European Elections 2024: Campaigns and manifestos for social economy movements

Article by Ripess Europe

Ripess Europe has collected policy Manifestos from several networks towards EU elections. Recognition and policy making is one of the main priorities of the Network since policies enacted by EU institutions, governments and other governing bodies can have significant impacts on the functioning and growth of the social economy and related concepts in several ways:

1. Social Economy, a driver of economic and social progress in Europe: Social Economy Europe Memorandum for the European elections 2024

Main points:
The European Parliament elections of 2024 constitute an opportunity for citizens to outline the future of the European Union. In this context, the social economy is determined to contribute to shaping a future based on sustainable development and economic and social progress, through a European Union based on cooperation, democracy, solidarity, respect for its diversity, innovation and active citizenship.

Social economy is a unique opportunity for the EU to reach out to its citizens, detect their real needs and make them actors of the solutions to several challenges, such as unemployment or precarious work, discrimination, inclusion of people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups into society and the labour market, climate change, energy crisis, access to health and healthy food, affordable housing, or the lack of social and territorial cohesion.
The European Elections of 2024 are the perfect opportunity to boost these political objectives and build upon the milestones and goals achieved in the recent years. In this regard, Social Economy Europe is committed to

supporting the flourishing of social economy all over Europe, and encourages the EU institutions to continue their efforts by taking onboard three main proposals in the frame of the European elections 2024:
I. Renewal of the European Parliament´s Social Economy Intergroup
II. Appointment of a European Commissioner responsible for Social Economy
III. Continue and further develop the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan

Please read the full manifesto
EN https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/EN-SEE-memorandum-EU-elections-2024.Final-version-1.pdf
FR https://www.socialeconomy.eu.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FR-SEE-memorandum-EU-elections-2024rev.pdf

2. Cooperatives Europe: European Cooperative Manifesto

A cooperative vision for Europe

The power of cooperation
Cooperatives are people-centered businesses that put the power back into the hands of the citizens. They are collectively owned and democratically governed by their members (consumers, producers, employees, or local communities) who have an equal say in business management and the way the profits are shared.

Cooperatives at the heart of inclusive innovation
With citizens’ ownership and empowerment at the core of their DNA, cooperatives are championing inclusiveness and social cohesion in their communities.

A vehicle for sustainable development and prosperity
Cooperatives play an active role in reinforcing the social and economic fabric of Europe and its immediate neighbours like Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova. In times of crisis, they prove to be particularly resilient and helpful in rebuilding local areas through cooperation, solidarity, and good governance.

Our priorities
1. Decent Work and Citizen’s Empowerment
2. Competitiveness and resilience
3. European Pillar of Social Rights
4. Youth Entrepreneurship
5. Investments in the Twin Transition
6. Democracy and Sustainable Development in the European Neighbourhood Policy
7. Cooperative Network in the European Parliament

Please read the full text
https://coopseurope.coop/european-elections-2024/

3. REScoop.eu manifesto: Europe’s energy transition: active energy citizens take ownership

REScoop.eu’s policy priorities for 2024 European Elections

Ensuring the energy transition benefits all citizens

The need for a just energy transition
The energy transition entails significant societal changes that cannot be achieved successfully without recognizing and empowering citizens and their local communities.

The commons – energy for all
Access to energy is a basic right – essential for heating, cooling, light and transport. As ‘common goods’, fair access to renewable energy sources (wind, sun, water), energy efficiency and other clean energy technologies must be ensured for all citizens, including those experiencing vulnerability or energy poverty.

Boosting the local economy
Energy communities allow citizens and local communities to be involved in decisions about their energy production and consumption, controlling the prices they pay and shielding them from energy crises. They also support education and awareness in the local community, promoting behavioral changes towards energy use.

REScoop.eu asks candidates and their political parties to agree with us that Europe needs to:
Ensure full and effective transposition, implementation, and enforcement of EU rules to create robust regulatory and enabling frameworks that level the playing field for energy communities in the energy market.

Develop an EU-level strategy for how different EU and national actions can support the development of energy communities across different areas of EU policy.

Ensure that energy communities are supported through available EU funds and the application of State aid rules, and national funding programmes are developed to help derisk community projects.

Encourage inclusiveness in energy communities by lowering barriers to entering such initiatives and by supporting them to take a stronger role in achieving social objectives and becoming more inclusive towards vulnerable and energy poor households.

Please read the full text
https://www.rescoop.eu/news-and-events/news/rescoop-eu-manifesto-policy-priorities-for-the-2024-european-parliament-elections

4. ENSIE | EUROPEAN NETWORK OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION ENTERPRISES

ENSIE is the European Network of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), which gathers 31 local, regional and national networks from 21 countries from the EU.

In 2021 the Social Economy Action Plan was adopted, containing about 60 actions to improve the social economy ecosystem within the EU and beyond. Furthermore, WISEs contribute to different policy agenda’s such as the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), the European Skills Agenda, the Cohesion Policy, the Just Transition, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Green Deal and important processes such as the EU semester. Europe has been faced with a series of crises, namely the COVID-19 global pandemic, the armed conflict in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, and the worsening climate crisis. Strong welfare states can mitigate the damage and protect livelihoods. ENSIE calls upon the future European Parliament and Commission to take their responsibility to tackle the multitude of challenges ahead of us.

Therefore, ENSIE wishes to put forward four points:
1. Foster the collaboration and exchange between the EU institutions and WISEs.
2. Recognition of WISEs as a specific type of social economy enterprise. 3. Development of an enabling framework for the social economy and WISEs.
4. Put WISEs at the heart of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR).

ENSIE Memorandum European Parliament Elections 2024

Please read the full text
EN & FR https://www.ensie.org/focus-areas/themes/wises-and-policies-2024-ensie-memorandum-european-elections-2024

5. CAN Europe Manifesto for a Fossil-Free, Socially Just, and Climate-Neutral Union

Deliver a Climate Emergency Package to ramp up climate action before 2030, including proposals to allow upward revisions of the 2025-2030 ambition of the EU climate and energy legislative framework in order to enable the EU to move substantially beyond its current climate targets and achieve at least -65% gross (-76% net) emission reductions by 2030. Deep and rapid emission cuts this decade are critical to avoid cataclysmic climate impacts and keep the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement attainable. The EU’s current targeted level of ambition for 2030 remains insufficient and does not reflect its fair contribution to the fight against the climate crisis.

• Scale up action to deal with the Climate Emergency
• Deliver a Fossil-Free, 100% renewable based energy system
• Reorient the economy to deliver a socio-ecological transformation within planetary boundaries
• Strengthen democracy and civic participation