Activities of Heinz K. BECKER related to 2012/2004(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Social Business Initiative (short presentation)
Reports (1)
REPORT on Social Business Initiative – Creating a favourable climate for social enterprises, key stakeholders in the social economy and innovation PDF (205 KB) DOC (140 KB)
Amendments (27)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas social business itself is not recognised by a legal framework at either European or national level; level and is only recognised at national level in a small number of Member States;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission Communications ‘Social Business Initiative’ and ‘Towards a job-rich 1 Ibid. 2 Ibid. recovery’12 with recommendations to national governments on job creation – especially in the fast-growing sector forarea of health and social care (the so-called white sector) and in the environmental areas (the so-called green sector) – that offer new chances to social business;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. States that social business is part of the eco-social market economy and the European Single Market and has showedpoints to their high resilience against theto crises;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – introductory part
Paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Points out thatBased on the regulation proposed by the European Commission in relation two terms should be distinguishedhe European Social Entrepreneurships Fund (EuSEF), points out that a distinction should be made between the following two terms:
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – point B
Paragraph 3 – point B
B. Social enterprises: the acting and operating institutions and organisations in the social business economy, in the form of either welfare organisations, private enterprises, associations, cooperatives, mutuals or foundationnew forms of enterprise; Their objectives, which are consistent with the business, have a social impact that can be quantified by means of performance indicators. They provide goods and services in an enterprising and innovative way. Profits are mainly reinvested to further promote their social objectives and are managed in a transparent way, e.g. through the inclusion of workers, customers and stakeholders;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – point B a (new)
Paragraph 3 – point B a (new)
Ba. maintains that the distribution of profits is permissible while still adhering to the objectives of social enterprise and its social impact and points out that, even if they do not offer any social products or services directly, the business activities of a social enterprise can also entail indirect social components; for example efforts to include and integrate marginalised groups in the working environment, the provision of assistance with social education or the (re)integration of people with disabilities through training and sheltered workshops;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that activities carried out by volunteers constitute an important contribution to welfare organisations and solidarity, and give many people a meaning in life; asks, therefore, for financial support on local, national and European level;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that social business does not necessarily need to be not-for-profit; underlines, at the same time, the social value provided by welfare organisationsocial enterprises and the need to preserve it;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. States that social welfare enterprises or organisations should not be exposed to unregulated competition, which may be the result if profit-oriented enterprises focus on lucrative areas, which are mostly urban, so that other areas, which are mostly in rural or peripheral areas – where logistic hinders incur higher costs – become more and more reliant on so-called ‘services for poor people’;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the need for young entrepreneurs to engage in social business and exploredevelop new forms of social businessentrepreneurship; calls, therefore, for better access for young entrepreneurs to Community programmes and funding (e.g. Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, etc.);
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that mutual societies should, by means of a European statute, be recognised as a distinct and important actor within the European economy and society; regrets that no mutuals representatives are included in the set-up of an expert group on social business in order to examine the progress of the measures envisaged in this Communication;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines the importance of creating a European statute for clubs;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the adoption of a revised package of EU state-aid rules concerning social and local services of general interest;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – indent 1
Paragraph 16 – indent 1
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – indent 2
Paragraph 16 – indent 2
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Clarifies that while the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) should be distinguishedviewed separately from that of social business, despite the fact that some commercial businesses with significant CSR activities can have a strong interaction with social business;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. UnderlinesBelieves it to be essential that access to European funding must be simplified, and that more funding opportunities should be better disseminated through transparent information platformsmade available and clearly advertised and, in addition, that organisational and administrative matters should be simplified;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on Member States to provide increased funding at both national and regional level;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Underlines the need to include social enterprises in research projects such as the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and Horizon 2020 in the context of social challenges;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for a study, initiated by the Commission and carried out in cooperation with social enterprises, of the various national and regiional legal frameworks and operating conditions for social enterprises, including certification and labelling systems;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the Commission’s proposal to set up a multilingual online platform for social enterprises that should, inter alia, enable the exchange of best practicetried-and-tested models, facilitate information-sharing about access to funding and serve as a network for cross-border cooperation;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Supports the European Commission’s proposal to set up an expert group on social business (GECES) in order to examinemonitor and assess the progress of the measures envisaged in this Communication;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Points out that social business requires a maximum of support and acceptance, and calls for a broad information campaign, supported by the European Commission and the Member States, to be launched by means of introducing a multilingual online- platform that provides quick and easy information for citizens seeking for social products and services, and which gives a good overview of the activities and added value of this sector;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Supports the establishment of a ‘European Prize for Social Entrepreneurship’ to recognise social effects;