2016 Cooperatives Europe General Assembly

This year’s Cooperatives Europe General Assembly will take place in Brussels on April 20. Online registrations are open from March 7 – April 15.

Working languages: English, French, Russian.

Draft programme

09.30 – 10.00h        Registration of participants

10.00 – 11.15h        Opening Ceremony –  10 years of Cooperatives Europe | Opening Speeches & Honour Ceremony for distinguished members

Opening Speeches:

• President of Cooperatives Europe – Dirk J. Lehnhoff
• President of ICA – Monique Leroux

 Member Award Ceremony (with support from CCU, Bulgaria):

• Laudatio for Dame Pauline Green by Petar Stefanov
• Laudatio for Etienne Pflimlin by Dirk Lehn

11.15 – 11.30h        Coffee Break

11.30 – 13.00h        Coop Member Exchange: The refugee challenge in Europe

The need for cooperation is steadily rising in Europe with more and more complex political, social and economic issues to deal with. Europe is facing its greatest challenge since decades to manage the large and continuous influx of refugees – a task too large for any of its countries and administrations.

So, how do cooperatives engage in this challenge across Europe? A panel of practitioners will provide on the ground experiences to stimulate discussions and questions from the audience: 

11.30h – 11.35h        Introductory words:  Mr. Ed Mayo

11.35h – 11.50h        Guest Speaker:  Mr. Stelios Kouloglou, Greek MEP, Vice-Chair of Development Committee 

11.50 – 12.55h          Cooperative Practitioners’ Panel on the refugee crisis in Europe

• Sweden: Mr. Anders Lago, Chairman of HSB
• Italy: Mr. Akram Zubaydi, Coop Auxilium, Ms. Simona Binello, Coop Agora, Ms. Roberta Tumiatti, Coop Pietra Alta Servizi
• Interventions from the floor: Israel (Mr. Mully Dor, Kibbutz Movement) and Turkey (Mr. Huseyin Polat, NCUT)

12.55h – 13.00h        Closing Remarks:  Mrs. Susanne Westhausen (Moderator)

13.00 – 14.00h         Coop Member Lunch

14.00 – 16.30h         General Assembly of Cooperatives Europe

14.00 – 14.45h          Member Panel on ‘Where we were 10 years ago and where we are now’ with Introduction and Moderation by President Dirk J. Lehnhoff:

• Belgium: Mrs. Hilde Vernaillen, Febecoop
• Finland: Mrs. Anne Santemaaki, SOK
• France: Mr. Etienne Pflimlin, Credit Mutuel
• Germany: Özgur Öner, GdW
• Italy: Mr. Rosario Altieri, Italian Cooperative Alliance
• Spain: Mr. Juan Antonio Pedreno, Coceta
• Sweden: Mr. Marten Lilja, Riksbyggen
• UK: Mr. Ben Reid, Midcounties
• Russia: TBC

14.45– 15.30h           2015 Activities & The Way Forward with member contributions

• 2015 Highlights & Towards 2020 moderated by Director K. Niederlander & P. Bosmans (Febecoop):
• Advocacy: Mrs. Stefania Marcone, member of EUCC
• Member projects: Mr. Jacques Landriot, Board member of Cooperatives Europe with Mr. Jean-Phlippe Poulnot, Groupe UP
• Development: Mr. Danilo Salerno, member of CEDP
• Energy: Mr. Dirk Vansintjan, Rescoop.eu
• Youth: Chiara Bertelli & Sebastien Chaillou, members of Youth Cooperatives Europe Network

15.30 – 16.15h          Statutory Business

• Approval of the agenda – quorum
• Approval of the minutes of the General Assembly 2015 (Paris)
• Approval of the activity report 2015 and of work programme 2016
• Approval of accounts 2015 and budget 2016
• Discharge of the Board members
• Statutory Business: membership
• Member requests/motions
• AOB

16.15h – 16.30h        Closing Remarks

19.00 – 22.00h      Coop Reception & Walking Dinner  | Welcome, Short Interventions on Key Achievements (during Cocktail) & Exposition of members

Welcome & Introduction by President of Cooperatives Europe

Official launch of ‘Power of Cooperation –  Cooperatives Europe Key Figures 2015’ Report by Mrs. Pernilla Bonde, HSB

Registrations are now closed.

Info: [email protected]

NB: Participation is restricted to members of Cooperatives Europe and invited guests.