1. Euro-Mediterranean Network of Social Economy
An initiative of
the Social Economy enterprises
to develop the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
Euromed Summit
Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions
2016
Vravrona, Greece

2. Euro-Mediterranean Social Economy Network ESMED
Created in October 2000 in Madrid through the joint initiative of the main representative organisations of Social Economy in Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal. It is established as coordination platform to promote and empower Social Economy in the Mediterranean sphere.
The main representative organisations of Social Economy in Morocco and Tunisia joined in Continued dialogue and increasing links with other Social Economy institutions has led to working closely with other countries, especially with Algeria, Egypt and Turkey which are part of the ESMED Network.
The NETWORK’s institutional activity has consolidated over the years, as acknowledged by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), considering ESMED Network as one of the civil society networks in the Mediterranean with which to establish joint lines of work.  Ç
ESMED Network
is the voice of Mediterranean social economy

3. Social Economy figures in Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey

4. Euro-Mediterranean Network of Social Economy ESMED
Created in NOVEMBER 2000 in Madrid
Full Members
Confederación Empresarial Española de la Economía Social. CEPES (Spain), coordinator member of the Network’s activities
General Cooperative Union of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt)
Chambre Française de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire. ESS-FRANCE
Confederazione Cooperative Italiane. CONFCOOPERATIVE (Italy)
Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative e Mutue. LEGACOOP (Italy)
Union Nationale des Coopératives Agricoles Marocaines. UNCAM. (Morocco)
Office du Développement de la Coopération. ODCo. (Morocco)
Réseau Marocain de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire. REMESS (Morocco)
Federaçao Nacional das Cooperativas de Consumidores. FENACOOP (Portugal)
Cooperativa António Sérgio para a Economia Social CASES (Portugal)
Confederãçao Cooperativa Portuguesa. CONFECOOP (Portugal)
Union Nationale de Mutuelles UNAM (Tunisia)
Réseau des Associations de l’Économie Sociale RADES (Tunisia)
National Cooperative Union of Turkey. NCUT (Turkey)
Associate Members
Comité de Coordination de Mutuelles (CCM) (Algeria)
Association MedESS

5. SOCIAL ECONOMY ENTERPRISES AND ENTITIES
Principles and values
Social Economy enterprises and entities are present in all sectors and countries of the Union for the Mediterranean and are based on the following PRINCIPLES:
Primacy of persons and social objectives over capital
Voluntary and open membership
Democratic organisation
Bringing together the interests of members and users and the general interest
Defence and implementation of solidarity and responsibility principles
Autonomous management and independence from public authorities
Most surplus is directed towards achieving sustainable development objectives, services of interest to members and of general interest
COOPERATIVES, MUTUAL SOCIETIES, ASSOCIATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, SOCIAL ENTERPRISES and other institutions carrying out economic and business activities under these functioning principles are examples of THIS OTHER FORM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

6. THE ROLE PLAYED BY SOCIAL ECONOMY IN DEVELOPING THE MEDITERRANEAN
To promote job creation, a strong emphasis should be put on the demand side of the labour market, by harnessing the untapped job creation potential of the social economy through relevant legislation and incentives
Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labour
Union for the Mediterranean (Jordan, 27 September 2016)
EURO-MEDITERRANEAN SOCIAL ECONOMY contributes towards: CREATING and MAINTAINING EMPLOYMENT: the role it plays must be increased to create more jobs   FOSTERING THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SPIRIT through cooperatives and other forms of social economy

7. THE ROLE PLAYED BY SOCIAL ECONOMY IN DEVELOPING THE MEDITERRANEAN
PROVIDE BASIC SOCIAL SERVICES (for instance, access to health, education), encouraging self-organisation and the involvement of the persons addressed by these services. START ACTIVITIES THAT GENERATE INCOME AND FURTHER LOCAL DEVELOPMENT, preventing the abandonment of rural areas and contributing towards the development of regions and disadvantaged populations. 
PROMOTE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES THAT COMBINE PROFITABILITY, SOLIDARITY AND COMPETITIVENESS in all economic sectors (banking, insurance, food distribution, agriculture, health, services to business, housing, etc.)

