Hands Off Our Co-ops!

March 2, 2010 - All Day

Tax Treatment of Co-ops Challenged at the European Commission - Co-op Identity Threatened

Claiming that differential tax treatment of co-operatives constitutes "state aid", and that such treatment undermines the competition rules of the EU, a number of large shareholding firms have launched a legal challenge of the tax regimes of Spain, Italy, and France. Despite the fact that the distinctive form of co-operatives as mutual enterprises is recognized in EU treaties, and that some national constitutions protect co-operatives as a form of enterprise established on principles different from those of capitalist firms, the effect of a successful legal challenge would be to erase this distinction. Co-operatives Europe, the European region of the International Co-operative Alliance, considers this challenge a major threat to the identity of co-operatives and an attempt on the part of capitalist firms to weaken their co-operative competitors and to gain market share.

Once again, capital interests refuse to tolerate the existence, much less the success, of any form of enterprise that challenges the principles and practices of capitalist firms.

Co-operatives Europe is mobilizing a petition among EU citizens to block this threat to the co-op identity in Europe. We wish them all success!

For more information, visit http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?article592

Note: Please do not sign the e-petition unless you are an EU citizen as this may compromise the value of the petition results.

Category: Community