In the run-up to the European Parliament elections, which took place on 22-25 May, co-operatives encouraged candidates to support their enterprise model.
Cooperatives Europe has released a “Co-operative manifesto”, which revealed the co-operative policy priorities for the 2014 EU Parliament elections.The manifesto touched upon the issues of concern for co-operative banks, industrial and service co-operatives and consumer co-operatives.
Cooperatives Europe called for EU policy framework for co-operatives and highlighted that it would like to work with MEPs to revise the EU’s ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. It also asked for the development of a co-operative roadmap to support business start-ups and growth. Their manifesto is available online.
Co-operatives from across various sectors also published their own manifestos in which they highlighted their take on what the next legislature needs to do to strengthen co-operatives.
Europe’s co-operative banks, which represent 56 million members and 850,000 employees are represented by the European Association of Co-operative Banks, which in the run-up to the elections campaigned for a legislative framework at the EU and international level that takes into account the diversity in terms of size and organisation forms of the business models in the banking sector.
Cogeca, the organisation representing European agri-co-operatives also outlined the priorities for the EU agriculture sector. They called for a strong EU agriculture sector, international trade agreements that respect high EU production standards, as well as a better income from market for farmers. Cogeca urged European Parliament candidates to campaign for the maintenance of a European agricultural sector that is sustainable, competitive and resource efficient. The EU’s agri-food chain employs over 40 million people. Their manifesto is available online.
CECOP, the European Confederation of co-operatives and worker-owned enterprises active in industry and services, also set out the top priorities for the next EU legislature in a manifesto. CECOP represents over 50,000 co-operatives and other employee-owned enterprises from 17 EU states, employing 1.4 million people. The confederation demanded strengthening the co-operative mutualised business support services and regulatory frameworks for the creation of co-operative industrial clusters and horizontal groups.
CECOP also called for the re-establishment of a unit inside the European Commission in charge of co-operatives and the continuity of the Social Economy Intergroup in the European Parliament during the next legislature.
Eurocoop, the Community of European Consumer Cooperatives, published a memorandum for the European Elections, which calls for policies to support the activity and business model of consumer co-operatives, touching upon retail policy, competition or funding. The memorandum asks EU institutions to recognise consumer co-operatives as drivers of sustainability, promote a strong and balanced consumer policy and establish a EU Food Policy that sets the global standards and protects European businesses in the retail sector. It also suggests EU institutions built a EU food system able to tackle the challenge of sustainable growth and engaged consumers towards sustainable consumption patterns for Europe’s economic, social and financial growth.
European housing co-operatives represented by the CECODHAS Housing Europe launched their own manifesto of demands and proposals for the European elections, which suggests supporting the right long-term national and European social investment by ensuring better resources for social, public and co-operative housing. The manifesto also calls for ensuring stable and responsible European housing markets to avoid further recession of European economy and to support sustainable growth.
REScoop, a federation of groups and co-operatives of citizens for renewable energy in Europe, asked candidates and their parties to take steps to ensure the transition from fossil and nuclear energy to renewable energy and put an end to subsidies for fossil fuel and nuclear industry while removing obstacles for energy co-operatives and community power projects. REScoop also suggested setting binding targets for renewable energy, energy efficiency and CO2 emissions. The federation argued that a significant part of every energy project should be reserved for the local community and that there is a minimum quota of citizen participation in all new RES projects.
