Review article

Agricultural Co-operatives in the European Union

Željko Mataga ; Croatian Agricultural Co-operative Association, Zagreb, Croatia
Davorin Papeš ; Croatian Agricultural Co-operative Association, Zagreb, Croatia
Antun Petak ; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Based on several sources, and especially on data published in the
study Agricultural Cooperatives in the European Union published
by the Netherlands Institute for Co-operative Entrepreneurship and
the one provided by the General Confederation of Agricultural Co-operatives in the European Union (COGECA -Confederation
Generale des Cooperatives Agricoles de l'Union Europeenne) as
well as the viewpoint of the European Commission, the authors have
completed an overview of agricultural co-operatives in 15 European
countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Finland,
France, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain,
Sweden and Great Britain. The first part relates to the co-operative
principles and common standards of the EU member countries
(voluntary founding and independence from the state; members'
shared care for the co-operative, equality in management and shared responsibilities; the purpose of the co-operative is the
stimulation and the development of members' farms, the co-operative is a democratic organization). The major part of the
overview is data on the number of co-operatives, co-operative
members and employees and above all to the co-operative share
in the market of different countries as well as the economical and
financial indicators pertaining to the fundamental characteristics of
co-operatives and co-operative system in different countries. It is
obvious from the indicators that the number of co-operatives is
diminishing, while their economical power is growing. This mainly true for the most developed European Union member countries. In
the open and the global market the co-operatives manage to remain
competitive by applying the strategy of concentration and specialization at the state and even the international level. Thus it
might be concluded that the European co-operative´s are in the
final stage of their transformation process with the aim of adjusting
to the rapid market changes and the environment protection policy.
However, the competition growth has raised the issues regarding
decision making and management of co-operatives: the direct democratic decision making by the members has been replaced by the indirect decision making through representatives. Finally, the
authors taking into consideration the vitality and the key role of
agricultural co-operatives in national economies and especially in the
development of family farms specifically point out the importance of
the European Commission in the promotion and the support of co-operatives and co-operative entrepreneurship, as an umbrella
institution to the national incentive instruments.

Keywords

co-operative; law on co-operative´s; co-operative movement standards; Euro

Hrčak ID:

32962

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/32962

Publication date:

4.2.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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