Coops Europe Activities Headlines Newsletter December 005 2008

ACTIVITIES HEADLINES – 2008/05 8 DECEMBER 2008 This is the 5th Activities headlines Newsletter for 2008. Please feel free to distribute it. If you did not receive this newsletter direct from Cooperatives Europe and would like to do so, please send an email to: office @coopseurope.coop.

EUROPEAN SOCIAL ECONOMY The European Conference on “Social Economy Enterprises: drivers for the Market and the Social economy” took place on 21-22 November in Strasbourg under the high patronage of Christine Lagarde, French Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment and in the framework of the French Presidency of the EU. The conference focused on two themes, the plurality of

entrepreneurial forms and social and territorial cohesion. COOPERATIVES EUROPE co-ordinated the workshop on ‘Competition Issues’ with the deputy director of DG Competition – Lowrie Evans, MEPs and representatives from European mutuals, cooperatives and associations. Cooperatives Europe Board member and member of CESE, Jean-François Hoffelt provided reactions to the address by OECD Deputy Secretary General, Art de Geus and Rainer Schlüter, Director of COOPERATIVES EUROPE made a presentation in the workshop ‘quality of employment and European social dialogue’. Deputy Director, Agnès Mathis presented the ‘European Co-operative Statute’ in the workshop: ‘Freedom of enterprise – towards a plural corporate law’. The conference declaration outlining the role and responsibilities of the Social Economy in Europe can be found on the ‘Social Economy Europe’ website: www.socialeconomy.eu.org ▫●●●▫

PETITION UPDATE The 263,000 cooperatives in Europe are under threat from a possible ruling on taxation by the European Commission. Act now to show your support for the campaign to stop this unfair action against the cooperative identity by signing the on-line petition to the European Commission. Sign the petition! http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hands-off-our-coops.html).To-date over 90,000 coop members have signed online or on paper. The petition will remain open until further notice. Read what coop members are saying about the issue at http://handsoffourcoops.tumblr.com/ ▫●●●▫

TAX REGIMES AND CO-OPERATIVES The first event of the EURICSE Foundation was a seminar in Trento, Italy – ‘The co-operative enterprise between national taxation and the European market’. The high level discussions involved around 80 participants with European experts confirming the diversity of taxation of cooperatives across Europe and identified the common fundamental guidelines that stem from the co-operative principles. The legal actions against co-operatives and more specifically the latest approach of the Commission concerning the Italian case were also discussed. The relations between business size and state aid, the variable taxation of reserves and the benefits for members were further key issues. Experts from 1 COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]

ACTIVITIES HEADLINES – 2008/05 8 DECEMBER 2008 Italy and other European countries presented papers and exchanged views on co-operatives in the Italian market and the Italian tax regime followed by a focus on the European perspective and the wider national tax regimes and state aids. The EURICSE Foundation is a network of academics to promote and develop studies, research and training on co-operatives and social enterprises. COOPERATIVES EUROPE is one of the founding institutional members being represented by Felice Scalvini. Contact: [email protected]

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CONFERENCE: COOPERATING IN EUROPE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES - BRUSSELS Organised by Legacoop - Italy, this seminar was the official launch of the ‘European Forum for the

promotion of information, consultation and participation of workers in the European Co-operative Statute (ECS)’. Speakers from the European Commission, the European Parliament and co-operative organisations, including COOPERATIVES EUROPE, presented their views on the development of the European Co-operative Statute – the obstacles and the challenges. Whilst to date the adoption of the ECS is a political victory and is a positive input to the co-operative system, the forthcoming evaluation of the statute may confirm some weaknesses that curb the proliferation of a ‘European Co-operative’. Some changes should therefore be proposed concerning the flexibility of the statutes. Contact: [email protected]

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COOPERATIVES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND IN MERCOSUR Organised by the co-operative agency of Mercosur (common market of South America) in partnership with CECOP-CICOPA, this inter-regional dialogue focused on exchanges of public policies and development issues concerning cooperatives. COOPERATIVES EUROPE presented the main challenges and key points for the development for the co-operative sector in Europe. The discussions on sectoral issues showed that even if the structures are different, co-operatives from both regions were facing the same problems and that they required coordination and involvement from the public authorities. It was reported that a Co-operative Mercosur Statute should be soon adopted. The exchange of views was organised on the basis of the agreement signed between Mercosur and the former CCACE in 2003. Contact: [email protected], [email protected]

