Social Business Initiative

As part of the Single Market Act proposed by Commissioner Michel Barnier, the development of a Social Business Initiative will aim to contribute to the development of socially responsible businesses in the single market. Euclid Network, in partnership with MOUVES and the Social Innovation Coalition, is advising the European Commission, in particular DG Markt and the respective Cabinet of Commissioner Barnier, on this development. Read more about the European Commission’s Social Business Initiative on the EC’s Internal Market website. 

Read the European Commission's leaflet about the Social Business Initiative in English, French, German, Spanish or Italian.

 A recent report critiques current EU policy and the use of EU funding for social enterprise development in Central Europe.  Read more here.

The GECES Expert Group

Filippo Addarii, Euclid Network’s Executive Director, has been selected as a member of the expert group for Commissioner Barnier's Social Business Initiative. The new Commission Group of Experts (Groupe d'Experts de la Commission sur l'entrepreneuriat social – ‘GECES') was set up by the Directorate General Internal Market and Services following the Communication on the Social Business Initiative.

GECES will run for six years (2012 – 2017) and aims to examine the progress of the measures envisaged in the Social Business Initiative. Filippo Addarii and other Euclid Network members will sit in this influential group, giving Euclid Network a strong voice in offering views on the policies and practical means related to social enterprise and social investments.

The first meeting was held in Brussels on 5th June; click here to view the agenda. Access the full list of members here.

As part of the expert group (GECES) we launched an independent consultation on the European Social Business Initative. You can find the text of the consultation here (deadline for feedback now passed).

***NEWS*** The GECES subgroup list on Social Impact Measurement has now been released - we are happy to see our recommendation of Euclid Netwotk member Erika Augustinsson of the Forum for Social Innovation Malmo has been included!

Access the full list here.

Of the selection in the subgroup, Erika said "I am very happy to join the GECES sub group on impact measurements and thereby influence european policies  on such an important topic as social innovation. We believe that future growth for Europe is seen in many of the fields where hybrid organizations such as social enterprises are present therefore a development of different financial mechanisms to ensure growth is a necessity. Hopefully we will also add value by representing a nordic view on social finance within the group."

We launched our first consultation on the development of the 'Social Innovation Initiative' in May 2011 - you can find our working draft here. On the 25th and 26th of May 2011, Euclid Network's Executive Director Filippo Addarii consulted the Commission at an internal workshop on Social Innovation and Social Business. The objective of the workshop was to design an adequate policy-making to help develop social entrepreneurship in the European Union. Find the list of Participants here and the Programme for the workshop here.

View EN Advisor Karl Richter's overview of Social Investment and the Social Business Initiative below.