Who we are
RIPESS Europe – Solidarity Economy Europe, was born from the synergy produced by the meetings of the Globalisation of Solidarity organised by the intercontinental network RIPESS Intercontinental, the first of which took place in Lima in 1997. The 4th International Forum of “Globalisation of Solidarity”, Lux’09, which took place in Schifflange in April 2009, led to the launching of a dynamic by establishing trust and shared-knowledge between networks of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) at continental and intercontinental levels. During this meeting, Eric Lavillunière (INEES) and Christine Gent (WFTO) initiated the structuring of a European RIPESS platform.
In Barcelona, in 2011, RIPESS Europe was born. It included representatives of networks from Belgium, Catalonia, France, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Germany.
- Ireland
- Portugal
- France
- Switzerland
- Belgium
- Romania
- Greece
- Czech Republic
- Poland
- Germany
- Croatia
- Lithuania
- Bulgaria
- Luxembourg
- United Kingdom
- Hungary
- Austria
- Macedonia
- Spain
- Italy
- Russia
- AAE Cooperative from Ireland
- ANIMAR, REDPES, APDES, CRESACOR from Portugal
- MES FRANCE / MES OCCITANIE / UFISC / APES / CNLRQ / ESSPLICITE / SOCIOECO
/ RIUESS / RTES from France - APRES GE / APRÈS VAUD / MONNAIE LEMAN from Switzerland
- SAW B from Belgium
- CRIES from Romania
- DOCK from Greece
- EKUMENIK ACADEMY / FAIRBIO COOP from Czech Republic
- FAIRTRADE POLAND from Poland
- CSX NETWORK / FORUM SOLIDARISCHE OKONOMIE / TECHNET BERLIN / NETZ from Germany
- ZMAG from Croatia
- GREEN LIBERTY from Latvia
- IDEAS FACTORY from Bulgaria
- TRANSITION MINETT from Luxemburg
- SOLIDARITY ECONOMY NETWORK from UK
- PROFILANTROP ASSOCIATION / KIFESZ / FAKETE / SOLIDARITY ECONOMY CENTER from Hungary
- VSOK from Austria
- OUR GOOD EARTH from Macedonia
- XES / REAS from Spain
- RIES / SOLIDARIUS from Italy
- TRAVA from Russia
- URGENCI / DUNIA – International networks
News from Europe—
Celebrating the approval of the Comprehensive Law to Promote the Social Economy in Spain
On 26 March 2026,, the Spanish Congress of Deputies has approved the Comprehensive Law to Promote the Social Economy, a long-awaited milestone built through broad consensus across the sector. RIPESS welcomes this new legal framework, which modernizes existing legislation, recognizes the diversity of the ecosystem, and strengthens an economic model that puts people before profit. A historic step for a [...]
Support the European Citizens’ Initiative for the Right to Food: Access to adequate, safe, sustainable and nutritious food is a fundamental human right
The access to adequate, safe, sustainable and nutritious food is a fundamental human right. However, this right is still not guaranteed in the European Union. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for the Right to Food, promoted by the European movement GOOD FOOD FOR ALL, seeks to change this reality and place this right at the centre of European public policies. [...]
Building alternatives and fighting fascism: voices from the U.S. Social Solidarity Economy in Barcelona
Next Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Ateneu L’Harmonia (Sant Andreu, Barcelona), the event “Building alternatives and fighting fascism. A report from the USA” will take place—an international dialogue space to reflect on current challenges in the United States and the responses being built by social movements and organizations, such as the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The [...]
