WORKSHOP 2:
SOCIAL ECONOMY
Today’s Workshop
•
Introducing Bologna
Nicoletta Ratini, Project Officer
•
Local story: Piazza Grande- A social enterprise working with homeless people
Paolo Klun, President of the Municipality Forum Against Social Exclusion
•
Responses:
LAO Stockholm
Maria Andersson
European Network of Cities & Regions for the Social Economy (REVES),
Erdmuthe Klaer
European Parliament Social Economy Intergroup
Karine Pflüger
An introduction: The social economy in
Europe/1
 The social economy enterprises are mostly small and medium
enterprises (SMEs). They contribute to a sustainable economic
model where the individual is more important than capital and
where the social economy has evolved through peculiar
entrepreneurial or legal activities such as cooperatives,
mutual societies, associations, enterprises and social
organizations or foundations.
 It was in the 1840’s that, in various European countries (the UK,
France, Germany, Denmark) cooperatives began to emerge,
rapidly sketching four different organizational models: consumer
cooperatives, production and work cooperatives, farming
cooperatives and cooperative banks (or credit unions).
 The social economy represents 10% of European companies, that
is 2 million companies, or 6% of jobs in total .
The Social economy in Italy
 220.000 among associations, foundations, social
cooperatives,
religious organizations employing more than 500.000 dependents
and 3.000.000 volunteers.
 Traditionally, the birth of the Italian cooperative movement is
located in 1854 when, in Torino, the association of the city’s
workers opened the first consumer cooperative shop.
 In Emilia Romagna 8.5% of total turnover comes from the 5195
cooperatives.
 The social cooperatives are 672 in Emilia Romagna with 80,864
members and 43,518 employees including 3,000 disadvantaged with
a turnover of Euro 1,435,389,499. (Data Legacoop, and Confcoop
Agci year 2008).
The social cooperatives in Italy
Born in the late 70s the social cooperatives developed spontaneously
until 1991, when the law 381/1991 recognizing its identity and
importance, enables significant progress.
 The social cooperatives are divided into two groups, cooperatives
of type A and of type B.
 The A type delivers social, health and education services that have
been commissioned by the public authorities through approval,
agreement or tender.
 The B type are aimed at work integration.They offer real
possibilities to meet the needs of disabled or disadvantages people
(drug addicts, alcoholics, prisoners, minors with social, health or
mental problems).
The social cooperatives of type B/1
 They work in different fields such as agriculture, services
(cleaning), maintenance of the environment, waste recycling and
other environmental services, crafts, food, etc..
 The main characteristic is to be a real place of production (not a
workshop OT) where the salary of an employee shareholder is
calculated on the marketing of goods or services produced.
 They may be a transition to other productive contexts or a stable
place that ensures the continuity of employment and a job in which
particular attention to production time and the relationship
between colleagues is payed.
 They are constantly in contact with the public health services who
are in charge of the disabled employed people.
The social cooperatives of type B/2
 %30 of workers / employees must necessarily
belong to the
category of disadvantaged people (disabled, people with mental
health problems, prisoners, adults with social problems, alcohol
and drugs addicted people).
 They take in charge people from the end of the secondary
education, proposing a range of offers such as training (bot
theorical and practical), internal or external work grants, a
temporary or permanent job.
 They are true cooperatives.The fact of being associated is often a
source of empowerment providing the disadvantaged person (in
relation to his own abilities) the possibility to influence the choices
and the decisions of the cooperative.
 They benefit of fiscal support for disadvantaged people and the
possibility of direct relationship between the public administrations
and cooperative.
Conclusion
 The economic crisis affecting millions of workers in Europe (and
especially the weakest and the disabled) has proven that the
development model has failed
 This development model has evolved while creating social injustice,
precarious jobs, lack of interest in the environment and cuts in
social services, health and education.
 Today more than ever, the social economy can play a key role in the
European economy, combining profitability and solidarity while
creating quality jobs.
 The local practice we are going to present is a very good example
of it.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
General information and data were provided by Legacoop that we
thank for cooperation