Co-operative contributions to the EU 2020 strategy

At European level the International Year will reach its climax with the Co-operative Week, which will be held in Brussels from 23 to 27 April 2012. The European Conference ‘The Co-operative Business Model: a Key Development Tool for the EU 2020 Strategy’ will officially open the week. The conference will be held after Cooperatives Europe annual General Assembly. It will highlight how co- operative enterprises are a perfect fit with Europe 2020, the growth strategy of the EU for the coming decade. EU2020 aims for “a sustainable economy, putting people and responsibility first with a sustained fight against exclusion and a transition to a green economy”. Co-operatives already act in this way, putting people at the heart of their business, while at the same time generating long-term wealth for the communities. Co- operatives bring specific answers and innovative solutions that aim at contributing to the EU2020 strategy. The European Conference will be the time for co-operatives to highlight their contribution to the EU2020 strategy and to show that they offer a powerful stabilizing element to Europe’s economic system – a role that the European institutions ought to recognize and strengthen further. More information about the co-operative week can be found here: http://www.coopseurope.coop/2012-coops-year/co-operative-week