Untitled | IUS Cooperativum

Perspectives of Cooperative Law Development in Europe. Legal Innovations and Obstacles for Cooperatives Advancement

The Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot kindly invites to the conference: Perspectives of Cooperative Law Development in Europe. Legal Innovations and Obstacles for Cooperatives Advancement.

The conference will take place in Warsaw, at the office of the National Cooperative Council, from 7th to 8th of March 2024. A detailed program of the conference will be made available at a later date.

Conference background and themes

Cooperatives are an important part of European countries economies and play crucial role in social economy. Througout the European countries legislations on cooperatives are differentlly organized. Cooperatives are considered either as a genus of a legal person or as a species of a company or association. Few legislations constitutionally guarantee the role of cooperatives in state’s economy. Some counties have only general law on cooperatives, other completes the general regulation with a number of laws on specific types of cooperatives. The are also legislations which only provide a number of legal acts on specific types of cooperatives. Moreover, some legislations have regulations on cooperatives which are applicable in authonomus regions. Yet another countries have codified there cooperative law. Also, EU law constantlly provides legislations with which cooperatives have to comply.

In this mosaic of legislations it is crucial for the development of cooperatives to identify legal institutions that give them perspectives to grow and those that are obstacles in cooperatives advancement. It is essential that cooperatives’ regulation comply with the Cooperative Principles, since they are the mostly tested provisions for a cooperative and guarantee preservation of their identity. The legislations address Cooperative Principles either directly or inderectly and it is not yet determined which way provides better solutions for preserving a cooperative identity.

Also, specific types of cooperatives are subject to states supervision which can interfere with cooperative governence and capital requirements. This concerns esspecially financial cooperatives: credit unions and cooperative banks. Sometimes legislation allows cooperatives to conduct supervision by second tier cooperatives and therefore preserves their authonomy and independence.

In Poland, cooperative movement developed since 1816 and first Polish regulation on cooperatives was introduced in 1919 followed by an Cooperative law of 1920. After World War II cooperatives were subject to controle by the Soviet influenced comunnist regime. Yet numerus housing and agricultural cooperatives were operating. It is since the fall of communist regime that cooperatives experience rebirth, esspecially it the field of financial services (credit unions), social economy (esspecially social cooperatives) and states infuenced housing development programs which also concern housing cooperatives. However, cooperatives are also subject to inadequacy in supervision and lack of understanding by the legislator and jurisprudence.

The papers presented at the conference may concern:

Cooperative Principles and its implementation by the legislator.
Social economy and cooperatives role in its development.
New regulations on cooperative governence and audit.
Regulations and essential of cooperative transactions.
Members role in cooperative development and control.
Formulas of cooperation between cooperatives.
Financing the cooperative with preserving its authonomy.
State role in pursuing cooperative development.
Cooperatives under competition and consumers law.
Bankruptcy and dissolution of the cooperative.

Conference language

Conference language is English. Simultaneously translation will be provided.

Abstract and sessions proposals submissions

Abstract submission opens 1st of September 2023 and is open until 30th of October 2023.

Abstracts should be submitted in the following form:

• Title (maximum 20 words)

Body of the abstract (maximum 1000 words, including references) that should follow the following structure: Background, Aims, Methods, Results and discussion, Contributions and implications, Key references
Keywords (1 to 5)

Session proposals should be submitted in the following form:

Title of the proposed session (maximum 20 words)
Description of the proposed session (maximum 1000 words) that should follow thefollowing structure: Name and affiliation of the participants, Motivation for the session,Content of the session, Proposed format.
Keywords (1 to 5)

Abstracts and session proposals should be submitted at: [email protected] Notification of acceptence of the abstract or session proposal: 15th of November 2023.

Postconference publication

Spółdzielczy Instytut Naukowy w Sopocie, ul. Władysława IV 22, 81-743 Sopot www.sin.edu.pl; www.prawoiwiez.edu.pl

The authors of the selected abstracts will be invited to develop them in to full papers (maximum of 30,000 words, including references). The papers will be published in Law and Social Bonds

joural (online ISSN 2719-3594) which is included in Scopus and ERIH Plus.

Registration deadline and fees
Registration is open until 22nd of February 2024.

Registation form with the fee payment confirmation should be send at:

[email protected]

Early bird registration (deadline 31st of December 2024):

Conference, 8 – 9 of February 2024: 100 Euro + VAT; 440 PLN + VAT

Registation fee (deadline 22nd of February 2024):

Conference, 8 – 9 of February 2024: 150 Euro + VAT; 660 PLN + VAT. Conference dinner, 8 of February 2024: 80 Euro + VAT; 350 PLN + VAT.

Please note the respective registration fees shall only be valid if registration is submitted and full payment is received by us by the respective deadline. If payment of the registration fee is received later than the early deadline registration, the respective next higher fee shall be due.
Your registration is effective upon the receipt of full payment of the registration fee by us, i.e. only those participants having fully paid their registration fees will be entitled to participate in the conference.
The conference registration fee includes: (1) access to all conference lectures; (2) conference programme and materials; (3) lunches and coffee breaks.

Scientific Committee

prof. Dominik Bierecki, PhD – Chair (Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot and IUS Cooperativum)
prof. Piotr Pałka, PhD (Sopot Academy of Applied Science, Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot)

prof. David Hiez, PhD (University of Luxemburg and IUS Cooperativum) Jacek Skoczek, PhD (Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot)
Joanna Mędrzecka (Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot)
Ewa Derc (Cooperative Research Institute in Sopot)

Conference format

Hybrid: in person and online participation

Conference Address

National Cooperative Council office: Jasna 1, 00-013 Warsaw, Poland „Dom pod Orłami”