Cooperatives benefit from regulations that acknowledge their specificities and ensure a level playing field with other types of business organisations. This paper presents an overview of the research currently being conducted to examine and analyse the legal frameworks that impact cooperatives in different countries from the national to the supranational level. This paper outlines the contextual background and knowledge gaps, key objectives and methodological features of this ongoing research, which aims to provide harmonised data on cooperative law and its provisions, both at the national and supranational level, including a critical analysis of existing provisions that impede or promote cooperatives.