Luxembourg declaration - A roadmap towards a more comprehensive ecosystem for social economy enterprises

In the continuity of previous Presidencies and in the framework of the Presidency Conference "Boosting Social Enterprises in Europe", held in Luxembourg on 3^rd and 4^th December 2015, the representatives of the Governments of France, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Spain adopt the present declaration:

WE acknowledge that the European Union is slowly emerging from a major economic and financial crisis and that our confidence in economic and financial institutions was badly shaken in the past years.

WE believe that social economy has a powerful leverage for job creation and for social innovation. The various projects and initiatives presented during the Luxembourg Presidency conference confirm that there can be economically viable projects based on strong social values as citizen empowerment.

WE admit that the social economy is gaining increasing recognition at European and international level. But we also strongly believe that the European Union shall commit itself to strongly support the social economy. Moreover, the social economy is a model, which has weathered the economic crisis better than many others.

Meeting in Luxembourg on 3^rd and 4^th of December 2015, we decide to adopt the following declaration:

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  The European Union shall acknowledge a common understanding of the scope of the social economy and remain respectful of its huge diversity and historical background across all the Member States. This common understanding requires a strong support for replicating elsewhere what works in individual jurisdictions;
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  The social economy should benefit more from the size of the European market. For most social economy enterprises, the internal market remains far from being a tangible reality. Therefore, the social economy shall be included in the modernisation of the Single Market Strategy;
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  The European support for social economy enterprises must be strengthened, and it shall be included in programs, projects, funds and other financial support instruments to be adopted;
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  A particular importance must be given to the development of an adequate financial ecosystem capable of providing effective support for social economy and social innovation;
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  Regular high-level meetings of high political representatives in charge of social economy in all European Union Member States must be promoted in order to lay the foundations of enhanced cooperation. Initiatives like the Murcia Declaration, adopted during the Spain-Portugal Meeting entitled “Social Economy as Vehicle for Employment Creation” on 20^th July 2015 must be encouraged.

Signed in Luxembourg on 4th December 2015

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  Martine PINVILLE, Secrétaire d’Etat chargée du commerce, de l’artisanat et de l’économie sociale et solidaire (France)
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  Luigi BOBBA, Sottosegretario di Stato al Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali (Italy)
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  Nicolas SCHMIT, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social and solidarity economy (Luxembourg)
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  Branislav ONDRUS, State Secretary (Deputy Minister) of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Slovak Republic)
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  Tadej SLAPNIK, State Secretary responsible for establishing dialogue with the civil society, coordinating civil initiatives and social entrepreneurship (Republic of Slovenia)
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  Carmen CASERO GONZALEZ, Directora General del Trabajo Autónomo, de la Economía Social y de la Responsabilidad Social de las Empresas (Spain)

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