A4-0270/98

Resolution on the role of cooperatives in the growth of women's employment

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the social economy and cooperatives, with particular regard to those of 13 April 1983 on cooperatives in the European Community ((OJ C 128, 16.5.1983, p. 51.)), 9 July 1987 on the contribution of cooperatives to regional development ((OJ C 246, 14.9.1987, p. 94.)), 26 May 1989 on the role of women in cooperatives and local employment initiatives ((OJ C 158, 26.6.1989, p. 380.)), 11 February 1994 on the contribution of cooperatives to regional development ((OJ C 61, 28.2.1994, p. 231.)), 9 March 1994 on foundations in Europe ((OJ C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 48.)) and 6 May 1994 on the alternative, social economy ((OJ C 205, 25.7.1994, p. 481.)),

- having regard to the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness, Employment - The Challenges and Ways Forward into the 21st Century (COM(93)0700),

- having regard to its resolution of 17 November 1995 on the fourth medium-term Community action programme on equal opportunities for women and men (1996 to 2000) ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 167.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 5 September 1996 on the Commission communication on a European strategy for encouraging local development and employment initiatives ((OJ C 277, 23.9.1996, p. 45.)),

- having regard to the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting on employment held in Luxembourg on 21 and 22 November 1997,

- having regard to the Commission decision setting up a consultative committee for cooperatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations (CMAF) ((OJ L 80, 18.3.1998, p. 51.)),

- having regard to its opinion of 1 April 1998 on the proposal for a Council Decision on measures of financial assistance for innovative and job-creating small and medium-sized enterprises ((OJ C 138, 4.5.1998, p. 93.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 2 July 1998 on the communication from the Commission on promoting the role of voluntary organisations and foundations in Europe ((Minutes of that sitting, Part II, Item 11.)),

- having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Women's Rights (A4-0270/98),

A. whereas the objective of equal opportunities for women and men was included in the Amsterdam Treaty and is the subject of one of the four guidelines laid down by the Luxembourg European Council on employment,

B. whereas the European strategy for employment outlined in the abovementioned White Paper and subsequent Commission documents is aimed at balancing economic growth, employment and quality of life by identifying new sources of jobs arising from new needs and devising new working arrangements,

C. whereas this strategy has a particular impact on women's employment; whereas a coordinated approach is required at European level in order to facilitate the identification and interaction of a wide range of flexible instruments, with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity,

D. whereas the development of certain types of working arrangements typical of the social economy, such as cooperatives and social economy firms, can contribute to the integration of women into working life and helps to make it possible to combine professionalism with flexibility and participation; whereas this is borne out by the fact that the Luxembourg European Council made reference to the social economy in its conclusions,

E. whereas in the 1997 budget, following an initiative by Parliament, the Commission launched two competitions for the submission of pilot schemes on the subject 'third system and employment', with a view to identifying sound practices at European level and improving knowledge in the field,

F. whereas in the 1998 budget Parliament created a new Title B5-5 (Labour Market and Technological Innovation) which provides for ECU 450 million in funding for SMEs and innovative measures and projects on the labour market over a three-year period (1998-2000),

G. whereas the term 'social economy' covers the economic activities of cooperative societies, mutuals and non-profit-making associations; whereas it applies to different situations and is subject to different legal provisions in the various Member States and whereas such disparities must be taken into account when support measures of any kind are formulated for the sector,

H. whereas a new form of social economy firm is starting to emerge in Europe, which combines economic goals and entrepreneurship with social provision, and which can help to generate growth based on employment, social justice and equality,

I. whereas the social economy combines the advantages of the private sector (cost control, flexible organization and personalized services) with ethical principles peculiar to the public sector and therefore opens up new prospects for public-private sector partnerships,

J. whereas social economy firms - in particular cooperatives - often provide services for less-favoured groups or public services with a particular social value; whereas such firms provide forms of consumer protection through their participation in the management of the firm,

K. whereas in 1997 the Commission withdrew the proposal for a Council Decision relating to a multi-annual programme (1994-1996) of work for cooperatives, mutual societies, associations and foundations in the Community ((Original proposal: OJ C 99, 21.4.1992; amended proposal: OJ C 236, 31.8.1993.)), on which Parliament had already delivered its opinion ((OJ C 89, 17.3.1995, p. 202.)), because the Council had failed to reach agreement thereon; whereas the issue of a European statute for cooperative societies, mutuals and associations is still pending,

Social economy, cooperatives and women's employment

1. Considers that social economy organizations play a leading role in national and local economic life and that they have expanded their productive role by providing a flexible response to new requirements;

2. Notes that cooperatives occupy a prominent position in the social economy and draws attention to the growth over recent years in the number of social cooperatives providing personal services and working for the integration of the less-favoured;

