As the French government is setting out an action plan for growing and transforming enterprises, the co-operative movement has shared its views on enterprise reform.
The national federation for co-operatives, Coop FR, has published a statement highlighting the specific nature of the co-op model, which it says focuses on working together, democratic values and shared values.
The organisation argued that any legislative changes should reflect the diversity of the country’s society and economy. In particular, Coop FR warns that changes in enterprise law should not lead to discrimination against the co-operative sector, as co-ops do not aim to maximise profits, but rather meet their members’ needs.
The position paper also highlights that France is a signatory member of a number of international regulations, including the UN’s International Civil and Political Rights Pact, which guarantees the right of individuals to associate freely to protect their common interests. The UN’s declaration 56/114 from 2001 also calls on member states to ensure an enabling environment for co-operatives to grow. Similarly, the ILO’s Recommendation 193 on the Promotion of Co-operatives has helped set out legislative frameworks and public policies around co-operatives since 2002.
In order to contribute to diversity in the business sector, any new enterprise law should systematically mention co-operatives, says Coop FR. The trade body also urges that the recognition of different enterprise models, including co-operatives, leads to more information being made available to the public.
With a turnover of €320bn and 1.3bn employees, French co-operatives play in important role in the economy, accounting for 12% of GDP and 5.5% of employment. According to stats published by Coops FR, one in three French people is a member of a co-operative, with a total of 27.5m members.
