Spanish cooperatives as a component of EU social economy
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of Spanish cooperatives as an important element of the social economy of the European Union, in particular, their role in ensuring economic efficiency and social responsibility. The subject of the study is the functioning of Spanish cooperatives in the context of current socio-economic challenges, in particular, their impact on employment, development of local communities and implementation of sustainable development goals. The purpose of the article is to analyse the legal regulation, mechanisms of state support and integration of Spanish cooperatives into the European economic system. The objectives of the study are to examine the diversity of forms of cooperatives, their economic performance, and to assess their resilience during crises such as the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The methods used in the article include the analysis of legislative acts, statistical data, as well as a review of scientific works of domestic and foreign researchers, which allows to form a comprehensive picture of the functioning of the cooperative sector. The results of the study show that Spanish cooperatives account for about 6% of the country's GDP and create more than 300,000 jobs, while demonstrating significant resilience during economic crises. In particular, during the COVID-19 pandemic, cooperatives retained most of their jobs and demonstrated high adaptability to new conditions. The conclusions of the article emphasise the importance of Spanish cooperatives as a model for social entrepreneurship in other EU countries, highlighting the need for further development of legal regulation and support mechanisms for this sector to ensure sustainable development and overcome social inequality. The article also offers recommendations for harmonising national legislation with European standards and developing international cooperation in the field of social economy.
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Blagoycheva, H., Andreeva, A., & Yolova, G. (2020). Social Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion (Economic and Legal Aspects). Economic Studies Journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, (5), 79-98. http://surl.li/eoiqnf.
Bretos, I., Díaz-Foncea, M., & Marcuello, C. (2020). International Expansion of Social Enterprises as a Catalyst for Scaling Up Social Impact Across Borders. Sustainability, 12(8), 3262. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083262.
Buendía-Martínez, I., Hidalgo-López, C., & Brat, E. (2020). Are Cooperatives an Employment Option? A Job Preference Study of Millennial University Students. Sustainability, 12(17), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177210.
Castro Núñez, R. B., Bandeira, P., & Santero-Sánchez, R. (2020). Social Economy, Gender Equality at Work and the 2030 Agenda: Theory and Evidence from Spain. Sustainability, 12(12), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125192.
Chaves, R., & Monzón, J. L. (2018). La Economía Social Ante los Paradigmas Económicos Emergentes: Innovación Social, Economía Colaborativa, Economía Circular, Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, Economía del Bien Común, Empresa Social y Economía Solidaria. CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 93, 5-50. https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.93.12901 (in Spanish).
Chaves-Avila, R., & Gallego-Bono, J. R. (2020). Transformative Policies for the Social and Solidarity Economy: The New Generation of Public Policies Fostering the Social Economy in Order to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The European and Spanish Cases. Sustainability, 12(10), 4059. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104059.
Chaves-Avila, R., & Monzón-Campos, J. L. (2018). Best Practices in Public Policies Regarding the European Social Economy Post the Economic Crisis. European Economic and Social Committee. https://www.eesc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/files/qe-04-18-002-en-n.pdf.
Colino, C., & del Pino, E. (2017). The Financial and Political Crisis of Spanish Federalism: Transformation or Erosion? In R. Eccleston & R. Krever (Eds.), The Future of Federalism (pp. 198-223). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784717780.00017.
Esparza-Masana, R. (2020). Analysis of European Interregional Cooperation under Interreg Programmes: The Case of Spain. Investigaciones Regionales - Journal of Regional Research, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, (47), 5-28. http://surl.li/ankyaa.
Honcharenko V., Panteleimonenko A., Pozhar A., Stetsenko V. (2019) Cooperatives in IT sector: theoretical and practical aspects. Periodicals of Engineering and Natural Sciences (PENS). - Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.597-607. http://surl.li/kzzetb.
Lazkano, L., & Beraza, A. (2019). Social Accounting for Sustainability: A Study in the Social Economy. Sustainability, 11(24), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11246894.
Macías Ruano, A. J., & Manso, J. R. P. (2019). The Development of Legislation on the Social Economy in Continental Western Europe. Resources, 8(3), 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources8030154.
Martinez-Leon, I. M., Olmedo-Cifuentes, I., Martínez-Victoria, M. C., & Arcas-Lario, N. (2020). Leadership Style and Gender: A Study of Spanish Cooperatives. Sustainability, 12(12), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125107.
Meliá‐Martí, E., Meira, D., Martínez, J. C., & Bertuzi, R. (2023). Cross‐Border Cooperation: A Response to the Challenges Facing Agri‐Food Cooperatives in Southern European Countries. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 94(3), 981-1006. https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12430.
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. (1999). Ley No. 27/1999, de 16 de julio, de Cooperativas. Boletín Oficial del Estado, No. 170. https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1999-15074
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Social Economy Europe. (2018). The Future of EU Policies for the Social Economy: Towards a European Action Plan. https://www.cases.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SEEAction-Plan-for-Social-Economy.pdf.
Sopelana, A., Kunc, M., Rivera, O., Aranceta, J., & Rodriguez Castellanos, A. (2022). Modelling the Dynamics of Organisational Change in a Spanish Industrial Cooperative. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 73(3), 455-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/01605682.2020.1860659.
Vergara, E. (2022). Spain: Deposit Guarantee Funds. Journal of Financial Crises, Yale Program on Financial Stability (YPFS), 4(2), 592-605. http://surl.li/mxtlci.
Villalba-Eguiluz, U., & Pérez de Mendiguren, J. C. (2019). La Economía Social y Solidaria como Vía para el Buen Vivir. Revista Iberoamericana de Estudios de Desarrollo, 8(1), 106-136. https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_ried/ijds.338 (in Spanish).
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