Co-operative Europe: A voice for co-ops at EU level

February 2009

Co-operatives Europe (or Co-ops Europe) is the European arm of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). Coops Europe ensures that the interests of the 263,000 European Co-operatives that are serving their 163 million members (1 in 3 EU citizens) actively contribute to the economic and social objectives of the EU. It aims to enhance the identity of the co-operative organisation by representing and promoting it at EU level and it works towards uniting European co-operatives by building coordination and synergy amongst them.

Co-ops Europe aims to enforce the plurality of business forms in Europe, which is sometimes forgotten by others. It wants to grow the co-operative model of enterprise so provides a consultation, research and development service to members, along with up-todate news and events that are relevant to the sector. This is badly needed for the co-operative sector, which in the past has been very fragmented and lacking in confidence.

Thirty-seven out of the forty-two countries of the European Regions are members of Co-ops Europe. Co-ops Europe consistently promotes the co-operative organisation at political level. It is responsible, for example, for the current "Hands off our Co-ops" campaign, which was, initially, directed at the then president of the European Comission, Mr. Jose manuel Barroso, and the Competition Commission Ms. Neeklie Kroes.

This campaign centres around the issue of Competition Law. A number of large shareholding companies made an official complaint to the European Union that retail co-operatives were being given special treatment and advocated a change in national tax rules for co-operatives.

Co-operatives, however, are not looking for special treatment. But they do have a unique legal and financial structure that needs to be recognised in law. According to Co-ops Europe "the European Commission cannot be allowed to pretend that they are comparing the same things when they compare co-ops with private sector businesses".

This campaign "Hands off our Co-ops" is web-based. So far 100,000 signatures have been collected, which demonstrates the support that co-operatives are building across Europe.

Co-ops Europe works at a very practical level. Its Development Policy group has mapped more than 320 cooperative development projects in 80 countries and has invested more than €100 million in co-operative development.This group has discussed common strategies and plans, and defined some geographical priorities such as the Balkans and Co-opAfrica.

Another project is Le Grand Magasin. This is the title of an exhibition that opened last October in Berlin which displays and sells products from European Co-operatives. The exhibition aims to raise awareness about alternative forms of trade, production, and consumption.

Co-ops Europe also serve to showcase Best Practice co-operatives on their website, such as the Phone Co-op, Film Distribution Co-op or co-operative ventures in Mexican, Spanish and French secondary schools. It also keeps its members informed of the many interesting conferences and events that are taking place, such as Co-ops Europe General Assembly, the Social Dialogue Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, the ICA’s general assembly in Geneva in October and the annual European conference on Social Economy that is taking place this April in Prague.

It is becoming clear that with the help of Co-ops Europe, there is only one way the Co-operative movement is heading in Europe and that way is ....UP!

Long may it continue.

Patricia Keane