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CO-OPERATING WITH JAPAN A co-operation agreement was recently signed between Cooperatives Europe and the JA (Japan Agriculture Cooperatives) General Institute and the Co-operative Research Institute of Tokyo. According to the agreement COOPERATIVES EUROPE will provide the Japanese institute with four publications about “common issues and challenges addressed to cooperative movements in European countries and Japan”. In particular, COOPERATIVES EUROPE will provide the Japanese Institute with information about issues that concern the development of cooperative organizations and of the impacts of such development. This collaboration marks an important step in the relationship between the Europe and Japan as well as with the Asian Co-operative Movement. The European and Asian movements are geographically distant but often have to face the same problems and obstacles to growth and development. ▫●●●▫

2 COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]

ACTIVITIES HEADLINES – 2008/05 8 DECEMBER 2008 LE GRAND MAGASIN Le Grand Magasin is a pilot project for a shop in Berlin, Germany selling products manufactured exclusively by co-operatives. The project was inaugurated in October 2008 with 200 people attending. The opening of the gallery-shop was the occasion for introductions and support from Dr. Dorothea Kolland, Head of the “Kulturamt Neukölln”, Andreas Wegner, responsible for the implementation of the project and Wladimir Kaminer, a Berlin author. The shop will be open until November 2009. Presently, the products come from 34 co-operative enterprises situated in Germany, France, Slovakia, Italy and the Czech Republic and include goods from large cooperatives such as Mondragon in Spain. Co-operative organisations that are interested in participating with this pilot project and would like to present their products in the gallery should make contact with: [email protected] ▫●●●▫

A FREE .COOP WEB DOMAIN NAME FOR NEW COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES The .COOP web domain registry announces FREE names for new start co-operative enterprises. They are making 100 domain names available globally between now and October 2009 to ‘new start’ co-operatives (co-ops that either will be registered within 6 months or which have been registered for 6 months or less). It is a ‘first come’ - ‘first served’ scheme, and all would-be registrant cooperatives must prove their eligibility (both to use .COOP and to meet the specific criteria of the promotion) before they can register a domain name. This offer follows the announcement that the French IT co-operative ‘Insite’ has become the official reseller of the .COOP domain name in France and that a new official reseller for Spain will also be announced soon. Resellers across Europe are actively being sought and incentive selling schemes are open for discussion with the selling operations manager: Graham Mitchell. For further information on the FREE names and reselling, please contact: [email protected] ▫●●●▫

SOCIAL DIALOGUE – CO-OPERATIVE REGIONAL SEMINARS As part of its Social Dialogue_ Consolidation project (SPP_C), COOPERATIVES EUROPE has organised regional seminars in Sweden, Cyprus and Italy (and France in January 2009) with local cooperative organisations, trade unions and public employee representatives. The seminars explored the creation of the conditions for a greater participation of European co-operatives in the decisions and consultations that are taking place in the European Social Dialogue – and to take part in economic and social programming as a social partner. Full details can be found on the COOPERATIVES EUROPE website: http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?rubrique310 ▫●●●▫

3 COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]

ACTIVITIES HEADLINES – 2008/05 8 DECEMBER 2008

DIARY DATES 14 JANUARY 2009 14 JANUARY 2009 15 JANUARY 2009

COOPERATIVES EUROPE EXECUTIVE MEETING – PARIS EU CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE – PARIS SPP REGIONAL SEMINAR - PARIS ▫●●●▫

NEW ADDRESS COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES Avenue Milcamps 105 BE – 1030 Brussels Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 – Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 [email protected]

4 COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL EUROPEAN HOUSE OF CO-OPERATIVES ◊ AVENUE MILCAMPS 105 ◊1030 BRUSSELS Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ Fax (32/2) 743 10 39 ◊ [email protected]