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Brussels, 16 April 2003
PRESS RELEASE
"European Convention must secure consumers' rights - including the right to organise and be recognised as they see fit."
European history is being made today at the Acropolis in Athens - the cradle of European civilisation. The representatives of the new Member States are signing the treaties which will allow their respective countries to join the European Union.
This event is truly a milestone in European history - it will provide for the largest ever enlargement of the Union to include up to ten new Member States with 75million new european citizen-consumers.
"This important day also provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the Europe that we aspire to" says Dónal Walshe, EURO COOP Secretary General.
"The future of Europe is being shaped via the work of the European Convention " continues Mr Walshe. "After more than one year of work, the Convention has released its first tangible results in the form of Draft Articles. EURO COOP therefore takes this opportunity to highlight the views of Europe's consumer co-operatives that we believe should be reflected in the definitive proposal to be presented to the next Inter-Governmental Conference" says Mr Walshe.
"If the Convention is to successfully fulfil its aim of concrete proposals that bring the European Union closer to its citizens, then the Convention must recognise the distinctive role and values of consumer co-operatives across the Union, and their ethos that social objectives are equivalent to economic ones.
The work of the Convention should also secure consumers' rights - including the right to organise and be recognised as they see fit - including via consumer co-operatives.
The Treaty which should result from the work of the Convention should also enshrine the principle of Coherence of Policies and include environmental protection as a essential condition for sustainable development " he concludes.
The specific structures of consumer co-operatives - set-up by consumers for consumers in the mid-19th Century - means that EURO COOP is well-placed to address issues of democracy and diversity that are important for the future of Europe, its citizens and consumers. EURO COOP is one of the longest-established European consumer organisations. Its member organisations are among the most dynamic consumer-owned organisations in Europe covering a wide range of activities. They represent a unique grassroots structure of over 20 million consumers in 15 national associations of consumer co-operatives across Europe.
EURO COOP is the European Community of Consumer Co-operatives. Our primary objectives include representing to the EU institutions the interests of consumer co-operatives and their 20 million consumer-members across 15 European countries. For more information, visit our website.
See Contribution to the Convention on the Future of Europe.
For further information, contact:
Dónal WALSHE, Secretary General
Tel.: +32.(0)2.285.00.70 - Fax: +32.(0)2.231.07.57 - E-mail: info@eurocoop.org
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