE works to enhance social investment and create the right framework conditions for the social economy to thrive across Europe.