A Slovak delegation visits Euskadi to gain first-hand knowledge of the Basque Social Economy model

• The meeting with the Department of Economy, Labour and Employment is part of the European strategy to strengthen the capacity of regional administrations in designing innovative policies. It will serve to share policies, legislation and successful experiences in the field of labour inclusion and cooperativism.
  

A Slovak delegation began a multi-day visit to Euskadi this Monday to learn in depth about the Basque Social Economy model, recognised in Europe for its strength, capacity for innovation, and impact on employability and labour inclusion. The Autonomous Region of Prešov, the most populated in Slovakia, held an initial meeting this morning at the Basque Government headquarters in Vitoria-Gasteiz with the Vice Minister of Labour and Social Security, Elena Pérez Barredo and the Director of Social Economy, Jokin Díaz Arsuaga. They provided details on the Basque legislative framework, policies promoting cooperativism, and support measures for social integration enterprises.

The mission has been organised as part of the European Commission’s TAIEX-REGIO program and has several objectives: to promote innovation, strengthen the administrative capacities of this region, and gain knowledge on how to address local challenges, such as integrating disadvantaged and marginalised groups into the labour market through social economy interventions to create inclusive and productive jobs.

During today’s session, the technical team from the Basque Government, including officials responsible for legal advisory, cooperative taxation and the promotion of the Social Economy, will share with the Slovak delegation the key elements of the Basque model: regulatory stability, public-private collaboration, a well-established cooperative ecosystem and a network of organizations that foster the labour inclusion of vulnerable people.

After the meetings in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the delegation continued its tour of Euskadi with visits to leading organisations such as Servicios Sociales Integrados (SSI), ASLE, Gizatea, EHLABE, Lantegi Batuak, Koopera, as well as the Mondragon Corporation, considered the largest cooperative group in the world. These experiences will allow the Prešov Region to gain first-hand knowledge of initiatives that combine business competitiveness, social cohesion and inclusive employment.

The visit, which will continue until next Wednesday, 28 January, is part of the European strategy to strengthen the capacity of regional administrations in designing innovative policies. The Autonomous Region of Prešov, located in northeastern Slovakia, has a productive structure dominated by trade, light industry, and the wood sector, and faces historically high unemployment rates — 17.88% compared to the national rate of 13.5%.

The Prešov Autonomous Region, located in the north-east of Slovakia, has a productive fabric dominated by trade, light industry and the timber sector, and suffers from historically high unemployment rates — 17.88% compared to 13.5% at the state level.