The European Commission (DG Communication) organises ‘structured dialogue’ meetings which allow an exchange to take place with civil society organisations on major EU policies and directions. On December 8th, the latest meeting was held from 9.30 - 18h with a full agenda ranging from presentation on the “state of the Union” from the deputy secretary general of the commission, and a discussion on the multi-annual financial framework, to issues such as the outcome of the year of volunteering and the progress so far for a year of citizens (2013).

Deputy Secretary General Christian Danielsson, painted a fairly bleak picture of the current state of the Union, the most positive message was that it it is not only Europe where times are hard because US is in bad way too. He did not go on to draw the link that many commentators have, between the EU and USA’s championing of the neoliberal capitalist model, and the deep recessions which are affecting millions upon millions of citizens today.

 A public hearing on the theme of social economy as a response to the eco-socio-economic crisis in Europe was held in the European Parliament on Thursday the 20th of October 2011, organised by the Greens.

The aim was to show how the development of the social-economy sector in countries of the European South, facing the direct consequences of the debt Euro crisis (i.e. Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy), could contribute to a sustainable strategy to exit the crisis and meet Europe 2020 targets.

MEP Michael Tremopoulos (Greens) opened the meeting by calling attention to the fact that especially in current circumstances, with an economic crisis taking a heavy toll on people’s life, the social economy can provide the necessary responses in the form of services, solidarity, participation and sustainable development. For this reason, the Green group in the European Parliament has been working on two specific initiatives with the purpose to promote a better recognition of the sector:

(photo:graur codrin)