ICA Europe and Development

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ICA Europe and Development

• Gabriella Sozánski, Regional Director
• for Europe
• ICA General Assembly, Oslo
• 3 September 2003

Audio visual Library, European Commission
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A three strand development approach

• CEECs Policy dialogue and lobbying national
  government
• Placing co-operatives at the heart of EU policy
• Putting ROEPs strategic position to the benefit
  of the other regions

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CEECs Policy dialogue and lobbying national
government

• Highest level policy dialogue resulting in more
  favourable environment for co-operative
  development

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Lobbying National Governments

• New co-operative laws in
• Bosnia Herzegovina
• Croatia
• Lithuania
• Review of co-operative laws
• Romania
• Hungary
• Poland

• Lobby National Governments to improve
• co-operative legislation

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Information and Communication

• Disseminate best practice through seminars,
  conferences and publications

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ILO Recommendation 193 on the promotion of
co-operatives
Joint workshops with ILO

• CIS Baltic countries - St Petersburg (29-30
  October 2003)
• Candidate countries - Budapest (2004)
• Other CEECs - venue to be decided

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Identify funding sources for European
co-operative projects

• In the pipeline Proposal for a New
  Neighbourhood Instrument
• Aim Improve EU interventions at its external
  borders after Enlargement
• Stage 1 Launch of Neighbourhood programmes in
  2004

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Placing co-operatives at the heart of EU Policy

• Co-operative enterprises have an important role
  to play in making Europe more competitive and
  dynamic

Commissioner Liikanen Lisbon, RA for Europe
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Developing European Cohesion

• Co-ordinate common actions
• Facilitate new partnerships
• Strengthen the voice of co-operatives

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Making co-operatives more visible, spreading
co-operative values

• Showcasing the co-operative form as a model for
  best practice
• Promoting co-operative entrepreneurship as a
  driving force of the European economy

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A Framework for Action

• UN Guidelines
• ILO Recommendation 193
• Statute for a European Co-operative Society
• Communication of the European Commission on
  Co-operatives
• Green Paper on Entrepreneurship

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Putting ROEPs strategic position to the benefit
of the other regions

• Lobbying
• Resource mobilisation

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ICA Development Programme
EU Development Priorities

Facilitate the establishment and growth of
independent, democratic and viable co-operative
organisation, in which men and women participate
on equal terms, through promotion, economic
collaboration management training

• Reduce Poverty
• Promote Sustainable development
• Ensure greater equity
• Strengthen democracy
• Promote equal opportunity

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EU Development Funding in 2000

• 7.6 billion Euros
• 4,2 billion for ACP countries
• 1 billion for the Southern Mediterranean Middle
  East
• 850 million for the Western Balkans former
  Soviet Union
• 570 million for in Latin America and Asia
• 1 billion for issue based activities (food
  security, environment, NGO co-financing, human
  rights )

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Decentralised co-operation

• Objective to promote political and social
  dialogue, support local development and encourage
  the involvement of local actors in EU
  co-operation
• Managed by EuropeAid co-operation office
• Open to co-operatives
• Estimated budget for 2003 5.8 million Euro
• 19 Projects funded in 2001

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Looking Ahead

• The European Union has as objective to make
  Europe the most competitive and dynamic
  knowledge based economy by 2010 (Lisbon
  Objectives).

ICA Europe will continue to work to ensure that
co-operatives have a central place in the
European arena to the benefit of the co-operative
movement in the region and worldwide.