8. Euro-Mediterranean Social Economy Network ESMED
GENERAL OBJETIVE
To ensure that socio-economic policies and development programs in the Euro-Mediterranean region take into account social economy
OBJECTIVES
- Serve as a coordination instrument between its member organisations to further increase visibility of Social Economy and their representative structures in the Mediterranean.
Encourage collaboration and cooperation between representative Social Economy organisations in the countries participating in the Union for the Mediterranean
Increase institutional awareness of Social Economy as an economic and social partner in the Euro-Mediterranean sphere.
Serve as instrument to encourage the starting up of projects aiming towards the promotion and development of Social Economy in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

9. MAIN ACTIVITIES of the ESMED NETWORK
Drafting more than 15 Euro-Mediterranean reports on Economic and Social Committees and Similar Institutions
Taking part in forums and events such as the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Committees and Similar Institutions
Conclusions EUROMED SUMMIT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCILS AND SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Nicosia (Cyprus) 2014:
“recognise the role that the social economy can play in fostering economic growth, eradicating poverty, building up sustainable local development, and improving labour market access and decent working conditions especially for women and young people, as well as for various categories of disadvantaged workers;
 encourage the participation of every country in regional social economy networks, such as ESMED, to share experiences, promote best practice and work across both sides of the Mediterranean;
Elaborating proposals for the development of social economy in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, sent to the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean

10. MAIN ACTIVITIES of the ESMED NETWORK
Preparing reports and publications
Social Economy in the Mediterranean 2011
The cooperative enterprises in the Mediterranean 2012

11. WORKING PROPOSALS of the ESMED NETWORK
To involve Social Economy in the initiatives and projects aimed at Mediterranean socio-economic development, especially those related to creating and maintaining employment as well as fostering entrepreneurial spirit, social cohesion and sustainable growth.
To generate political dialogue in order to foster and develop Social Economy in the Mediterranean through concerted action between the International Organisations and the ESMED Network.
To reinforce the organisations that represent Social Economy as a socio-economic agent in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership which provides a response to the major challenges of the Mediterranean.

12. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
1. To reinforce the management capacity of Social Economy enterprises and organisations.
Implementation of entrepreneur skills-education and training programmes.
Organise events or working sessions to present the programmes funded by the European Institutions to develop Social Economy.

13. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
2. Creation of Social Economy cooperation platforms from both sides of the Mediterranean.
Establish permanent channels of dialogue of the UfM & European Commission with the ESMED Network and its members, with the purpose of increasing the level of Social Economy involvement in the initiatives and programmes aimed at reinforcing the private sector in the Mediterranean.
Invite Social Economy to participate in the Euro-Mediterranean forums and spaces organised and promoted by the European Commission and UfM in which Mediterranean business and socio-economic development are addressed.

14. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
3. To increase Social Economy enterprises’ access to financial resources through the creation of a financial instrument.
The organising of events and seminars on the financial programmes and instruments to foster Social Economy, or those which might benefit these enterprises in Mediterranean countries.
The drafting of informative brochures aimed at SMEs, identifying existing funding programmes in the Euro-Mediterranean region for Social Economy enterprises, as is set out in the Euro-Mediterranean industrial cooperation programme.

15. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
4. To improve support and advisory services for Social Economy enterprises.
Support these services, reinforcing their human and technical resources, financing their structures through:
Training seminars on European and national programmes to foster entrepreneurship among young people and women in the social economy.
European programmes to encourage the creation of employment in the Mediterranean, especially among the youngest workers and women.
Training provided to business advisors from the European Commission “Europe Enterprise network” with the goal of providing assistance in the processes involved in creating Social Economy enterprises, and supporting their globalisation.

16. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
5. Promote cross-border financial and business cooperation between Social Economy enterprises from southern and northern Europe.
To support the organisatnion of business meetings between Social Economy entrepreneurs from the northern and southern Mediterranean and other enterprises from the countries in the region, with the goal of fostering entrepreneurial cooperation.
6. To build up a legal environment that provides security and transparency for Social Economy SMEs and micro-enterprises.
The holding of events or seminars in which to present the progress being made to encourage Social Economy and the existing Laws policies to develop it both in member States of the European Union and in associate Mediterranean countries.

17. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
7.To foster the contribution Social Economy makes to a more sustainable economic model, driving involvement in the generation of employment in sectors such as renewable energies (solar energy), or the application of new techniques in the agro-food sector.   
The launch of European programmes aimed at encouraging the participation of Social Economy in reaching the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION For further information ESMED Network Secretariat Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy (CEPES) Website: