MAGAZINE - Copa-Cogeca

April 2012 │ 15
In the International Year of Cooperatives 2012, Cogeca
President Paulo Bruni highlighted the important role
agri-cooperatives play in the market place. They help
farmers get a better return
from the market and make
a key contribution to the EU
2020 Strategy for growth and
employment, which is vital in
the current economic climate.
Mr Bruni insisted "Agri-
Cooperatives are key to ensuring
a competitive, innovative EU
agri-food sector. They enable
farmers to join forces to market their produce; add value
to produce; help protect farmers against risks and help
ensure product development through research and
innovation, which is more important than ever given the
current economic climate and increasing market volatility
. In the fruit and vegetables sector, for example, where
there are strong seasonal variations in supply, cooperatives
play a vital role in balancing out the market".
He continued: “With farmers currently getting little
return from the market place, it is more important than
ever to further concentrate supply via the development
of cooperatives to help them get a better return. This is
vital in view of the increasing world food demand which
is expected to rise by 70% by 2050. That is why it is crucial
to ensure that much more is done under the EU policies
to strengthen cooperatives’ role”.
Mr Bruni highlighted the major breakthrough Copa-
Cogeca achieved in February in agreeing a position on
the EU Commissions legislative proposals on the future
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). He is pleased to see
the EU Commission has recognised the importance of
agri-cooperatives and has come forward with plans to
reinforce their role in its proposals . This is a move in the
right direction. The Commission intends to work on each
sector and see how producer organisations (POs), such as
cooperatives, can be strengthened, focusing in particular
on the fruit and vegetables, wine, olive oil and sheep
sectors. But he called for a more precise definition of
POs, their aims and tasks
and a guarantee of
In International Year of Cooperatives
2012, Cogeca President Paolo Bruni
highlights crucial role cooperatives
play in market place and outlines
events for 2012
“legal certainty” under
Community competition
law so that they are able to
consolidate. Copa-Cogeca
has just agreed a position
paper on this. We also
need specific measures
to eliminate unfair and
abusive commercial practices in the food chain. With
increasing market volatility, Mr Bruni called for strong
safety nets and measures to manage the markets.
In a bid to launch at European level the International Year
of Cooperatives 2012, Cogeca, together with Cooperatives
Europe and other European sector member organisations,
held a major press conference in January , hosted by MEP
Capoulas Santos. Cogeca will also carry out new initiatives
in 2012 and step up efforts to promote agri-cooperatives.
We are jointly with other stakeholders organising a
number of targeted events, like the Cooperative Week
in April, in Brussels. In a bid to stimulate innovation,
Cogeca will present the European Award for Cooperative
Innovation in June, Mr Bruni said. This award is intended
to show how creative and innovative European agricultural
cooperatives are and to encourage others to improve their
competitiveness and positioning in the food chain and to
create more innovative products.