The promotion of cooperativism through public procurement as a challenge and opportunity for the social economy

Abstract

The new legal regime of public procurement has involved a transformation of public sector contracts, which have become specific instruments for the achievement of social, environmental and entrepreneurial goals and social innovation. Well, one of the highlights of the new regime of public procurement is the consolidation and development of the General Principles of Contracting. Principles that, in any case and in accordance with the European 2020 Strategy, need to be compatible with the challenge of promoting the incorporation of contractual clauses that reflect the social and environmental obligations that must be respected by Public Administrations and the rest of the contracting authorities in the procedures of public tender. In this sense, the work presented addresses the study of some of the current challenges of the Cooperative Movement, from the analysis of the relationship between public procurement and the promotion of cooperativism as a consequence of its social commitment and its contribution, from its origin to the promotion of the development of general interest in areas such as education, housing, socio-sanitary assistance and the protection and defense of the environment, in accordance with the terms of the seventh principle cooperative that advocates that these entities work for the sustainable development of their communities according to the policies adopted by their partners.