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.