FROM.Social Economy Europe
The Social Economy at the core of the transitions conference took place in Liège on February 12 and 13, in the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council. Over 600 people participated, most of them social economy actors and grassroots organizations. They have been two intense days of exchanges, learning and celebration of the global momentum that the social economy is currently experiencing. It was a historic moment as never before has a European conference on social economy greeted as many Ministers and delegates: 19 EU Member States were represented. Many claimed that the social economy is essential and put it in the front line of their political agenda.
February 12th, alongside of the Conference, the Ministers and Representatives attended the Monitoring Committee of the Luxembourg Declaration, a committee created during the Luxemburg Presidency Social Economy Conference in 2015, and whose role is to ensure and monitor the implementation of proper policies for SE. Social Economy Europe participated as observer, represented by its President Juan Antonio Pedreño, and was the only organization invited to the Committee. The main outputs of this Committee were the commitment to support the establishment of a secretariat that ensures continuity and pace of work of the Committee and the signature of the Liège Roadmap by 24 Member States. 
The Liège Roadmap ratifies the importance of the social economy on the political agenda and complements the San Sebastian Manifesto.
The document proposes 25 commitments to boost the Social Economy in Europe including measures to ease the access to finance, to deploy regulatory frameworks and strategies, to raise awareness and improve the data collection on social economy, amongst others.
It is important to highlight that two of these commitments signed by the Member States Governments and included in the Liège Roadmap are the appointment of a European Commissioner for Social Economy and the pursue of the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan. Social Economy Europe is delighted to see 2 of its 3 main 2024 European Elections memorandum requests supported by a vast majority of EU governments!
