Co-op News (August 2019)

In the mid 1990s Italian social co-ops
joined Cecop, posing new challenges
when it came to finding a common
political message. These co-ops had
been created in 1991 as worker co-ops, to
provide employment for disadvantaged
people; the model started being replicated
all over Europe.
Co-op federations from former
communist states in Eastern Europe also
started joining in the 90s – including
the Poland’s National Union of Worker
Co-ops (NAUWC). Its president Janusz
Paszkowski said: “The decision by the
federation to join Cecop was one of the
best the organisation made at the time.”
He said Cecop provided a platform for
co-ops to showcase their role in other
European countries. Back then co-ops
in Poland were seen as the remnants of
communism and authorities were looking
to introduce policies to put an end to
co-op enterprises. Around 18,000 co-ops
(60%) were closed down.
In 2004 Krakow was chosen to host the
European Social Economy conference.
“That conference gathered 800 people
from Poland and different countries,”
said Mr Paszkowski. “It was an important
moment because it was the first time
people in Poland heard about the social
economy, what it stands for.”
He added: “The reason why we
joined Cecop was to show them that
co-ops are important.
“The experience from Cecop can be
used to explain to politicians, and all
those reluctant [to engage with co-ops]
about what the sector can do.”
Cecop continued to work with these
countries to share other European states’
experiences and make the case for the
co-op sector. It also played a key role in
setting up Cooperatives Europe in 2005,
which acts as the voice of all co-ops
in Europe.
“We are strong only when we are strong
everywhere,” said Mr Schlüter.
Currently, Cecop represents 40,000
co-ops with 1.3 million members; these
all come from EU countries, but Cecop is
keen to have co-ops in non-EU states join.
“Our mission is to go east of what is
today the EU,” said secretary general
Diana Dovgan.
A 2016 survey collecting membership
data revealed that 77% of Cecop members
are worker co-ops and 22% are social
“SOCIAL CO-OPERATIVES MUST
PROMOTE A CULTURE OF SOLIDARITY
AND RESIST. THEY MUST BE READY
FOR EVERYTHING THE FUTURE HOLDS
FOR US, WHATEVER IT IS”
co-ops. The organisation is keen to engage
more with freelancer co-ops, community
co-ops, multistakeholder co-operatives,
platform co-ops and youth co-ops.
With transformations in the world
of work, Cecop intends to provide new
tools to offer workers access to social
protection and financial security.
“We have to think about building
alliances with co-ops in other sectors
as well as other organisations,”
said Ms Dovgan.
Diego Dutto, director of the Italian
association of co-operatives and social
enterprises Legacoop, added: “If I
think of the Europe of 1979, I think
of a Europe that no longer exists. We
need to respond to current challenges;
we are the first generation that
accepts the world might end due to
climate change – but the market has
to continue.”
He added: “Yesterday [20 June] was
World Refugee Day – our movement
can contribute a culture of solidarity.
What future can we expect? We need
to respond promptly and organise.
Social co-operatives must promote
a culture of solidarity and resist. They
must be ready for everything the future
holds for us, whatever it is. "
In 2013, the EC established its Working
Group on Cooperatives. Mr Guerini thinks
co-ops and other social economy actors
need to continue to work together to
ensure the digitisation of the economy is
done in a sustainable, ecological manner.
“We are not trendy ecologists like
those in Silicon Valley – we believe
sustainability has to do with how wealth
is distributed,” he said, adding that
co-ops need to respond to challenges
posed by the digital revolution.
Some public procurement benefits
were obtained in 2014 when the European
Parliament adopted new rules on public
procurement. CECOP welcomed the
adopted EU rules, especially the new
criterion of the “most economically
advantageous tender”, which allows
public authorities to place a stronger
emphasis in the award procedure on
quality, social aspects, environmental
considerations or innovation.
In a video message to the conference,
Ulla Englemann, head of Unit
Advanced Technologies, Clusters and
Social Economy at the EC, said co-ops
had already proven their resilience
during the 2008 economic crisis
and their ability to adapt to major
economic transformations.
She called on the sector to keep
showing that economic performance
is not incompatible with social
benefits. She thinks co-ops are
suitable models for digital innovation
and platforms and developing
disruptive technologies.
Juan Antonio Pedreño, president
of Social Economy Europe, who has
been a member of a local co-op in
Murcia for 37 years, said: “Co-operatives
are the backbone of social economy.
There is momentum for the social
economy to thrive in Europe. We need
to make sure that the Social Economy
Intergroup in the European Parliament
is re-established.”
Intergroups are unofficial groupings
of MEPs who are interested in a particular
topic formed at the start of each
parliamentary term.
Mr Pedreño also called on co-ops to
continue to work with social economy
actors to speak with a single voice.
AUGUST 2019 | 37