Cooperatives Europe

17/06/2026

The EU’s next long-term budget (MFF 2028–2034) is being discussed, but the European Commission's proposed shift toward centralisation risks sidelining the cooperative model.

We have published a new position paper 📙 : "Towards a New EU Multiannual Financial Framework - The Cooperative Response."

Our analysis, produced with our members, highlights 23 recommendations to ensure the new budget supports a fair, resilient economy that keeps its value local.

Key concerns include:
⚠️ The new National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) may reduce the influence of regions and local actors.
⚠️ Changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could weaken support for cooperative farmers and food security.
⚠️ The new European Competitiveness Fund lacks clear inclusion for SME cooperatives and social economy enterprises.
⚠️ "Global Europe" instruments risk excluding cooperative partners from key programmes.

Cooperatives are drivers of European competitiveness and reindustrialisation. If they are left out of funding design, we risk losing the capacity that already sustains rural economies, housing, energy, and care, ...

We urge policymakers to protect spending for SMEs and ensure the budget supports locally owned, democratic businesses.

📖 Read the full paper to read about our recommendations:
https://coopseurope.coop/publication/position-paper-towards-a-new-eu-multiannual-financial-framework-the-cooperative-response/

15/06/2026

11/06/2026

Our annual report 2025-2026 is out now!

Approved at our General Assembly this morning.

"Cooperatives: An Essential Piece of Europe's Democratic Economy"
🔎Discover the year in review and our efforts to support and promote in Europe and in the world.

Find it here:
🔗 https://coopseurope.coop/publication/annual-report-2026/

10/06/2026

📢 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS!

Is your cooperative driving change? Represent it at the Cooperatives Europe 20th Anniversary Awards in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee.

🏆 Categories: Stewardship | Community Impact
🚀 Prize: EU-wide visibility, a chance to pitch to policymakers, and showcase your impact
💸 Travel and accommodation covered for finalists

Apply by 15 July at coopseurope.coop/coopanniversaryawards (link in bio)

Know an inspiring initiative? Tag them below 👇

10/06/2026

📢 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS! 📢

Is your cooperative driving change?
Are you making meaningful impact?

Represent your cooperative at our 20th Anniversary Awards in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee.

We want to take our anniversary celebrations as an occasion to show Europe what are capable of.

🏆 2 Categories: Stewardship | Community Impact
🚀 The Prize: Visibility across Europe (Publications, Social Media,....), Pitch to EU policymakers & showcase your impact
💸 Support: Travel and stay in Brussels are covered for finalists!

Apply by 15 July: https://lnkd.in/gxamtwDK

Share this post with someone who has an interesting initiative!

02/06/2026

😍 AGENDA is out! Are you a youth organisation or cooperative? Is youth entrepreneurship a pillar of your work?

🚨 Only 2 days left to register for the three-day Forum “Youth Voices, Cooperative Choices: Advancing a Democratic Economy in Enlarged Europe” in Budapest!”
Join us and 40+ youth cooperators and leaders, and policymakers to discuss the power of cooperation and youth entrepreneurship in addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow 🇭🇺.

What to expect?
🔸ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Attend interactive workshops, policy labs, and role plays to hone your entrepreneurship and cooperation skills and contribute to your local economy
🔸EMPOWERMENT: Share your best practices and learn from your peers and policy experts across the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and beyond
🔸EMPLOYMENT: Turn your ideas into socio-economic impact by drafting practical toolkits and policy recommendations on cooperative entrepreneurship and youth empowerment
🔸FUN: participate in networking dinners, visit two local cooperatives to see business in action &... the beautiful Budapest!

Key details:
📆 29 June – 1 July 2026
📍 Central Budapest, Hungary
💰 Free registration + catering provided | Travel and accommodation coverage for 40 international participants!

Ready to travel to Budapest and help shape Europe’s democratic economy?

🔗 Learn more & register (until TOMORROW!) at: https://yvcc2026.org
👇 Check out the agenda & spread the word!

🌍

21/05/2026

📢 Only 10 days left to register for “Youth Voices, Cooperative Choices” in Budapest! Join us and 40+ young cooperators, youth leaders and changemakers for a 3-day forum to talk about cooperativism, learn from each other, and help shape the people-centred economy in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. 🇭🇺

📅 29 June – 1 July 2026
📍 Central Budapest, Hungary
💰 No registration fee. Travel and accommodation support is available for 35 international participants!

Organised in partnership with DiákÉSZ and the Young European Cooperators Network (YECN), at this event…:
🔹 You will develop skills for your cooperative business through mentor-mentee structured sessions
🔹 You will visit local Hungarian cooperatives and see how they manage their governance and on-site activities.
🔹 You will connect with national and international policymakers to create policy recommendations.
… and much more!

Ready for a trip to Budapest?

🔗 Register today: https://yvcc2026.org

Learn more:
https://coopseurope.coop/events/youth-voices-cooperative-choices-advancing-a-democratic-economy-in-enlarged-europe/


🌍

15/05/2026

📣 New webinar coming up! Dialogue series – episode 3
Cooperating, adapting, responding: spotlight on environmental crises

On World Climate Change Day, pin June 3rd at 14:00 – 15:30 CEST on your calendar! We will be back with the third and final episode of our dialogue series: “The Power of Cooperation in Advancing a Human Rights Economy in Crises”.

Recap of the last episode here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7430620181376380928

This third dialogue brings environmental crises to the spotlight, exploring the cooperative response to climate change. Rooted in democratic ownership and flexible governance, cooperatives respond to ecological crises through community-led solutions aimed at long-term resilience and stability.

The discussion will explore how cooperatives:
🔸 enable community access to land, water, and energy
🔸 combine ecological regeneration with economic security and resilience
🔸 foster education and awareness on collective environmental responsibility

🗓️ June 3, 14:00 – 15:30 CEST | 💻 Online
📝 Register here: 6b01b2cf-4fa9-4550-8639-6648e89c9f1a@7b221798-6b16-4d61-8ea4-51e9d39932fa" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6b01b2cf-4fa9-4550-8639-6648e89c9f1a@7b221798-6b16-4d61-8ea4-51e9d39932fa

📖 More info: https://coopseurope.coop/events/cooperating-adapting-responding-spotlight-on-environmental-crises-dialogue-series-episode-3/

13/05/2026

12/05/2026

📢BIG NEWS: Today we are launching Cooperatives Europe's 20th Anniversary Awards the

Are you a big cooperative, longstanding achievements, still true to the cooperative values?

Or are you a smaller cooperative or project that is working on solving issues for communities while meaningfully involving young people in its mission?

Or you know someone that deserves recognition for their work?

Share with them this post!

💡The European landscape is changing. As we face shifts in energy, housing, and social care, the world is looking for business models that actually work for people. For 20 years, we have known that cooperatives are the answer— 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆!

To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are looking for the "beacons" of our movement. We want to find the stories that stand out and show the "Next Chapter" of economic democracy.

We are calling for nominations in two categories:

💪Award for cooperative stewardship: For those who have reached scale and economic resilience without losing their cooperative soul.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Award for people and community impact: For initiatives that tackle local issues and give a voice to the next generation.

Finalists will...
✔️Get a trip to Brussels to pitch their project live at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
✔️Speak to over 100 leaders and policymakers,
✔️Travel and accommodation covered,
✔️Get visibility across Europe on social media, publications,...

Ready to stand out?
All information here at https://coopseurope.coop/coopanniversaryawards/

Let’s show Europe what the future of the economy looks like.