Minister Anita Czerwińska - Government Plenipotentiary for Social Economy and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Family and Social Policy, pointed out that 12 months of the Act being in force was the time when nearly 800 social economy entities were granted the status of social enterprise. During this period, departmental programmes were also launched, i.e., the Resilience programme and the Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship Development and Social Enterprise+ programme, thanks to which more than PLN 220 million will go to the social economy sector. The Minister also outlined the main challenges facing the social economy.

The Committee meeting was also an opportunity to recall the results of the work carried out by this forum. The achievements of this and previous terms of office of the Committee were summarised by Professor Bohdan Skrzypczak, Chairman of the Committee.

The State Committee for the Social Economy Development is a consultative and advisory body of the Minister of Family and Social Policy, composed of representatives of government and self-government administration, social partners, the world of science, the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and, above all, representatives of the social economy.

The Committee supports the Minister in coordinating policies for the development of the social economy in Poland. It is also an important forum for the exchange of experiences and the preparation of solutions that help to achieve the goals of social inclusion, the implementation of social services and the development of the social economy.

The third meeting of the Social Employment Council of the third term (for 2022-2025) was also held on the same day. Minister Anita Czerwińska summarised the most important undertakings aimed at supporting social integration centres and clubs in their activities for people at risk of social exclusion. Of key importance is the amendment of the Act of 13 June 2003 on social employment. The amended provisions have been in force since February 2022. Thanks to them, reintegration in social employment entities can be better adapted to new social challenges and the needs of participants. The latter have also benefited from an increase in the integration benefit paid for active participation in activities carried out by social integration centres.

During the meeting, the link between social employment and social economy was clearly highlighted, visible, inter alia, in the design of support instruments (e.g., departmental programmes) from which both social employment entities and other social economy entities can benefit.

The Social Employment Council supports the Minister of Family and Social Policy in creating and implementing policies for the development of social employment. This consultative and advisory body is composed of representatives of social employment entities and other social economy actors as well as voivodes.