Skopje, 12 September 2023 (MIA) - The third Regional Fair of Social Enterprises was held in Skopje on Tuesday, bringing together social enterprises from North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania.

Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska said in the opening remarks that challenges at a national and local level related to poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic issues involving the integration of vulnerable groups in the society are resolved through institutional support for social entrepreneurship.

"Social enterprises will contribute to the creation of new jobs for vulnerable groups. The law on social enterprises is in the final drafting stages and will soon be discussed by the Government and the Parliament and hopefully adopted by the year-end. It will define how civil society organizations, citizens' associations, cooperatives, companies and other legal entities can obtain the status of social enterprises," said Minister Trenchevska.

By having this status, she added, the enterprises that employ persons from vulnerable groups and reinvest their profit in the realization of their societal mission of solidarity and ecology can benefit while developing their businesses and contributing to the settlement of socio-economic problems in the community.

European Union Ambassador David Geer said social economy is of enormous importance in the EU, encompassing ten percent of all businesses and providing jobs to 13 million people, which represents six percent of all Union employees.

"Social enterprises are truly caring companies that employ persons who would otherwise be jobless, penniless, future-less. Thanks to them, they are now part of the broader community," said Geer.

French Ambassador Cyrille Baumgartner said the regional fair marked the end of the third Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs (RISE) project.

"The first stage of the project dates back to October 2019, which is no coincidence, since it came after the adoption of the French strategy for the Western Balkans, put forward by the President. It aims to strengthen the ties between France and this part of the world through enhancement of bilateral cooperation with each of the six Western Balkans states, as well as support the region's approximation to Europe," said Baumgartner.

He said more than 260 entrepreneurs in the Western Balkans have been supported, along with six local incubators, including ARNO in North Macedonia, the majority of these entrepreneurs are women, while more than 50 percent of selected projects are designed outside the countries' capitals.

The fair is organized as a cooperative event among project "Support to Social Enterprises" supported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Embassy of Poland in Skopje, Pakomak, and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) project RISE.

The fair marks the start of the Regional Forum for Social Enterprises as part of the RISE project, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD), EU, RYCO and the Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO).

Photo: MIA, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy