Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-14-Speech-2-061-000"
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"en.20120214.4.2-061-000"2
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"I would like to thank you, Ms Vergnaud, for having, in fact, mentioned two separate and complementary sections of the directive in your question. The first is that of public services and the implementation of this quality framework which Mr Almunia and I have on the whole proposed in two cross-cutting texts. One of these texts deals with State aid and, as you pointed out, and as the relevant associations and non-governmental organisations have made clear to us, the exercise of social services continues to be covered. The second cross-cutting text – which is a major aspect of this quality framework – deals with the overhaul of measures relating to public services and concessions.
Social entrepreneurship which, according to my figures, honourable Members accounts for between 15% and 17% of GDP and employment, is an additional issue and is, in my mind, just as important as the main area of work on the social economy. In many cases, we are not talking about public services, but profitable enterprises which practice social inclusion among their employees, by employing disabled persons or other people in difficulty, or enterprises whose activities themselves have a vocation focused on solidarity, inclusion or social solidarity.
In fact, a few weeks ago, in November, for the first time, we in the Commission held a conference with Professor Yunus, which was attended by 1 200 people and which aimed to help us work on three topics. The first was the financing of such enterprises, and in this regard the Commission presented an initial proposal on the Social Investment Fund, which is a new instrument.
The second was regulatory and normative or statutory supervision, which is the point you mentioned. A few days ago, Ms Vergnaud, as promised, we submitted the European Foundation Statute, which is now under discussion by the Council and by Parliament. Mr Tajani is working on statutes for cooperatives and mutuals which are extremely important forms of organisation, and for which it is important to establish what further improvements can be made at European level.
The third area of work on social entrepreneurship involves improving the visibility of these activities through indicators, labels, and so on, and I myself am pursuing this area. I am, in any case, personally engaged, alongside Mr Andor, Mr Tajani and others, in ensuring that from now on Commission initiatives support this extremely important sector, which has undoubtedly been neglected or forgotten and which certainly comes under the competitive economy.
It is my belief, honourable Members, that there cannot be sustainable economic performance without a number of conditions: an effectively functioning single market, a major effort in research and innovation, and social cohesion. When we refer to social cohesion, we are referring, Ms Vergnaud, to the two topics that you mentioned: public services, of course, that is to say basic services, in particular social services, but also the social enterprise sector, which I have just mentioned and which we endorse."@en1
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