Social Europe: where are we?

Last week we participated to the panel “Scenarios of a social Europe”, at the Congress of UNIOPSS in Lille, the French platform of associations active in the health and social sector (national member of our member CEDAG).

Michel Mercadié, member of Social Platform’s Management Committee, was asked to contribute to three topics.

1. Social Europe and the current economic crisis:

Even if there is a social dimension in the treaties, social Europe is still far away. The EU has shared competences with member states in social policies, and the treaty does not allow harmonisation of rules in this field. The word “social” refers to two dimensions: trade unions are part of social dialogue, they are considered social partners; what is linked with social and health services is part of a structured civil dialogue between the institutions and NGOs. The latter is more recent but it has recently been enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty. The current crisis makes it necessary to reinforce the social dimension of the EU; Social Platform is developing a proposal for a social pact.

2. The evolution of social services:

There has been some progress in recent laws (services directive, Almunia package, the ongoing directive on public procurement) concerning the recognition of the specific characteristics of social services. There is a clear clash between the logic of markets and the one of solidarity: to give some examples, purchase and consumers against partnership and users; search of profit making against pursuit of the general interest in a non-profit logic; segmentation of beneficiaries against universal access.

3. Social economy: what has changed in the approach?

Social Platform welcomes the Commission’s initiative on social entrepreneurship. We agree that social enterprises can comprehend legal forms different from the traditional social economy actors (associations, foundations, cooperatives, mutual societies) but there must be a clear agreement on the principles and criteria. He suggests the following:

  • Absence of distribution of profits
  • The social mission of the enterprise has to be explicitly mentioned in the statutes
  • No obligation of proving an innovative character
  • Democratic and participative governance
  • Hybrid capitals, meaning the possibility to include public financing.