By: C. R.
The Social Economy Council met in Ljubljana for the first time in the morning. The Council is chaired by Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who is responsible for economic development and technology, and at today’s meeting the members appointed Petra Peternel, President of the Association of the Centre for Alternative and Autonomous Production, a social enterprise, as Deputy President.
Peternel emphasised that the preparation of the Strategy for the Development of the Social Economy was a key task of the Council, adding that the Council was an excellent platform for formulating coordinated policies and measures for the development of the social economy.
Social enterprises in the EU represent 10% of all registered enterprises and employ 13.6 million people in employment, contributing around 8% of gross domestic product in the EU. At the end of last year, 267 social enterprises of various legal and organisational forms were registered in Slovenia. The social economy in Slovenia contributes only 0.2% to gross domestic product and employs the same number of working people, while the share of the contribution of social enterprises is even lower. That is why the Council’s long-term goal will be to catch up with Slovenia’s development lag in this area compared to the EU average, as the social economy provides many opportunities for local community development, long-term care, self-sufficiency, green tourism, circular economy, and the like.
At today’s meeting, the Council’s Rules of Procedure and Work Programme for the current year were adopted, confirming that the Council will participate in preparing and coordinating the Social Economy Development Strategy for the next ten years and coordinating the Regulation on Measuring Social Impacts. The main purpose of this strategy will be to increase the number of employees in the sector and increase the added value of the sector and the development of social innovation. The Decree on the Measurement of Social Impacts will, as an executive act, set standards, criteria, and indicators for monitoring the social effects created by social enterprises. This will make it easier for these companies to reach out to investors, formulate their own development strategy and directly present to consumers the positive impact of their business on society.
The Social Economy Council will also consider the Social Economy Action Plan published by the European Commission on December 9th, 2021. The Action Plan focuses on the activities of the EU and Member States in developing a single definition of the social economy at EU level, establishing institutional support for the social economy, ecosystem development and ensuring the visibility of the social economy. In addition to the above, the Council will prepare and discuss other initiatives and proposals in the field of establishing a systemic and legal framework for the functioning and development of the social economy and strengthening its ecosystem, which will be received through stakeholder initiatives.
Source: Gov.si