The European Commission is currently examining claims about so-called state aids and uncompetitive practices against cooperatives and regrettably parts of the European Commission continue to display their inclinations to see one business form only. The logic of the co-operative system will not be so easily put aside. 

Any common approach adopted by the European Commission must ensure that competition is NOT reduced through limiting the diversity of entrepreneurial objectives and forms.

COOPERATIVES EUROPE believes that efforts to undermine the value of the cooperative enterprise business model are short sighted and originate from the misunderstanding of the ‘co-operative difference'.