The social and solidarity economy (SSE) is a sector far from being marginal today in Europe. Cooperatives employ about four-and-a-half million people.<br /><br /> Europe’s social economy<br /><br /> A significant proportion of Europe’s economy is intended to make profits for people other than investors or owners. It is the so-called social economy.<br /> There are 2 million social economy enterprises in Europe, representing 10 percent of all businesses in the EU and 6 percent of the workforce.<br /> Cooperatives play an important role in the social economy ecosystem. Some 180,000 businesses in Europe are cooperatives.<br /><br /> Unlike companies listed on the stock exchange, which have to serve the interests of their shareholders and focus on short-term profitability, the priority of co-operative businesses is giving the surpluses back to their members, who are also their customers, producers or employees.<br /><br /> Useful links<br /><br /> More about social economy<br /> More about cooperatives<br /> More about SCOP in France<br /><br /> European Confederation of Workers’ Cooperatives, Social Cooperatives and Social and Participative Enterprises<br /><br /> To better understand why an increasing number of entrepreneurs are using the SSE model, we will look at a cooperative in Paris region that is social, while also being competitive, robust and resilient. <br /><br /> Euronews correspondent Serge Rombi asked France’s minister for social economy Martine Pinville if it was true that France’s SSE sector was a marginal one.<br /><br /> “Absolutely not,” Pinville said. “This represents 10 percent of GDP. It provides more than two million jobs and represents 14 percent of private employment in France.”<br /><br /> In 2050, #cooperatives could contribute 37% of the #electricity by #EnergyCitizens: https://t.co/pz4XdfrS7p pic.twitter.com/5P3THojkLb— REScoop EU (@REScoopEU) September 26, 2016<br /><br /> Union des Forgerons<br /><br /> Let’s look at an example here in France, just outside Paris.<br /><br /> About 100 people work at a foundry we visited. It has been a cooperative since its creation by Parisian farriers in 1912.<br /><br /> Its annual turnover is 20 million euros. And importantly, this company has always shown positive results.<br /><br /> “Our customers are the big names in aeronautics, space, nuclear and oil, and today, with more than a century of knowledge, we supply them with parts for high-tech equipment,” CEO Jean Lery told Euronews.<br /><br /> Current workers or retired ones, heads of department or the CEO, some employees of the blacksmith are also members. In other words, they are the equal owners.<br /><br /> “We redistribute about 60 percent of our profits to employees,” explained Lery. “That creates momentum, motivation, flexibility, and creates competitiveness for the company.”<br /><br /> Some 25 million euros have just been invested in new machines. The decision was taken, like all other major company decisions, by all members, such as Claude, the quality manager.<br /><br /> “When a company makes a profit, it goes to one or a few people. In a cooperative like ours, all these profits do not go to just one person, but they ar
