MOSCOW European Regional Assembly

& European Co-operative

19 -21 April 2010 Convention

innovation
& cooperation
A KEY POLICY FOR
CO-OPERATIVE
GROWTH & CREATION

organised by Cooperatives Europe in association with Centrosojuz

C oop R ussia
e
coop rativeS
urope
 Big thanks to our sponsors !
C ooperatives E urope would like to thank
its sponsors for their continued support

GOLD sponsor

Central Cooperative Union of Bulgaria C oop R ussia

silver sponsors

bronze sponsors

AGCI

other sponsors
 The co-operative movement, whose fundamental value system has consistently
proved its prestige and legitimacy, stands ready more than ever to respond to
the many challenges that our society is facing as it labours under the weight of
a worldwide economic, social and financial downturn.

Co-operative enterprises assert that it is possible to conduct business on the

basis of an alternative economic model. Indeed, they have been putting that
model to the test successfully for more than 150 years. Their strengths and
advantages are rooted in economic efficiency, democratic and participative
management and a concern to put social responsibility into practice.
Co-operative entrepreneurship offers a modern response to the expectations
and aspirations of both citizens and democratic governments alike. Indeed,
the co-operative business model is increasingly being seen as a powerful
instrument for stimulating growth and for pioneering sustainable development.
Even today, when the world is in the grip of a deep and widespread recession,
it holds out the promise of creativity, innovation and social justice.
The increasing number of co-operatives being created makes these assertions
abundantly clear.
The general theme of the Cooperatives Europe’s Regional Assembly in Moscow
2010 will be:
“Innovation & Co-operation: a key policy for co-operative growth
& creation„.

Four workshops will explore the key issues for the development of the
co-operative business model.

MO S C O W p r o g r a m m e

18 APRIL 2010
17:30-19:00 Board meeting (only for elected Board members)

20:00-22:00 Early registration

R e g i o n a l A s s e m b ly

19 APRIL 2010
From 8:00 a.m. Registration desk
Coffee and “networking time”

10:00 Opening session

Evgeny Kuznetsov, President Centrosojuz
Pauline Green, President International Co-operative Alliance
Etienne Pflimlin, Co-president Cooperatives Europe

10:30 Activity report 2006-2010: Co-presidents’ report and Director’s report

11:30 Elections

13.15 Lunch and “networking time”

14.30 Statutory business & results of the elections

16:00 Coffee and “networking time”

17:30 End of the first day

MO S C O W

E u r o p e a n C o - o p e r at i v e C o n v e n t i o n
20 APRIL 2010

08:00 Registration desk

Welcome coffee and “networking time”

Plenary session – Policy Session
09:30 Welcome addresses
Etienne Pflimlin, Co-President Cooperatives Europe
Viktor Alexeevich Zoubkov, Vice-Prime Minister of the Russian Federation
Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement
and European Neighbourhood Policy TBC
Pauline Green, President International Co-operative Alliance
Evgeny Kuznetsov, President Centrosojuz

Co-operative performance report 2009

For Europe: Rainer Schlüter, Director Cooperatives Europe
For Russia: Evgeny Kuznetsov, President Centrosojuz
Sectoral co-operative performance report and best practice
Anne Santamäki, President Euro Coop
Claus-Jürgen Hachmann, President Cooperatives Europe Housing
Felice Scalvini, President Cecop
Peter Vrisk, Vice-President Cogeca
Piet Moerland, President Eacb TBC

11:00 Coffee and “networking time”

11:30 TOWARDS A EUROPEAN OBSERVATORY ON CO-OPERATIVES

Gianluca Salvatori, Ceo Euricse
QUESTION TIME

12:00 Panel: Creating an innovative and sustainable Europe with co-operatives

Nadezhda Vladimirovna Gerasimova, Vice-Chairperson of the State Duma
Patrizia Toia, Member of the European Parliament TBC
Apostolos Ioakimidis, Directorate General «Enterprise and Industry» of the EC
Marie Zvolska, European Economic and Social Committee
Felice Llamas, Social Affairs Officer of United Nations

13:00 Lunch and “networking time”

Topic-based workshops held in parallel

14:30 A1 New co-operative sector development A2 Co-operative growth models

16:00 Coffee and “networking time”

16:30 Continuation of workshops A1 & A2

18.00 End of session workshops A1 & A2

E u r o p e a n C o - o p e r at i v e C o n v e n t i o n
21 APRIL 2010

08:00 Welcome coffee and “networking time”

Topic-based workshops held in parallel
09:30 Session 2 – Topic-based workshops held in parallel

A3 Co-operative image building and branding A4 2012: International Year of Co-operatives

11:00 Coffee and “networking time”

11:30 Continuation of workshops A3 & A4

13:00 Lunch and “networking time”

plenary session - closing session

14:30 Resolutions and round table: laying the basis for a co-operative development policy
With the chairs of the workshops:
Felice Scalvini – A1
Etienne Pflimlin – A2
Jean-François Hoffelt – A3
Rainer Schlüter – A4

16:00 Conclusions
Etienne Pflimlin, President of Cooperatives Europe
 A1
Workshop

New co-operative sector developments

In a time of economic recession and social degradation, co-operatives continue to offer solutions that benefit both the lives
of citizens and the European economy. Innovative solutions are being developed in the service and energy sectors and new
initiatives are being applied to address the threat of climate change and the participation in sport and leisure activities.
The workshop will enable the participants to share experience and to discuss how to exploit the potential for the growth
of the co-operative enterprise model in these emerging business areas.

