In recent weeks we have tabled our proposals for the next Legislature with political parties who wish to control the community. All presidential candidates, without exception, have recognized that cooperatives are a first-rate socioeconomic factor. It remains to be seen how this goodwill translates into government action that gives cooperativeism greater relevance on the political agenda. So far no government has had the courage to start a serious debate on the need to reconsider the basis of social dialogue. If this debate takes place, it is highly likely that cooperatives will eventually participate directly and with their legitimate interlocutors at the tables where the future of the community is decided. This historic claim is one of ten proposals that appear in the ‘Cooperative Manifesto for a More Prosperous and Inclusive Community’.
Another of our demands is an agile, secure and efficient operation of the Classic Cooperative Registry. We are faced with an urgent need to encourage the formation of this class of companies and ensure their competitiveness: it is necessary that this registry be endowed with sufficient and specialized resources; And it is imperative to approve a new rule to replace the existing 1986 rule, which is quite out of date.
We should also invest in the Valencian Council of Cooperatives. We want to make it a benchmark for extraordinary resolution of cooperative conflicts in Spain and for this it is necessary to involve Concoval in its management in a stable way. In the same way, work should be done to create a legal and political context that allows prioritizing the cooperative formula in building energy communities, minimizing the maximum contribution of cooperatives and incorporating social innovation and participatory governance into smart expertise. Strategy of the Valencian Community for. And all this must be done by promoting public-private cooperation with cooperatives: cooperatives must complement or replace public initiative where it does not reach. Because of our business of serving the common interest, because of our wide regional network and because of our commitment to the quality of life of the citizens, cooperatives are the ideal model to collaborate with the administration. A wise government would harness the full potential of these alliances in the provision of essential public services such as education, housing or social care.
The legislature will begin with a new Fent Cooperative plan, the Third. This plan constitutes the guide for the Consul’s public policies to promote the competitiveness of Valencian cooperatives and will consider measures that deploy all of the above issues and some more. For example, one of its challenges will be to attract youth to cooperatives. We are deeply concerned about the lack of generational change in many cooperatives. This problem needs to be addressed from a global perspective, integrating measures in different areas, but one of the main ones is probably to educate in collaboration and to do so at all levels of education. We feel that this is the best way to ensure this relief in cooperatives and also guarantee a future in a society that seeks to be responsible, committed and sustainable.
This Fent Cooperative Scheme, which is important for cooperative development in our region, will certainly require a substantial budget. But it is not just a matter of budget: a lack of resources and outdated support lines in the governing body have reduced the effectiveness of the Generalitat’s support programs for co-operatives. It is imperative to implement effective management in this area, beneficiary-oriented and in line with European priorities.
The conclave would favor the Generalitat, whoever controlled it, so that all of these needs could be met. As we have always done. This is the last thought paper I will sign as President of CONCOVER. In a few days my mandate will end and I will hand over the baton to someone else, who will lead Valencian co-operation in a new phase. But I want to remind once again that when we talk about the need to promote the cooperative model, we are not appealing to good souls, but demanding change. Because we can and want to be protagonists of the progress of the Valencian Community.
