To recall, the Commission submitted its first proposal for two instruments governing the European Cooperative Society (SCE) in March 1992 and amended proposals in July 1993. The proposals were inspired by those on the two instruments governing the European Company (SE), proposed initially by the Commission in 1970.
After agreement had been reached on the SE in December 2000, the Swedish Presidency presented revised texts of the two instruments governing the European Cooperative Society in March/April 2001, largely based on those agreed for the SE. The Regulation governs the statute of the European Cooperative Society. The Directive governs the involvement of employees in the society. On 6 June 2001 the Council agreed on a general approach in respect of the two instruments.
The Commission's proposals for the Regulation and the Directive were based on Article 100a (now 95) TEU, and Article 54 (now 44) TEC respectively. At the time, these articles provided for the co-operation procedure. Once the Maastricht Treaty came into force, proposals made under them became subject to the co-decision procedure. On this basis, the European Parliament delivered its first opinion on 20 January 1993, confirmed them on 2 December 1993 and once again on 27 October 1999.
This reconsultation of the proposed Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Cooperative Society has been published to make clear to the Parliament that these proposals shall now use Article 308 as their legal basis which provides for Council unanimity and the consultation of the European Parliament.