As part of the day to support the UN Declaration to proclaim 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives
The House of Representatives recognizes the role of cooperatives in the Spanish economy
(Madrid, June 26, 2012) - The House of Representatives has recognized today at a conference held at the Chamber Hall Clara Campoamor, the important rolewhich is developing the social economy and especially in the current scenario Cooperatives economic partner. This act is in addition to other activities being held around the world.
This event, part of theInternational Year of Cooperatives 2012, has aimed to strengthen the cooperative movement as a model of doing business and visibility in the society of this form of economic activity.
The event was attended by the president of the Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy (CEPES), Juan Antonio Pedreño and the president of the Committee on Employment and Social Security of the House of Representatives, Jose Eugenio Azpiroz. It has also been the chairman of the House of Representatives, Jesus Posada and representatives of different political forces in Congress, members of the Board of CEPES and representatives of the cooperative movement in Spain.
Juan Antonio Pedreño said during his speech that "this celebration is a recognition by the international community to the cooperatives as the engine of the economy, which respond to changes that are resisting this global crisis and are also proving that are successful businesses that createsustainable employment and stable in all sectors. "
CEPES President has also stated that "cooperatives helpto build a better world, and should become an unprecedented opportunity to send the world a positive message, showing that they are a type of company that can provide part of the solution to the current crisis, "" may become the workplace of the future , its values "?"?and commitments, based on economic growth and social cohesion, " he added Pedreño.
Worldwide there are about 1,000 million cooperative members and over 100million workers who have made the union a way to access to employment and a way of understanding work as a collective benefit of a group of people.
In industrialized countries like the U.S., 4 in 10 citizens are members of a cooperative, while in Germany 1 in 4 people is also part of a cooperative and cooperative banks have more than 16 million members.
The 300 cooperative world's largest turnover of over 1.6 trillion dollars, that is, a turnover that would put them as the ninth largest economy. Moreover, cooperatives worldwide recorded a 20% more workers than multinational companies.
The financial sector framed in the "Social Economy" closed a loan portfolio exceeding ninety-six billion euros, 6% more than at the beginning of the crisisdefending a responsible way to finance with distinctive values, ethical and democratic. They are entities that incur a lesser extent in processes that traditional enterprise arrears and destroy fewer jobs.
