Board Meeting in Les Karellis

On 4 April, the Euro Coop Board convened at Les Karellis in France to deliberate on operational priorities and the strategic positioning of consumer co-operatives on upcoming EU policy initiatives.

On 4 April, the Fédération nationale des coopératives de consommateurs (FNCC) hosted the first Board meeting of the year in the picturesque mountain complex of Arc en Ciel at Les Karellis. The agenda covered a wide range of topics, including financial and governance business, the latest developments of legislative initiatives within the EU food and sustainability policy remit, an update of ongoing and potentially new EU-funded projects, and the implementation of the communications action plan envisaging a new website, joint initiatives and the establishment of a communications network. 

Particular attention was given to the financial planning for 2024 and to the Association position on particular issues to EU initiatives currently in development such as New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), packaging and packaging waste, food waste, and the framework law for sustainable food systems. 

Further opportunities were explored to deepen the exchange of leading sustainability actions and collaboration among members, allowing them to optimise their operations and feeding input for the advocacy and representation of consumer co-operatives within the EU policy process, particularly with regard to the multiple policy dossiers around food sustainability currently worked on. 

Members reaffirmed their support for Coop Ukraine and engaged in an in-depth exchange around the opportunity to raise funds to purchase power generators for the store network, which has been heavily affected during the war. The support of Spolem, Poland is indispensable for this objective, as they have identified a supplier, ensured the customs clearance and will coordinate the delivery. 

It was further explored to strengthen relations with other consumer co-operatives in Europe, especially Federal Retail & Trading Services Ltd. (FRTS) and Central Coop (UK), around sustainability and international development.

The meeting was an opportunity for FNCC to present its ongoing research project titled "Freedom and Responsibility", which Loïc Pelletier - FNCC President and Christina Kalogeropoulou - researcher explained that it is conducted in collaboration with the Centre of Contemporary Philosophy at the Sorbonne. The research examines consumers' experiences in a liberalised world and highlights two interrelated concepts: producers’ freedom of enterprise and consumers’ freedom of choice, and in addition, the mutual responsibility of both parties to one another. The project's findings have been published in a new publication by FNCC titled "Freedom and Responsibility” and, subsequently, FNCC proposed opportunities to deepen collaboration on this subject within Euro Coop.

Central Cooperative Union (CCU) Bulgaria presented the Coop2Coop e-commerce platform which they are developing for the use of all interested members of CCW (Consumer Co-operatives Worldwide) and Euro Coop. Dr. Biser Petkov explained, that the objective is to build the first international marketplace specialised in the offer of Coop private label, thereby deepening Co-operative Principle VI - Co-operation among Co-operatives by providing detailed listings of co-op prodcuts, their price, available quantity and delivery terms. The platform’s interface would be designed to allow for easy management, whereby the interested national co-op organisation, after being granted authorisation and member status, could unilaterally upload all the necessary information of the goods of their choice. Detailed search settings would allow the interested party to quickly identify and find the products they are interested in. Krasimir Ignatov appealed to members to complete a targeted online survey, the feedback to which would be considered for the completion of the platform’s functionalities. He explained that the Coop2Coop marketplace would implement a hybrid module allowing for B2B and B2C modules. 

After a productive first half of the day, the board members embarked on a visit to the charming city of Saint Jean de Maurienne, where they had the opportunity to explore the new Opinel Museum. The museum is a fascinating showcase of the rich history and heritage of the Opinel knife, which has been an integral part of French culture for over a century. The members were delighted to learn about the manufacturing process of this iconic knife and its unique features that have made it a popular choice among chefs, outdoor enthusiasts, and collectors worldwide. The visit was an excellent opportunity for the board members to network and enjoy the rich cultural offerings of the region.