3. Draws attention to the potential of cooperatives in terms of product and organizational quality, experimentation and innovation; considers that incentives should be provided for innovative sectors and that steps should be taken to facilitate access by women to new technologies;

4. Considers that, owing to their participatory mode of operation and their adaptability, cooperatives can both quantitatively and qualitatively create jobs for women in the service sector, given that they

- permit the conversion of traditionally female skills and experience into a business asset;

- offer a wide range of jobs facilitating integration even to poorly qualified women or women without work experience, as well as women returning to the labour market after a period of absence for family reasons;

- represent a stage in a woman's career, which may be used to acquire skills and professionalism that can be reused in other sectors;

- make it easier to reconcile work and family life and, at the same time, provide high-quality, affordable services;

5. Draws attention to potential risks such as the possibility of precarious, underpaid work and of marginalization in traditionally female sectors;

6. Notes that the main obstacles to the development of the social economy (including cooperatives) are the lack of a fully comprehensive legal framework, funding difficulties, people's inability to pay for services or lack of a private market, the difficulty of finding adequate human resources including entrepreneurial skills, organizational problems and problems in dealing with the public authorities;

Policies and instruments

7. Considers that the Union should actively promote the social economy as part of the strategy for employment by strengthening the legislative framework, providing coordination and organizational support and making the necessary financial resources available;

8. Calls on the Commission, with a view to programming specific interventions on the legislative and organizational levels, to carry out, in cooperation with the Member States:

a) a wide-ranging study of the size of the social economy in the Member States and of the particular characteristics of the models of social enterprise in creation;

b) an assessment of the impact of the social economy (with particular regard to cooperatives) on women's employment, on the basis of up-to-date information on the situation for both men and women;

9. Considers the Commission communication on voluntary organizations and foundations and the decision to set up a consultative committee for CMAFs to be positive signs; calls on the Commission to follow up these initiatives with a white paper on cooperatives and social enterprises, on the basis of the studies and research mentioned above;

10. Calls, with a view to breaking through the impasse as regards EU legislative activity in the sector, for the relaunch of the programme for CMAFs and the establishment of a legal framework which provides the necessary degree of legal clarity and takes account of specific national and local characteristics;

11. Calls on the Commission, with a view to promoting equal opportunities, to take due account of the social economy in all measures geared to SMEs and employment and to ensure proper coordination between the various directorates-general, so as to optimize results and concentrate the limited resources available on employment objectives;

12. Calls for part of the funds available under new budget Title B5-5 to be earmarked for women in social economy undertakings;

13. Calls for the assessment of results under the heading 'third system and employment' scheduled for 1999 to include comments on the contribution made by this sector to action against unemployment and the raising of women's skill levels;

14. Calls on the Commission to consider ways of developing female entrepreneurship within the social economy, especially in respect of the more innovative enterprises and not only those based on the conventional model of social welfare services, and of developing the existing programmes to this end;

15. Calls for specific funds to be aside under the ESF with a view to the provision of appropriate training geared to new skills and occupations and to the development of qualities such as team spirit, initiative and project management skills, in addition to the acquisition of technical skills;

16. Calls on the Commission:

- to step up the provision of organizational support so as to promote consortia, information networks and the establishment of and networking between social economy agencies offering training, consultancy and technical assistance;

- to develop a motor role in the dissemination of best practice, promoting exchanges of experience and twinning of enterprises;

- to improve information and target it on the specific needs of women;

17. Calls furthermore on the Commission to ensure that

- a study is conducted into the incidences and causes of the black economy in the Member States, which provides illicit competition for new sources of jobs and is a factor in the marginalization of workers, particularly female workers;

- pilot projects on the role of cooperatives in integrating immigrants in the labour market are set up;

- sites providing information on social economy instruments for employment and female entrepreneurship are set up under the Internet action plan;

- Community public procurement legislation is adjusted to take account of the specific characteristics of the social economy;

- a proposal is submitted amending the Sixth VAT Directive to permit the application, on an experimental basis, of a reduced rate to labour-intensive 'third system' services;

18. Calls upon the Member States to provide for the following:

- in the annual action plans, specific measures with regard to the social economy;

- a legal framework encouraging the organization of the social economy, including cooperatives, and public-private sector partnerships;

- financial and fiscal incentives, including lower VAT for labour-intensive social enterprises which create jobs in particular for women, and the simplification of procedures, in such a way as to encourage the integration of the parallel economy into the formal economy;

- easier access to loans, encouraging partnership with financial institutions within the social economy;

- financial incentives for the setting-up of women's cooperatives;

19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council and to the governments of the Member States.