REVES, the European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy, is the only European network that brings together Local Authorities and Social Economy Actors. Its major objective is to create stable partnerships and common policies for sustainable local development and social inclusion. REVES promotes active citizenship, social responsibility, solidarity, participation and good governance as pre-conditions for a greater social cohesion and economic development.

REVES was created in September 1997, by an initiative of the cities of Östersund (Sweden) and Reggio Calabria (Italy) and the European Confederation of Workers’ Co-operatives, Social Co-operatives and Participative Enterprises (CECOP). At present, REVES embodies local authorities and social economy organisations coming from 14 states (12 EU member states plus Morocco and Russia), for a total of 80 members.

Main objectives of local and international co-operation within the network are laid out in the REVES Charter. They include elements such as partnership, the development of a new culture of social entrepreneurship and global social responsibility, gender equality or new quality employment, to name just a few.
Within 8 years of existence, these key concepts have been analysed and elaborated against the backdrop of different local realities.

Since several years, REVES has been developing a multi-disciplinary, partnership-based approach for local policy planning and evaluation. This was done by extending the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility of enterprises to a wider concept involving all key actors on a given territory: Territorial Social Responsibility (TSR©pending).
TSR© has been and still is further elaborated in the framework of various projects and other activities. Its principles correspond with common objectives of the European strategy against poverty and social inclusion such as the mobilisation of all relevant bodies, subsidiarity and the application of a multi-dimensional approach to social inclusion.

REVES’ activities are closely linked to European Union policies, on the one hand, and processes of local development, on the other. As a relay between different territories as well as between territories and the European Union, the network represents a unique laboratory for socio-economic innovation.

Today the REVES Network is re-orienting and elaborating its objectives. This is due to the fast growth caused by an increasing number of applications for membership from local authorities/social economy organisations within and beyond the borders of the European Union. Concepts such as the new welfare, social inclusion, employment, local development and participation are re-defined and experimented. This requires a firm commitment from REVES members, i.e. from both local authorities and social economy organisations.