Erhvervsudvalget 2021-22
ERU Alm.del Bilag 228
Offentligt
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The Business Committee of
the Parliament of Denmark
Vilnius, 10 March 2022
It is my pleasure to invite a representative of the Business Committee of the Denmark
Parliament to the international
Social Enterprise Summit
that will be held in the Seimas of the
Republic of Lithuania on 28 March 2022 to address the participants at the
I Session.
Today we are facing a series of structural challenges such as climate change, digitalisation,
growing inequalities, and demographic change. To address them, the European Commission
has developed a mix of policies based on fair, sustainable and inclusive growth with the
European Green Deal at its heart. The social and economic consequences of the COVID-19
crisis have made this transition towards a resilient economy and society even more pressing,
both within the EU and at the international level.
Social economy organisations have demonstrated a remarkable ability to contribute to the
strengthening and building of resilient communities and to manage major transitions. They
‘[…] outperformed other industry sectors and generated up to 12 per cent of jobs while also
advancing key societal issues. The collective scale and impact of these purpose-driven
enterprises is vast, with 2.8 million social enterprises
in Europe alone […]’. (Unlocking Social
Entrepreneurship for the Recovery | World Economic Forum, Davos 2021).
The COVID-19 pandemic, with its significant economic and social repercussions, has added
further complexity, showing us that we must work for inclusion, fight poverty, and provide
better social services. In addition to addressing the immediate consequences of the crisis, it
is clear that a profound shift in our societies towards a more sustainable model is needed,
both from an environmental and social point of view. In this sense, social economy
organisations are in the lead, thanks to their commitment to put people first.
The European Commission prepared a Social Economy Action Plan, which was adopted at the
end of last year. The Plan is aimed at improving social investment, supporting social economy
organisations and social enterprises to start-up and scale-up their activities and their social
impact, to innovate and create jobs. It also draws on the unique characteristics of social
economy organisations to ensure that the green and digital transitions leave no one behind
and that our communities strengthen their economic and social resilience.
In the face of recent crises, the upcoming
Social Enterprise Summit
will be focusing on finding
answers concerning the different ways the recognition, raising awareness, policies and
investments can unlock the potential of social entrepreneurship for a more inclusive,
sustainable, and fair recovery. This will be a unique opportunity to hear real impact stories
by social entrepreneurs and innovators who are tackling those current challenges.
ERU, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 228: Invitation til at tale ved det internationale ’Social Enterprise Summit’ den 28/3-22 i parlamentet i Litauen
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This annual forum on social entrepreneurship will bring together the main ecosystem leaders
from Lithuania and other countries
social entrepreneurs, social innovators, policy makers,
academics, and others -. They will start aim to generate concrete ideas in order to implement
the European Social Economy Action Plan and foster social entrepreneurship sector, which
will make it possible to deal with the current problems mentioned above in a more effective
and efficient way.
The event is co-organised by the Lithuanian Social Business Association and the Member of
the European Affairs Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Ms. Monika
Ošmianskiene
in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, the
European Network for Social Integration Enterprises- ENSIE ,
‘Enterprise Lithuania’, the Office
of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Lithuania and NGOs which include ‘Avilys’, ‘Gerinorai.lt’,
and ‘Katalista Ventures’,
Vilnius University Institute of Sociology and Social Work.
Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Ms Viktorija Braziunaite by e-mail:
[email protected] or by phone: +370 620 75031.
We look forward to hearing from you regarding your participation, which would contribute
greatly to the success of the
Social Enterprise Summit.
Yours sincerely,
Kazys STARKEVIČIUS
Chair of the Committee on Economics of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Monika OŠMIANSKIENĖ
Member of the Committee on European Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
Viktorija BRA�½IŪNAITĖ
Director of the Lithuanian Social Business Association