Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU - General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU
In 1958, the first European representative organisation for farmers, COPA,(Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations) was established. The following year the European Community created a European umbrella organisation, to represent agricultural interests, COGECA, (General Confederation for Agricultural Co-operation). The organisations merged in 1962 and today the organisation can boast members from 53 organisations within the 25 European Union member states and 5 associated organisations from Bulgaria and Romania and 7 partner organisations from Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
According to their website COPA aims to: "represent both the general and specific interests of farmers in the Member States and, since its inception, it has been recognised by the Community authorities as the spokesman for the agricultural sector as a whole." [1]
COPA's objectives
- To examine any matters related to the development of the Common Agricultural Policy;
- To represent the interests of the agricultural sector as a whole;
- To seek solutions which are of common interest, and
- To maintain and develop relations with the Community authorities and with any other representative organisations or social partners established at European level.
Notes
- ^ COPA-COGECA Website The dynamic face of European farmers Last Accesed 2nd July 2007
- ^ ibid.
