The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) held a workshop on Cooperative Law and Public Policies on 22 and 23 August in Pula (Croatia), bringing together lawyers specialising in cooperatives, researchers, professionals and representatives of the cooperative movement to analyse how Cooperative Identity is incorporated into national legislation, public policies and institutional practice. The workshop was held within the framework of the ICA’s Financial Partnership Agreement with the European Union.
One of its objectives was to identify themes, concepts and legal issues that could form part of a future international commentary on cooperative law. This work builds on the Comparative Analysis of Legal Frameworks carried out by the ICA on national cooperative legislation and on the ICA’s Guidance Notes on the Cooperative Principles of 2015.
A must-attend event
During the first day of the workshop, the state of legal frameworks in the different ICA regions was discussed, along with issues related to housing and cooperative identity. Participants in these sessions included, among others, Blase Lambert, Alexandra Wilson, Goran Jeras, Isaac Nyamongo, Ian Adderley, Andreea Nacu, Thomas Beckett and Mathias Fiedler.
Possible principles of international cooperative law were also discussed, with contributions from Dante Cracogna, Hagen Henry, Jean-Louis Bancel, Cynthia Giagnocavo, Ifigeneia Douvitsa and Santosh Kumar.
The second day featured the participation of Giuseppe Guerini, Vice-President of the ICA. The meeting also addressed the relationship between cooperative law and sustainable development, while UNIDROIT presented its work on collaborative legal structures for agricultural enterprises.
The meeting highlighted the fact that cooperatives are subject to very different legal frameworks depending on the country. This diversity can make comparisons more difficult, but it also provides an opportunity to identify solutions and experiences that may be useful in other territories.
The legal debate is particularly important because laws can facilitate or hinder essential aspects of cooperative activity. Issues such as governance, liability, decision-making, joining and leaving the cooperative, or the autonomy of organisations depend to a large extent on the regulatory framework.
The workshop concluded by laying the foundations for a future international commentary connecting Cooperative Identity, comparative legal analysis and cooperative practice.
