Interview with Thomas Meyer, Managing Director of the artisans' cooperative SOCAPS, Vice-President of the French Federation of Artisanal Cooperatives (FFCGA), member of the Board of Directors of Coop FR and representative on the Board of Directors of Cooperatives Europe.
Founded in 1999, the SOCAPS cooperative is today the world leader in technical assistance - engineering, assembly, installation, maintenance and sustainable management - in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Present throughout Europe, it is in this capacity that it represents Coop FR on the Board of Cooperatives Europe - the first international cooperative organisation recognised by the United Nations.
"Being part of Cooperatives Europe addresses multiple issues. Firstly, it is a question of exchanging, communicating and sharing a common set of cooperative values and principles. Cooperatives Europe is indeed a plural body which allows the diversity of European cooperative models to be understood and brought to life.
Moreover, the interest of participating at the international cooperative level is to be able to act with the European legislator so that the European Commission takes into account the cooperative model in its legislative orientations. It is with this objective in mind that Cooperatives Europe is in the process of drawing up its roadmap and strategic orientation for the next five years. Changing current liberal policies by infusing them with cooperative values is essential to achieve the ecological and societal transition. For this, cooperatives are key players.
Finally, Cooperatives Europe is one of the four offices of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) which brings together, represents and assists cooperatives worldwide. All the more reason to participate!"