Portuguese Confederation of Social Economy

CPES – Portuguese Confederation of Social Economy, established on June 21, 2018, is a private legal entity with an associative nature, bringing together entities representing the different families of the Social Economy in Portugal.

The Confederation’s main objective is to promote and defend the Social Economy, defend the interests of its members, represent the sector internally and externally, act as a liaison with the State, and participate, as a social partner, in the coordination, definition of public policies, and strategic guidelines for the Social Economy.

The CPES is a member of the following organizations:

National Council for the Social Economy (CNES);
Competence Center for the Social Economy (CCES), in partnership with the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (I.E.F.P., IP);
Social Economy Europe (SEE);
European Economic Social Committee (EESC).

About CPES

Mission

To promote and defend the social economy and its principles and values, as well as the interests of its members, aiming to increase their economic participation in the national product, fostering dialogue and intercooperation among its members, and participating in the definition of public policies for the cooperative and social sector as defined in the Constitution of the Republic.

Vision

To be recognized as the entity that represents the social economy sector before national, European, and international governing bodies and to promote, among its members and externally, a strong identity for the Portuguese social economy through the dissemination of its shared principles and values, the qualification of its agents, and the projection of a mobilizing external image.

Guiding Principles

The Confederation organizes and conducts its activities in accordance with the principles of autonomy, independence, and democracy, being independent of the State, as well as of any political party organizations and religious denominations;
The Confederation pursues its purpose and objectives in strict compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, which means that it does not overlap with the purpose and objectives pursued by its members.

Objectives and Purposes

The Confederation’s main purpose is to promote and defend the social economy, as well as the interests of its members. It must, in particular:

Develop all actions necessary to promote and defend the social economy and its constituent sectors;
Serve as a liaison with the State and participate, as a social partner, in the coordination, definition of public policies, and strategic guidelines for the social economy;
Promote actions aimed at social dialogue and institutional participation in Central, Regional, and Local Government bodies, with a view to defending their own and common interests;
Represent the interests of the social economy as a whole, without prejudice to the specific representation of each member, both internally and externally;
Create and organize, independently or in collaboration with other entities, services of common interest to its members;
Develop, within the scope of its objective and purposes, and when requested by members, support activities in the areas of project development, technical, legal, tax, IT assistance, as well as other areas deemed of interest;
Promote studies, analyses, research, and publications related to the social economy;
Develop training and qualification initiatives in all areas of the social economy;
Organize, independently or in collaboration with other entities, outreach and information initiatives, including colloquia, seminars, debates, or conferences;
Develop any other initiatives that, within the scope of their purpose and objectives, aim to promote and defend the interests of the social economy.

Estatutos e Regulamento Eleitoral

Estatutos.pdf

REGULAMENTO-ELEITORAL.pdf

Governing Bodies

Term 2022 / 2025

General Assembly

President – CPF – JOSÉ MANUEL NUNES LIBERATO

Vice-President – APM-REDEMUT – VANESSA TEIXEIRA DE MELO SILVA PALMA
Secretary – União das Mutualidades – LUIS FILIPE DE MENDONÇA CRISTINA DE BARROS

Board of Directors

President – União das Misericórdias – MANUEL AUGUSTO LOPES DE LEMOS

Vice-President – CONFAGRI – ALDINA BAPTISTA FERNANDES

Vice-President – CNIS – ELEUTÉRIO MANUEL ALVES
Vice-President – CONFECOOP – JULIETA ESTEVES BRANCO SANCHES DE ALMEIDA VASCONCELOS
Vice-President – ANIMAR – CÉLIA OTELINDA BORGES PEREIRA