site.btaVP Iotova to Open 13th European Forum of Social, Solidarity Economy Subjects

The thirteenth edition of the European Forum of Social and Solidarity Economy Subjects will be opened by Vice President Iliana Iotova at 11 am on Monday at the Inter Expo Centre in Sofia, the President's press office said.

Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov will also attend the opening ceremony. The forum will look at good practices in providing employment to people from vulnerable groups.

The event is organized by the National Union of Worker Producers’ Cooperatives with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (MLSP). 2025 has been declared International Year of Cooperatives by the United Nations.

The ministry said that during the two-day forum, products and services created and provided by people from vulnerable groups working in social and labour-producing enterprises will be presented. Purchases will support the development of the social and solidarity economy in Bulgaria and the creation of more employment opportunities for people facing difficulty. The promotion of the social economy is a priority in the work of Gutsanov’s team, the ministry said in its announcement. 

The MLSP has been implementing a project funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and so far has registered over 170 enterprises employing a total of 1,666 people from vulnerable groups. Most of them are people with permanent disabilities, as well as young people up to the age of 29 who have no previous work experience.