News of the European Social Economy
SEN#48February 2026
Re-thinking Europe’s Budget: A Social Economy Perspective on the Next Multiannual Financial Framework
By Luca Jahier, EESC Rapporteur of next 2028-2034 MFF and Past EESC president, 2018-2020
The debate on the EU next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028-2034 has begun at a decisive moment for Europe. Faced with geopolitical instability, ecological transition, social fragmentation and widening territorial disparities, the Union must equip itself with a budget capable not only of responding to crises but of shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. The recent opinion adopted on last January 22 by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on the next MFF represents a significant contribution to this debate and the first official position on all EU Institutions, calling for greater ambition, structural reform and also a stronger recognition of the social economy as a key actor in Europe’s development.
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Social Economy Europe calls for a strong next Multiannual Financial Framework, recognising the Social Economy as a key driver of competitiveness, autonomy and defence of the EU
The negotiations on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will be decisive in determining whether the EU’s next long-term budget can effectively address the challenges facing the European Union. In this context, and drawing on its recent policy contributions and its participation in the Time for Ambition coalition, Social Economy Europe (SEE) calls for an MFF that strengthens social investment, safeguards cohesion policy and recognises the social economy as a key driver of competitiveness, economic autonomy and defence of the EU values enshrined in Article 2 of the EU Founding Treaty.
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The Luxembourg Committee for Social Economy sends a letter to the European institutions also calling for better funding for the SSE sector
The co-presidents of the Luxembourg Committee, made up of EU governments committed to the Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Spain, and Serge Papin, French minister, have addressed a letter to the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Minzatu — with copies to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola; and the Commissioner for Budget, Piotr Serafin — to convey a shared concern: that the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, currently under negotiation, should maintain and strengthen ambitious investment in people, cohesion and territorial development, with particular attention to the Social Economy, in a context of transformation and reordering of priorities at global level.
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A new UN ‘policy brief’ highlights the Social and Solidarity Economy as key to tackling poverty and inequality beyond economic growth
On the occasion of the World Day of Social Justice, last 20 February, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE), and the Global Coalition for Social Justice officially launched a joint ‘policy brief’ on the need to advance a human rights economy as a global strategy to eradicate poverty in a fair and sustainable manner through the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The text warns that strategies focused solely on economic growth are no longer sufficient to achieve inclusive and equitable development. The document examines how SSE can serve as an implementation mechanism to advance the human rights economy, and identifies public policy levers and actions that can strengthen the enabling environment for the SSE.
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The “Mont-Blanc Meetings” bring together international experts in Geneva to promote the social and solidarity economy
The 12th Mont-Blanc Meetings took place on 29 and 30 January 2026 at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. The event brought together representatives of cooperatives and SSE entities, international institutions and experts from different countries, with the aim of exchanging experiences and proposals under the theme “Building a sustainable and sovereign future with the social and solidarity economy.”
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The UN Multistakeholder Forum on Social Development underscores the role of cooperatives as catalysts for development
The 64th session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64), held last 9 February at the UN headquarters in New York, highlighted the urgency of adopting an approach involving the whole of government and the whole of society to eradicate poverty, promote decent work for all and foster social inclusion, as reaffirmed by the Doha Political Declaration, published in November during the second World Summit for Social Development, which places cooperatives at the centre as one of the models capable of driving change.
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Call for papers for the 35th CIRIEC International Congress – Montreal, 5 to 8 October 2026
CIRIEC-Canada and CIRIEC International announce a call for papers for the 35th CIRIEC International Congress on Public, Social and Cooperative Economy, which will take place in Montreal from 5 to 8 October 2026. The call, now open, is addressed to the academic community in order to promote exchanges with practitioners. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is next 29 March.
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Spain: 150 activities across 41 universities make up the 7th University Week of the Social Economy
The 7th #SemanaUniversitariaES is being held this year from 23 February to 4 March with more than 150 activities across a total of 41 university institutions in Spain, Portugal and Latin America — a true collective event for knowledge and the dissemination of the Social Economy within the university.
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Last opportunity to participate in the 11th Iberian Colloquium on Social Economy – 27 to 29 May in Lisbon and Caldas da Rainha (Portugal)
The Portuguese and Spanish sections of CIRIEC are jointly organising the 11th Iberian Colloquium on Social Economy, which will take place from 27 to 29 May 2026 in Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) under the theme ‘Social Economy and Territorial Cohesion – The role of regional and local authorities’. CIRIEC encourages participation in the colloquium through the submission of papers, with the deadline for abstracts set for 4 March. Proposals may be submitted via the following platform. To date, nearly one hundred paper proposals have already been received, demonstrating the interest generated by the call.
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A new OIBESCOOP project shows how women lead and transform society through the Social and Solidarity Economy
The work, directed by Inmaculada Carrasco Monteagudo, President of OIBESCOOP and Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, and Cristina Girardo, Professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, documents the trajectories of women from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador, as examples of extraordinary women who have succeeded in building alternatives and transforming territories through the social economy.
Read moreSocial Economy Schedule
Launch of 'A modern guide to the social and solidarity economy' - 3 March [EN] 11 March [FR]
CIRIEC international is pleased to invite you to the launching of a new book A Modern Guide to the Social and Solidarity Economy, published by Edward Elgar and co-edited by Marie J. Bouchard and Damien Rousselière. This volume presents a synthesis of contemporary knowledge on the social and solidarity economy (SSE). It offers an overview of conceptual, historical, organizational and developmental dimensions of the SSE, exploring current issues through the lenses of public policy, governance, finance and legislation. In the presence of the co-editors and authors of the book, researchers will give a critical review and put into perspective the chapters of the book.
+infoDemocracy Network – Fight or Flight? Philanthropy’s Response to Rising Right-wing Extremism - online on 4 March
Democracy Network, the community of European foundations working in the field of democracy, will hold an online debate on 4 March entitled ‘Fight or flight? Philanthropy's response to the rise of the far right’. The debate will raise questions such as: Is philanthropy shifting from progressing democracy to merely holding the line? Are we doing enough to organise ourselves against adversity? The meeting will present the results of a survey that seeks to understand how the rise of far-right populism and authoritarian tendencies are reshaping the global philanthropic landscape.
+info10th EMES International Training School. Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) June 29 — July 02
The 10th EMES International Training School aims to provide a space for collective exploration and critical debate on what it means to be ‘committed’ as a researcher in the field of Social Economy. By bringing together doctoral students and early-career researchers from different disciplines and geographical contexts, the EMES School seeks to foster dialogue on methodological innovation, ethical reflection, and the multiple ways in which research can contribute, directly or indirectly, to social transformation.
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