Brussels, 19 February 2008

EURO COOP is the European Association of Consumer Cooperatives. Our primary objectives include representing to the EU institutions the interests of consumer cooperatives and their 23 million consumer-members across 17 European countries.

Brussels, February 2008 - Euro Coop welcomes the Party of European Socialists' (PES) initiative to launch a broad consultation for its 2009 Manifesto. As part of the civil society, Euro Coop has decided to participate in the process.

For an ambitious and progressive manifesto, Euro Coop highlights the necessity to promote an ecological and ethical vision of society. Among its comments, Euro Coop expresses the need for consumer empowerment and for valorisation of the social economy sector, which consumer co-operatives are part of.

Euro Coop calls the Party of European Socialists for a strong support of actions able to strengthen a transparent and democratic Europe, like the European Transparency Initiative. Its consultation already is a valuable step towards an empowered democracy at EU level.

Euro Coop welcomes this exercise of participatory democracy and wishes its success.

Please see for the complete position.

For more information please contact:

Rodrigo Gouveia, Secretary General, Euro Coop
Tel: +32 (0)2 285 00 70
E-mail: infoateurocoop.coop