• In a meeting between Ignacio Aguado and members of his team, with the president and vice-presidents of CEPES.
• CEPES and Ciudadanos agreed on the need to strengthen in post-covid policies the transversal role of the Social Economy in reindustrialization, digitization, education, sustainability, the transition to green and economic energy; and the importance of Social Economy companies in the so-called "care economy".
• This meeting is part of the round of contacts that CEPES is developing with the Government of Spain, public administrations, political formations and with the other agents to transfer the proposals of the Social Economy and find ways of consensus towards a "Pact for the future of Spain ”that allows cementing a sustainable and well-being future.
Madrid, June 22, 2020.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) and senior representatives of the Citizens Directorate held a meeting in which they agreed on the need for the Social Economy to play a priority role in the policies to get out of the crisis caused by Covid-19, and play a level of dialogue commensurate with its macroeconomic importance (10% of GDP and 12.5% of employment).
This meeting joins those recently held by the employers of the Social Economy with representatives of the Government, Political Parties and other European and regional Administrations, to present the socio-economic proposals of the Confederation for the reactivation of the Economy, as well as to work for a " Pact for the future of Spain ", announced by the President of CEPES, Juan Antonio Pedreño .
On behalf of Citizens, the meeting was attended by the vice-president and spokesperson for the Community of Madrid, and a member of the formation's Executive Committee, Ignacio Aguado ; the Minister of Economy of the Community of Madrid, Manuel Giménez ; and the deputy in the Madrid Assembly, Enrique Martínez . With them were the president and the four vice - presidents of CEPES, José Severino Montes Pérez (representing Agro-Food Cooperatives), Rafael de Lorenzo García (ONCE), Enrique Sanz Fernández-Lomana (Spanish Confederation of Mutualities) and Javier Goienetxea Urkaregi (Corporación Mondragón ).
The representatives of Ciudadanos needed their support to adapt the regulations to the current scenario, so that all economic sectors are present in reconstruction policies, as well as the Social Economy obtaining a significant level of dialogue in them.
"The meeting between CEPES and Ciudadanos has been very positive, since it allows us to start a joint work agenda, with which we hope to advance in the socioeconomic recovery as soon as possible and promote an economy with values, such as that represented by the Social Economy", Juan Antonio Pedreño indicated .
Aguado showed his affinity with this business model and announced the legislative measures that his training promotes in the Community of Madrid to make the Social Economy visible, adapting it to the new socioeconomic reality that marks the reconstruction.
Pedreño detailed during the meeting some of the more than one hundred proposals transferred by CEPES to the Government of Spain, during the difnte meetings held by CEPES with the vice-presidents Calviño and Ribera , as well as the ministers Díaz and Maroto . Many of them have already been approved by the Executive and entered into force.
The meeting also highlighted the boost to the Social Economy being carried out by the European Commission and the Eurochamber, as well as the important work of the Intergroup on Social Economy of the European Parliament, co-chaired by the MEP for Citizens Jordi Cañas , who is working in the elaboration of a European Action Plan for the Social Economy commissioned by the President of the Commission , Ursula Von der Leyen .
The representatives of CEPES and Ciudadanos agreed on the need to strengthen in post-covid policies the transversal role of the Social Economy in reindustrialization, digitization, education, sustainability, the transition to green and economic energy; and the importance of Social Economy companies in the so-called "care economy", where it represents 60% of the market.
The Minister of Economy of the Community of Madrid showed the need for all regulatory texts to reflect the Social Economy, not only because of the quantitative importance of this model in Spain, but because of its importance in the resilience that Economy companies always demonstrate Social before employment. For this reason, Giménez affirmed that it is unquestionable to work on the promotion and visibility of this business model.
In addition, the director announced that it is important to work, as CEPES requests, in the correct regulation of cyber cooperatives, cyber-digital cooperatives and cooperatives in the cultural sector.
During the meeting, the importance of business transformations from mercantile companies to social economy companies was also highlighted , as it was a successful instrument for maintaining companies and jobs. The representatives of Ciudadanos showed their support to work on the legislative modifications that are necessary to facilitate these business processes.
CEPES will develop lines of collaboration with the Government of Spain, public administrations, political formations and with the rest of social and economic agents to transfer the proposals of the Social Economy and find ways of consensus towards a "Pact for the future of Spain" that allows cement a sustainable and well-being future.
