A significant proportion of Europe's economy is organised to make profits not only for investors. The so-called Social Economy, including cooperatives, mutual societies, non-profit associations, foundations and social enterprises, provides a wide range of products and services across Europe and generates millions of jobs. When policy-makers work to improve the business environment in Europe, they need to ensure that their efforts take account of the specific characteristics of enterprises, particularly SMEs, in the Social Economy.
See original: 
Social Economy - Small and medium sized enterprises (SME) - Enterprise and Industry
