Do things differently:the not for profit and voluntary sectors

The community and voluntary sector (CVS) -–consisting of mutuals, cooperatives, associations and foundations (hereinafter “ESS”) is represented in almost all sectors of the economy: social action, healthcare provision, sport and leisure, education and training, banking and insurance, agriculture, industry, construction, social housing, retail, crafts etc. It has often addressed emerging needs which have since become markets in their own right.

With strong values, practices and statutes of its own, the CVS sees itself as an economy in its own right: neither a substitute for public action and public services, nor a remedy for the excesses of an economic model in crisis. It asserts itself as asocially useful economy acting in the service of the collective interest and of social cohesion.

Our assembly believes that it is the statutes which define the scope of the CVS. Indeed these incorporate common values (businesses for people rather than capital, solidarity between members, democratic governance, indivisibility of collective ownership) and specific values (non profit for associations, mutuals and foundations; supervised and regulated profit making for cooperatives). Consequently, the introduction of a label or voluntary recognition device offers no real interest