Cooperatives Europe

Initiating a process of integration that continues in 2006, Cooperatives Europe was created on 1March 2005 to bring together the forces of the cooperative movement at the European level. Gaining visibility to make the specific features of cooperatives known to European institutions is an important objective. The author of the article, himself involved in this process, recalls the different stages in getting the cooperative movement recognized in EU texts and programs up until the adoption of the statute for a European cooperative society in July 2003 and the communication of the European Commission on the promotion of cooperative societies in Europe in February 2004 (an excerpt of this communication appears in the appendix). A few quantitative elements show the importance of the cooperative sector in Europe. There is still, however, a lot to do. From the risk of going mainstream to the question of resources, these topical issues are examined in the article