European Observatory of Cooperatives and Social Enterprises
Cooperatives and social enterprises matter. They have demonstrated their capacity to fulfil social needs, generate employment, tackle poverty, encourage local economic development, promote citizen participation in policy-making processes, integrate otherwise disadvantaged groups into the labour market, innovate production and provision of goods and services, and yield social added value. However, despite their salience, there is no European statistical register to specifically account for the economic and financial performance of cooperative businesses and social enterprises. Nor are there standardised methodologies to evaluate their social impact, systematic studies measuring the attitudinal background surrounding this sector in the Union or comprehensible legal records that allow for the comparison of legislations of cooperatives and social enterprises across the EU.
Euricse would like to fill this void by starting the first European Observatory of Cooperatives and Social Enterprises. This Observatory would collate and maintain a database with indicators measuring the economic performance, financial situation, attitudinal background and legislative structure of cooperatives and social enterprises across the EU.
Products
- Economic database of cooperatives;
- Public opinion indicators that ascertain the knowledge, evaluations, behaviours, and expectations of the EU general public, practitioners, and supra/national policy decision-makers regarding cooperatives and social enterprises;
- Legislative framework of cooperative businesses across the EU
