Activities of Antonio CANCIAN related to 2012/2321(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the contribution of cooperatives to overcoming the crisis PDF (175 KB) DOC (94 KB)
Amendments (16)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1
Heading 1
on the contribution of cooperatives and social enterprises to overcoming the crisis
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that, in the EU, social enterprises are becoming increasingly important and that, among these, there are about 160 000 cooperative enterprises owned by 123 million members and providing jobs for 5.4 million people – including around 50 000 cooperative enterprises in industry and services providing jobs for 1.4 million persons – and that cooperatives contribute around 5% on average to Member State GDP; notes that, over the last few years, several hundred industrial and service cooperative enterprises have been established as the result of the restructuring of businesses in crisis or without successors, thereby saving and re- developing local economic activities and jobs; notes that industrial and service cooperative groups have had a key impact on regional development in some of the most industrialised regions of the EU; notes that some industrial and service cooperatives specialised in labour integration provide jobs to over 30 000 disabled and disadvantaged persons; notes that cooperatives therefore play a very important role in the EU in economic, social and employment terms;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that cooperatives and social enterprises have proved themselves to be even more resilient in times of crisis than many conventional enterprises, in terms of rates of employment and of business closures, and notes that there is considerable evidence of this resilience, particularly in relation to cooperative banks and industrial and service cooperatives (worker cooperatives, social cooperatives and cooperatives formed by SMEs), owing to a great ability to adapt to change and keep business going, when it is at risk, by continuing to pursue their mission;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses the view that this greater resilience is in large part due to the cooperative or participatory models of governance, which is based on joint ownership and democratic control by their member-stakeholders, and that it is also due to their characteristic method of capital accumulation; considers that this model helps to ensure that cooperatives take a long-term approach and anchors them in the local economy, giving them a stake in local sustainable development and ensuring that they do not delocalise, even when they internationalise;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes also that social enterprises, and in particular cooperatives, have a long tradition of cooperation among themselves and that this allows them to take advantage of economies of scale and to share experience and best practice, as well as to transfer human and financial resources, where necessary; contends that this inherent flexibility allows cooperatives to sustain themselves even in the most trying times;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that this in-built capacity for resilience should be strengthened by paying proper attention to cooperatives and social enterprises in all EU policies designed to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as in the relevant flagship initiatives of the EU 2020 strategy; believes that the necessary steps should be taken to ensure a level playing field between cooperatives and other forms of enterprises, whilst preserving cooperatives’ aims and working methods;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to bolster its services responsible for cooperatives by creating a Directorate focused on cooperatives and other social-economy organisations (such as mutuals) within DG Enterprise, with a unit working solely onpaying greater attention to measures geared to the restructuring of industrial and service enterprises in crisis or without a successor into cooperatives;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Member States, in keeping with ILO Recommendation 193/2002, to review their legislation applying to cooperatives and social enterprises, with a view to adopting a comprehensive policy to support the cooperativse business models and creating a regulatory environment favourable to the recognition and development of cooperatives in all fields and sectors; stresses that this should include the introduction of appropriate financial instruments and the recognition of cooperatives’ rolethe role of economic and social organisations in the national social dialogue;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that the transfer of a business to the employees through the creation of a social enterprise, and in particular of a cooperative, is often the best way of ensuring the continuity of an enterprise; stresses that this kind of transfer should be supported by a specific EU budget line that also includes financial instruments; calls urgently for the creation, with the participation of the EIB and stakeholders from the ecooperative movementnomic and social sector, of a European mechanism designed to promote the development of cooperatives and social enterprises and, in particular, business transfers under the cooperative form;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls that it is not easy for social and cooperative enterprises in industry and services, and particularly SMEs, to gain access to venture capital and credit on the capital markets; notes also that cooperatives and social enterprises are not normally able to obtain large quantities of capital from their members;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that the Commission and the EIB/EIF should ensure that cooperatives and social enterprises have access to EU- level financial mechanisms – including the SME financing action plan suggested in the Single Market Act – and that they should make a special effort together with the cooperative banking sectorn effort with the financial intermediaries to ensure that this happens;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the programmes and funds being established under the Multi- annual Financial Framework (2014-2020) should be important instruments for supporting cooperativesthe economic and social sector; contends that, when operational programmes are established, there should be a focus on providing support for sustainable business development and responsible restructuring, including measures such as business transfers to employees, social cooperatives and enterprises, local development and social innovation, using global grants and other financial instruments;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the programmes and funds being established under the Multi- annual Financial Framework (2014-2020) should be important instruments for supporting cooperatives; contends that, when operational programmes are established, there should be a focus on providing support for sustainable business development and responsible restructuring, including measures such as business transfers to employees, social cooperatives, local development and social innovation, using global grants and other financial instruments;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Believes also that Member States should take steps to make it easier for cooperatives and social enterprises to gain access to the whole range of business support services, since this will help them further to contribute to sustainable growth;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate and promote the emergence of clusters of cooperatives and social enterprises to help them find the necessary resources to occupy a more prominent role in the production and distribution chain and to support the economies of scale that are necessary in order to fund research, development and innovation;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the Commission to frame and support policies to maintain and safeguard existing jobs, in addition to policies geared to creating new jobs;