Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-11-19-Speech-1-214-000"
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"en.20121119.26.1-214-000"2
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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen. With the Social Business Initiative, Europe is demonstrating its commitment to social action very proactively, on the one hand to accommodate demographic change and, on the other hand, to answer the challenges of the labour market and the growing need for social benefits and services, in both the ‘white’ economy (health and social care) and the ‘green’ economy. That means in the context of a broader understanding of ‘social’ which encompasses not only the traditional areas of health, support services, education and care but also the environment. The European initiative on positive action to develop social enterprises was backed by the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs through extremely constructive cooperation. My sincere thanks go to the shadow rapporteur, the committee secretariat and the Commission, also to my parliamentary assistant.
The great interest in this initiative that exists in the European Parliament is also borne out by the 280 and more amendments and 30 or so compromise amendments, which ultimately secured overwhelming approval of the report in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
These are the key points in the report: we will encourage a future rise in demand for innovative products and services by creating a new and innovative social business climate – specifically on behalf of young people who will find new, attractive and promising career opportunities here. There is great potential here – and what could be more important at the present time?
We want to strengthen and encourage all social enterprises that have hitherto been successful, namely associations, cooperatives, mutuals, social foundations and – for the first time – all those who, on the basis of personal and private initiatives, as sole traders or team players in the category of small and medium-sized enterprises, will avail themselves of the growing number of market opportunities to meet the need for social services and achieve social objectives with true innovative commitment. Yes, our report states that the social economy is part of the eco-social market economy as well as of the European single market, so it stands on an equal footing with all other corporate forms. There is one paramount criterion for social businesses: they must produce a demonstrable social effect within society – whether it is childcare for working mothers, care for dementia patients, advice on switching to green technologies or a restaurant that provides work for young unemployed people. The Global Social Business Summit held in Vienna 10 days ago was based on thousands of different examples.
The definitions of social business are drawn from the EU’s Programme for Social Change and Innovation and are compatible with other reports. Social Business has proved itself crisis-resistant. We want better access to funding, including the new Social Investment Fund, which together with a labelling system, a quality mark, will attract new investors and cooperation partners. However, we also want better access to public procurement. We believe there must be eligibility for funding under all the EU’s programmes. We want practicable parameters for social business Europe-wide, and I hope that this communication means we shall have massive support from the Commission. I am hoping for majority support in tomorrow’s plenary. Social business has enormous potential as a new and powerful instrument for helping to solve social problems, thereby ensuring that Europe remains the world benchmark for social action."@en1
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