The second local policy forum of the CERUSI project

THE SECOND LOCAL POLICY FORUM ON THE SUPPORT OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMY OF THE CERUSI PROJECT HAS BROUGHT IMPORTANT OUTPUTS

The second Local Policy Forum, which EPIC n.o. implemented within the international project CERUSI (INTERREG CENTRAL EUROPE) aimed at supporting social entrepreneurship and social innovation in the countryside, has come to a successful end.

The aim of the meeting, which followed the first Local Policy Forum in June 2021, was to evaluate the results of the CERUSI project and discuss with experts and social entrepreneurs, the problems and possible solutions to social entrepreneurship in Slovakia.

The invitation to the forum was accepted by the director of the Department of Social Economics of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Mrs. Ingrid Ujváriová, who informed the participants of the forum about the planned measures in the social economy. The current state of the social economy in the regions was presented by representatives of regional structures and managers of regional centers of the social economy in Slovakia – Mrs. Andrea Súlovcová, Mrs. Marcela Benickova, Mr. Peter Marko, Mrs. Mária Kalmárová and Mr. Tadeáš Gavala from the Prešov region Office. Expert on social economy Mr. František Fabo informed about the activities from the view of the Association for the Social Economy in the Slovak Republic, of which he is a member of the presidency.

The rich discussion brought interesting insights and information. The output of the event will be a summary of the problems of the social economy in Slovakia with a proposal for solutions, which will be developed by the EPIC n.o. team. in cooperation with Mr. Fabo and will send it to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, Department of Social Economy as a contribution to a possible solution to existing problems. Among other things, the need to develop counselling and education of social entrepreneurs, mutual cooperation of all relevant institutions and subjects of the social economy was emphasized. The participants of the event agreed that without these aspects, the development of social entrepreneurship and social innovation in Slovakia will not progress successfully.

More information about the project can be found on our website: https://epic-org.eu/cerusi/