Social Economy Category

The Social Economy Category is composed of members drawn from the Civil Society Organisations' Group and from the Employers' Group, representing cooperatives, mutual associations, foundations and social enterprises.

The category aims to promote and defend the interests of the social economy to the widest possible audience. It seeks to gain recognition for the substantial contribution of the sector to Europe's socio-economic development and to the success of the European integration process. Moreover, the Social Economy Category has repeatedly demonstrated its usefulness as a platform, facilitating peer-to-peer learning, the exchange of best practices and close cooperation with the European institutions and wider civil society organisations. Over the years, the Social Economy Category has encouraged the mainstreaming of the Social Economy in EESC opinions and other activities, as well as initiating a number of EESC commissioned studies on the sector.

The secretariat of the category is provided by the Civil Society Organisations' Group.