13. Social Economy Development in the European Context

In recent years the social economy has become one of the most frequently addressed topics both nationally and internationally. In European Union countries the social economy employs 11 million people or 5.1% of the EU’s employed population. Supported social system is currently facing a number of important challenges. Successive economic crises, the demographic phenomenon of population aging, diversification of social needs and expectations, pollution, all have put particular pressure on traditional social protection systems. In this context, the social economy is beginning to become increasingly relevant as one of the solutions innovative and creative that can help address social and even environmental issues. Although it does not exist a brief and widely accepted definition of the social economy, there are outlines, both at the academic level and the political level, the minimum criteria that this border area must meet. Progresses in this area are not as spectacular as one would expect, but there are several countries that have made significant progress in defining and operating the social economy. This research resembles the meaning of social entrepreneurship and its evolution and development in the European countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the European evolution of social environment and to establish a direct correlation between social economy and economic welfare.