The Romanian National Union of Handicraft and Production Cooperatives Association - UCECOM ensures the representation and protection of the interests of handicraft cooperatives at the public and private level, and the promotion of the cooperative principles in Romania. It affiliates 466 cooperative entities and about 11,400 individual members who are, in their great majority, employees of those cooperatives. UCECOM also organizes and conducts direct economic, social, sporting and cultural activities.