News of the European Social Economy
SEN#55October 2026
Caring for the World: From Montreal to the Future of CIRIEC
Marc Picard, President of CIRIEC International and CIRIEC Canada, and Chief Executive Officer of Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins
"A few days after the 35th CIRIEC International Congress in Montreal, what I remember most are the people, the exchanges, and the remarkable diversity of knowledge and experiences shared. I was impressed by the diversity of those gathered: researchers, leaders of public enterprises and social economy organizations, financial sector executives, trade union representatives, and public policymakers. This plurality is one of CIRIEC’s greatest strengths. The chosen theme, “Caring for the World: The Essential Contribution of the Social Economy and Public Enterprises,” might have seemed utopian. In Montreal, it became very concrete: there is no doubt that we are already taking action".
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The 35th CIRIEC International Congress strengthens the role of the social economy and public enterprises in addressing global challenges
Organised by CIRIEC-Canada, the Congress provided an international forum for dialogue among researchers and practitioners, as well as for sharing experiences from Quebec and numerous other national contexts. The sessions examined the role of public enterprises and social economy organisations in building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable societies, against a concerning backdrop marked by geopolitical crises and ongoing wars, the erosion of democracies and political polarisation, growing inequalities, climate change and environmental impacts, as well as technological challenges, among other issues.
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Call for papers for the 11th Research Conference on Social Economy of CIRIEC International – Bogotá (Colombia), 30 June to 2 July 2027
CIRIEC International is already working on its next major academic event on the Social Economy. The 11th International Conference of Social Economy Researchers of CIRIEC International will take place from 30 June to 2 July 2027 in Bogotá, organised by the Colombian section of CIRIEC and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana under the theme ‘Social and Solidarity Economy in the face of global transformations and challenges for peace’. Abstracts must be submitted by November 30.
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CIRIEC International promotes an international network of young researchers in the Social Economy
CIRIEC invites young researchers in the social and cooperative economy, public economics and public services from around the world to join the network. It will offer opportunities to build collaborations, joint publications and projects, organise meetings and seminars, and share training, mobility and funding opportunities.
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A high-level dialogue in New York brings governments together to strengthen international cooperation on the Social and Solidarity Economy
Held on 26 September on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the meeting was organised by the Group of Friends of the Social and Solidarity Economy and the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE).
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ILO highlights the role of cooperatives in promoting social justice, decent work and peace
The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gilbert F. Houngbo, has highlighted the historic contribution of the cooperative movement to the promotion of social justice in a message addressed to the World Conference and Assembly of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), held in Panama last September.. Speaking to more than a thousand delegates from 80 countries, Houngbo stressed that the cooperative movement has been a longstanding partner of the ILO for more than a century.
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Call for Applications for the First International Social and Solidarity Economy Award
The award was initiated by Thierry Jeantet, a longstanding figure in the SSE in France and internationally, former president of ESS Forum International (Mont-Blanc Meetings), and currently honorary president of this organisation and a member of the GSEF Advisory Committee.
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Researcher Timothée Duverger calls for a new economic narrative to recognise the transformative potential of the Social and Solidarity Economy
Head of the TerrESS Chair at Sciences Po Bordeaux, researcher at the Émile-Durkheim Centre and contributor to Alternatives économiques, Duverger develops in this essay a reflection based on his own columns on the Social and Solidarity Economy.
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A coalition of 113 organisations calls for stronger social and territorial investment in the next European Multiannual Financial Framework
The EUFunds4Social coalition currently comprises 113 organisations, including 37 European networks and 76 national organisations from 22 countries, and continues to grow. Together, they have expressed their willingness to work with national governments, the Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament to secure a budget that meets the needs of citizens and territories. EUFunds4Social has made a document available to enable interested institutions to join the call.
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Copa and Cogeca call for a strong CAP and a sufficient EU budget to secure the future of the European agriculture
The document identifies agriculture, livestock farming and agricultural cooperatives as strategic assets, both for their contribution to supplying quality food at affordable prices and for their role in creating jobs and sustaining vibrant rural communities. It also highlights their contribution to security, strategic autonomy and Europe’s response to climate and geopolitical crises.
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Cooperatives Europe celebrates its 20th Anniversary, championing economic democracy as a driver of a more resilient Europe
The event was opened by Giuseppe Guerini, President of Cooperatives Europe, who described cooperatives as social and economic infrastructures and defended their role in strengthening democracy. He stated that people’s participation in economic decision-making is essential to also strengthening trust in political institutions.
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FEBEA celebrates its 25th anniversary in Venice, reaffirming the role of ethical finance in social development
The European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks (FEBEA) held its 25th Annual Conference in Venice, in partnership with Banca Etica, one of its longest-standing member organisations. Under the theme “Caring and preserving: ethical finance builds community”, the event brought together nearly 200 representatives of ethical financial institutions, European bodies and social economy organisations from 23 to 25 September to explore how to strengthen a financial system centred on people and the planet.
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Portugal dissolves CASES, a key and exemplary entity promoting the Social Economy
The decision falls within the framework of Council of Ministers Resolution No. 16/2026 of 3 February, which established the State’s withdrawal from CASES, and Decree-Law No. 150/2026 of 28 July, which provided for the transfer to the public administration of the powers previously exercised by the cooperative. The final dissolution was approved at a general assembly held on 18 September.
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Saudi Arabia adopts a new Cooperative Law to strengthen its contribution to national economic development and diversification
The new law represents a qualitative shift towards a more flexible legislative framework focused on growth, empowerment and sustainability, and that it strengthens the independence of cooperatives and the principles of governance, transparency, accountability and member participation.
Read moreSocial Economy Schedule
Over 200 paper proposals have been received for the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) European Research Conference, organised by CEGEA in Valencia
The ‘ICA CCR Europe Research Conference 2026’, or European Congress of Researchers of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), organised by the Centre for Business Research (CEGEA) at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), has received over 200 proposals for papers and panel sessions, following the closure on 10 April the final deadline for the submission of abstracts. The number of proposals received suggests the conference will be a great success in terms of participation.
Considered the most important annual academic event in Europe dedicated to research on cooperatives, it will take place from 3 to 6 November 2026 in Valencia under the theme ‘Cooperative enterprises for shared progress: facing global challenges together’.
+info14th Meeting of Latin American Researchers in Cooperativism (EILAC), Santiago, Chile, 3–4 November
The 14th EILAC Meeting will take place on 3 and 4 November 2026 in Santiago, Chile, at the Central University of Chile, under the theme ‘Cooperatives in times of multiple crises: laboratories of hope and democracy for human development’.
+infoNational Launch of Social and Solidarity Economy Month 2026: 19th Edition, on 4 November
ESS France will celebrate the launch of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Month 2026 on 4 November, under the theme “A Better Economy”, at its new headquarters in Wikivillage, a hub for SSE initiatives and networks. The event will offer an opportunity to discover innovative organisations, take part in short workshops exploring how the SSE contributes to social cohesion and collective well-being, and attend the presentation of the 2026 National SSE Award. The event will conclude with remarks by Benoît Hamon, President of ESS France, followed by a networking reception. Registration is now open.
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