News of the European Social Economy
SEN#52June 2026
Mediterranean, a place for the Social Economy
Susanna Coppolecchia, Independent Researcher in Educational Sciences. PhD from the University of Bologna. Specialist in transformative education, social innovation, democratic participation, and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.
While the Mediterranean continues to occupy international headlines as a stage for conflicts, migratory tensions, and geopolitical disputes, there is another Mediterranean that rarely makes the news: that of communities that cooperate, organizations that build connections, and people who transform differences into opportunities for shared development. This was the perspective that emerged during the International Congress “Mediterranean: A Space for the Social Economy,” held on May 23, 2026, in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily.
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Government representatives from 30 countries establish at United Nations the Group of Friends of the Social and Solidarity Economy
Representatives from approximately 30 governments across all United Nations regional groups attended the launch meeting of the Group of Friends of the Social and Solidarity Economy on June 11 at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Driven by the Governments of Spain, Brazil and Colombia, the initiative establishes a new intergovernmental cooperation platform to promote the social and solidarity economy at the international level, within the framework of the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice.
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The social economy urges EU institutions to strengthen social investment in the next EU budget
The EUFunds4Social Coalition, which brings together 250 social economy organisations, including Social Economy Europe and Social Platform, has once again called in a letter for stronger social investment in the next European Union budget. The coalition argues that these organisations and their thousands of partners ensure that EU funding reaches citizens through employment, education and training, social inclusion, health, care, and social services programmes. The letter was addressed to António Costa, President of the European Council; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and EU Heads of State and Government.
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ICA General Assembly 2026 elects new Representatives and encourages participation in the Global Cooperative Conference in september in Panama
Accounts for the financial year ending 31 December 2025 showed total income of 5.4 million euros, including 2.9 million euros in membership fees from 319 members, and a net surplus for the year of 370,000 euros.
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United Nations Headquarters in New York Hosts the International Symposium of the International Cooperative Banking Association (ICBA)
The United Nations Headquarters in New York hosted the International Symposium of the International Cooperative Banking Association (ICBA). This two-day event brought together Ariel Guarco, President of the ICA; José Alves de Souza Neto, President of Cooperatives of the Americas; and Jeroen Douglas, ICA Director General; as well as national representatives to the United Nations and high-level delegates from around the world.
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Montreal to host the 35th CIRIEC International Congress from 5 to 8 October
More than 500 researchers, public officials, managers of public enterprises, cooperatives, and social economy organizations from around thirty countries will gather in Montreal from 5 to 8 October for the 35th CIRIEC International Congress, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to the public, social, and cooperative economy. The event will be held at the Mont-Royal Centre under the theme “Caring for the World: The Essential Contribution of the Social Economy and Public Enterprises.”
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Lisbon and Caldas da Rainha Hosted the 11th Iberian Colloquium on Social Economy, organised by the Portuguese and Spanish Sections of CIRIEC
The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and the town of Caldas da Rainha hosted the 11th Iberian Colloquium on Social Economy from 27 to 29 May. The event was organised by the Portuguese and Spanish sections of CIRIEC under the theme “Social Economy and Territorial Cohesion: The Role of Regional and Local Authorities.” The 11th Iberian Colloquium became a forum for reflection on how public policies, the social economy, and local and regional networks can contribute to retaining population, creating employment, and combating territorial inequalities, among many other benefits for society.
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CIRIEC-Spain celebrates Its 40th anniversary with a major event in Valencia on June 25
The scientific association CIRIEC-Spain, headquartered at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Valencia (UV), celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, it is organizing a major event, scheduled for June 25 at the University's Paraninfo Hall, where the most significant milestones of its successful trajectory will be recalled, the result of intense collaboration between academia, business, and public administrations.
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‘ESS France’ adopts two resolutions, against “national preference” and gender-based and sexual violence
ESS France adopted two important resolutions on 26 May during its latest General Assembly, as part of its public positioning strategy on key social and democratic issues for the social and solidarity economy sector in France. The two positions address, on the one hand, opposition to the concept of “national preference” in French political debate, and on the other hand, the strengthened commitment of the SSE to combating gender-based and sexual violence.
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REVES Network Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary and the REVES Days 2026 in Sweden
The REVES Days 2026 were held under the slogan “Social Economy – an indispensable partner for strategic public policies fostering resilience across Europe.” The various presentations highlighted the need for appropriate policy frameworks at local, national, and European levels to preserve and further develop the potential of social economy initiatives, to transform community initiatives serving the general interest into public policies, and to strengthen collaborative territorial systems.
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900 people take part in the Philea Forum 2026 in Copenhagen, dedicated to “Philanthropy for People and Planet”
Copenhagen hosted the Philea Forum 2026 from 18 to 21 May, the leading European gathering of the philanthropic sector, bringing together nearly 900 professionals and foundation representatives from across Europe and other continents under the theme “Philanthropy for People and Planet”. Organised by the European network Philea with the support of a group of Danish foundations, the event became a space for reflection and debate on the role of philanthropy in addressing some of today’s major challenges, including climate change, rising inequalities and the erosion of social cohesion.
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Dakar to Host the Second African Forum for the Social and Solidarity Economy (FORA'ESS)
The Second African Forum for the Social and Solidarity Economy (FORA'ESS Dakar 2026) will take place from 7 to 9 July 2026 in Dakar, Senegal, with an expected participation of around 2,500 stakeholders representing approximately 30 countries from Africa and other regions of the world.
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