The international SECON project, aimed at supporting the integration of people living in poverty and vulnerable groups, as well as significantly strengthening the social economy, includes Harghita County Council among its partners.
Project partners met between April 21–24 in Mannheim, Germany, where they explored good practices and, during roundtable discussions, formulated recommendations to raise awareness and strengthen the legal framework and the role of the social economy.
Harghita County was represented at the meeting by Melinda Szebeni, assistant manager of the working group from the County Council, along with representatives of the involved partner organizations: Cristian Gligor from the Pro Siculi Intercommunity Development Association in Miercurea Ciuc, and Árpád Csiszér from the Right Association, also based in Miercurea Ciuc.
As a good practice example, participants visited an institution that provides training for individuals who have dropped out of school. This training model is highly effective, with a success rate of 95–97%.
During the roundtable discussions, partners concluded that greater visibility is needed for the social economy and examples of best practices, along with the creation of a unified legal framework at EU level and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the role of the social economy should be significantly strengthened so that it becomes a key, defining part of the economy, broadly contributing to the functioning and well-being of society. Achieving these goals requires raising awareness and developing the necessary competencies.
Partners also agreed on the need to introduce a European certification, establish an EU-level database, harmonize legislation to facilitate partnerships between Member States, and allocate more substantial public funding to the social economy. As summarized, these would represent the priorities for stabilizing the social economy over the next twenty years.
The SECON – Social Economy: Supporting Regional Policies for Social Economy Enterprises project aims to promote knowledge exchange through regional and interregional learning activities, as well as through the development of studies and reports. It supports participating regions in improving relevant policy instruments, fostering an environment conducive to the growth of the social economy, with particular focus on rural areas. The project is funded by the Interreg Europe programme.
Miercurea Ciuc, May 6, 2026.
