The António Sérgio Cooperative for the Social Economy (CASES) ceased its activities on 30 September, following a dissolution process initiated by the Portuguese government. The process culminated in the closure of the entity and the redistribution of its powers and activities among different public administration bodies.
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.
Redistribution of Public Powers
Following the dissolution of CASES, its functions have been distributed among different public bodies. The State Legal Centre will be responsible for regulating and supervising the cooperative sector; the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), for supporting social entrepreneurship and developing the social economy; and the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT), for coordinating volunteering.
The Directorate-General for Economic Affairs will take charge of the database and the Satellite Account of the Social Economy, while the National Institute of Statistics (INE) will be responsible for conducting studies on the sector.
A Loss for the Portuguese and European Social Economy
The closure of CASES has raised concerns about its consequences for the social economy ecosystem, both in Portugal and across Europe. The cooperative was established as a partnership between the State and representative organisations of the sector, with the aim of strengthening the social economy and deepening cooperation between the public administration and the entities that make it up.
For more than 15 years, CASES played an important role in supporting the development and recognition of the social economy in Portugal. It was also an active member of Social Economy Europe (SEE), contributing its experience, knowledge and vision to European discussions on the sector.
SEE considers the dissolution of the cooperative to represent the loss of an experienced partner committed to the social economy.