Chair: Felice Scalvini, Cooperatives Europe

Keynote speaker:
Carlo Borzaga, Euricse - eu
Interpretation: French, English and Russian

Communication:
Vivian Woodell , The Phone Co-op - uk
with the possibility to speak in Italian

Renewable energies:
Bob Burlton, Act project - eu
Social services:
Bruno Roelants, Cecop - eu
Community goods:
Pierre-François Vaquié, Fncuma - fr
Education, culture & leisures:
Vladimir Kryvoshey, Russian co-operative University
Mervyn Wilson, The Co-operative College - uk
Housing:
Luciano Caffini, Legacoop Abitanti - it

A2
Workshop

Co-operative growth models

A specific challenge for a co-operative enterprise is to be able to develop its activities whilst remaining competitive and
maintaining a unique identity. This workshop will look at the application of legal instruments such as the European
Cooperative Society (SCE) and will explore the structures adopted by some co-operative groups such as the ‘holding
company’ and the ‘plc’ business forms. The development of ‘clusters’ (promoted by the European Commission) will also
be discussed along with the questions of synergy and co-operation between co-operatives enterprises.

Chair: Etienne Pflimlin, Cooperatives Europe

Keynote speaker: Antonio Fici, Euricse - eu
Interpretation: French, English and Russian with

External and internal growth:

the possibility to speak in Spanish & in Italian

A representative of Conservitalia - it
Bedrettin Yildirim, Central Union of Turkish Agricultural Credit Co-operatives - tr
Gabriel Csollar, Coop Jednota Slovakia
Chantal Chomel, Coop de France
Dirk Lehnoff, Dgrv - de
Liudmila Zaytseva, Centrosojuz - ru
Clusters: Mikel Lezamiz, Mondragon - es
With the participation of Apostolos Ioakimidis, Directorate General «Enterprise and Industry» of the EC
 A3
Workshop

Co-operative image building and branding

Within our Co-operative Movement it is widely acknowledged that co-operatives have been resilient to the financial
crises that many investor owned companies have played a part in. Yet, the unique characteristics of co-operatives are
not generally understood or publicly recognised. This workshop will look at the current methods of raising the awareness
of the values and principles of co-operative enterprises along with the ‘branding and marketing’ strategies that can be
implemented to express the co-operative difference. The introduction of a method of certification of the ‘co-operative
difference’ will also be considered.

Chair: Jean-Francois Hoffelt, Cooperatives Europe

Interpretation: French, English and Russian

Promoting ethics and principles: Mervyn Wilson, Co-operative College - uk

Communicating the Image:
Kristian Mills, The Cooperative Group - uk
Vania Boyuklieva, Ccu - bg
Paul Hazen, Ncab/DotCoop - us
Konstantin Ineshin, The council of the Ulyanovskiy Consumer Co-operative Union - ru
Pierre Liret, Cgscop - fr TBC

Round table discussion with speakers and audience questions

“Coop difference„ Certification: Susanne Westhausen, Kooperationen Denmark - dk

A4
Workshop

2012: International Year of Co-operatives

The UN has proclaimed 2012 the international year of co-operatives. It recognizes that the co-operative business model
is a major factor in realising economic and social development and calls on governments, international institutions,
co-operatives and other stakeholders to support the development and growth of co-operatives worldwide.
This workshop will help Cooperatives Europe and its members to consider how we could use this ‘year’ to further
our aims and objectives.

Chair: Rainer Schlüter, Cooperatives Europe

with the possibility to speak in Spanish & Italian

Promoting the International Year on Co-operatives: an opportunity not to miss

Interpretation: French, English and Russian

Dame Pauline Green, President Ica

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Chair of Centrosojuz
Introduction: Iain Macdonald, Director General Ica
Regional, National & European sector approaches:
Ramon Imperial Zuniga, Ica Vice-President of the Americas
Petar Stefanov, President Ccu - bg
Hervé Guider, Secretary General Eacb - eu
Claus Jürgen Hachmann, President of Cooperatives Europe Housing - eu
The UN objectives for IYC:
Felice Llamas, Social Affairs Officer of United Nations
Conclusions: European priorities for the International Year of Co-operatives
19 APRIL 2010

Fringe meetings
fringe meeting 1
17:00 - 19:00 Board of the Cooperative House Europe (only for board members)

Contact: Bruno Dunkel, Soficatra - bruno.dunkel@soficatra.org - be

fringe meeting 2
18:00 - 20:00 ACT! Project

Contact: Richard Mason, Cooperatives Europe - richardmason.climatethreat@coopseurope.coop - uk

fringe meeting 3
C2C Seminar:
18:00 - 20:00
Rural Development in Russia: an Opportunity for the Co-operative Model

Contact: Sergey Lisovsky, Duma - ru

AGCI
 Russian
languages

English
French
Additional working languages could be envisaged
for 50 delegates per country

World Trade Center

venue

Krasnopresnenskaya nab. 12
RU - 123610 Moscow

BRUSSELS MOSCOW
information

COOPERATIVES EUROPE CENTROSOJUZ

Avenue Milcamps 105
BE – 1030 Brussels
Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33
office@coopseurope.coop
Guilyarovsky Street 57
RU - 107996 Moscow
Tel: (7/495) 684 34 17, (7/495) 684 12 90
Fax: (7/495) 684 50 82
interdep@rus.coop

1ca