Functioning of Cooperatives within the Context of the Tasks of Communes (Especially Rural) – Selected Economic and Law Issues

Abstract

The purpose of the article is, firstly, an attempt at assessing whether the legal regulations support the development of cooperatives and aid the communes in performing their tasks and, secondly, to evaluate the statistical data concerning cooperatives, types of operations and the possible directions of development within the context of communes' tasks (especially rural). At the beginning basic legal regulations concerning cooperatives were presented. The considerations focused on social cooperatives, dairy cooperatives, cooperative groups of agricultural producers, farmers' cooperatives, energy cooperatives, bank cooperatives, housing cooperatives. Selected legal regulations are presented, especially their changes, which aimed to encourage the establishment of cooperatives. Their functioning is in line with the seventh cooperative principle, i.e. concern for the local community. Statistical data has been presented of role of different cooperative sector in the Polish economy in the context of the tasks of communes (especially rural). In summary, the authors stated that the functioning of many cooperatives feeds into the performance of commune’s tasks. This mostly relates to implementation of programs aiming for civic and economic activation in a given region, creation of workplaces, higher income of rural inhabitants, social aid, renewable energy, supporting activities for the development of a given commune.