European Union Of Cooperatives

What European Union Of Cooperatives does

UE.Coop (Unione Europea delle Cooperative) is an Italian non-profit cooperative association headquartered in Rome, recognized by decree of the Ministry of Economic Development on April 24, 2013 under Article 3 of Legislative Decree 220/2002. Its legal mandate covers the representation, assistance, protection and biennial revision (auditing) of Italian cooperatives; the revision function is statutory and compulsory for all Italian cooperatives. UE.Coop represents more than 3,000 cooperatives and 500,000 members across all 20 Italian regions, with a regional-office footprint in 18 of them.

The organization operates a hybrid service and digital platform stack. Core services include mandatory biennial cooperative audits, legal support via conventions with criminal and administrative lawyers, training through CooperTalks webinars and I.N.L. compliance sessions, and a convention network spanning Banca Etica, 19 auditing firms, the Carabinieri Agroalimentari command, and the Cascina Clarabella protocol for labor inclusion of disadvantaged persons under Article 14 of D.Lgs 276/2003. Digital products include the UE.Coop mobile app, the 5 Pesci fishing-sector app, the Spazio Interattivo (virtual interactive room) at virtualuecoop.it, and the Bacheca dei Cooperatori member bulletin board. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Necst S.p.A., operates a mutualistic fund capitalized by 3% of member cooperatives' annual profits and residual patrimony from cooperatives in liquidation.

Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership fees (quote associative), biennial revision/contributo fees per cooperative cycle, and the 3% Necst fund contribution. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is communicated individually to members. The association is governed by a National Council, Executive Board and President (currently Ettore Prandini, who concurrently serves as President of Coldiretti). Recent strategic activity centers on the MASAF-funded Piano Nazionale Triennale della Pesca 2025/2027 (€800,000), the General States preparatory path launched in 2025, parliamentary engagement on cooperative supervision reform (A.C. 2577), and the Giornate del Mare 2026 public awareness campaign. No external equity, VC, or PE ownership structures are present.

Name

European Union Of Cooperatives

Legal name

Unione Europea delle Cooperative

Website

https://uecoop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UE.Coop is an Italian non-profit cooperative association that provides mandatory biennial auditing, legal support, training, and representation to more than 3,000 member cooperatives across 18 Italian regions under a statutory mandate (D.Lgs 220/2002).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federations/Centrals & Cooperative Banking Networks (2nd-Tier Co-ops) (FSABAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC), Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

Keywords

• Cooperative association services
• Cooperative auditing
• Cooperative representation
• Fishery cooperative support
• Cooperative training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees (Quote Associative): Annual membership fees paid by cooperatives. Fees must be paid upon receipt of communication from the association, with specific reference to membership year and cooperative matriculation number.
2. Auditing/Review Fees (Contributo di Revisione): Cooperative revision fees charged per biennial cycle. For 2025/2026, fees must be paid within 90 days from G.U. publication of Ministerial Decree. Sicily region has separate provisions.
3. Necst Fund Contributions: 3% of annual profits of member cooperatives contributed to Necst S.p.A. mutualistic fund, along with residual patrimony from cooperatives in liquidation. Contributions due within 60 days of balance sheet approval.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

European Union Of Cooperatives (UE.Coop) is a national Italian non-profit association that represents, assists, protects, and audits cooperatives across all sectors. It provides national representation, mandatory biennial cooperative auditing under Italian law (D.Lgs 220/2002), legal support, training programs, digital platforms (mobile apps, virtual room, bulletin board), and a mutualistic fund (Necst) for its 3,000+ member cooperatives.

Product overview

UE.Coop (Unione Europea delle Cooperative) is a national association for cooperative representation, assistance, protection, and review. The organization operates as a multi-service platform offering both core cooperative support services and specialized digital products. Its portfolio includes mobile applications (App UE.Coop and App 5 Pesci), an interactive virtual space (Spazio Interattivo), and a cooperative bulletin board system (Bacheca dei Cooperatori). The organization manages several thematic programs including fishing and aquaculture initiatives (Piano Nazionale Triennale della Pesca, P.E.S.C.A.R.E. INSIEME, Rete ITTICOOP), training programs (CooperTalks webinars, I.N.L. webinars), and a mutual fund (Fondo Necst). Core services include cooperative surveillance/review activities, legal support through conventions, and educational publications on responsible fish consumption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 5 PESCI: Mobile application that allows users to identify fishing cooperatives affiliated with Ue.Coop and their activities, including direct sales, restaurants, fishing tourism, and ittiturismo. Includes fish recipes and seasonality information.
• ITTICOOP
• P.E.S.C.A.R.E. INSIEME
• Fondo Necst S.p.A.
• CooperTalks

Products and services

• Cooperative Membership (Quote Associative) Annual membership subscription for cooperatives joining UE.Coop, granting access to representation, legal support, training, conventions, and the Necst mutualistic fund. Membership fees are billed annually based on cooperative type and size.
• Attività di Vigilanza e Revisione (Cooperative Auditing/Revision Services) Statutorily required biennial cooperative revision services performed under D.Lgs 220/2002. Provides suggestions for management improvement, internal democracy enhancement, verification of mutualistic character, and confirmation of fiscal eligibility for member cooperatives.
• Fondo Necst S.p.A. (Mutualistic Fund) Mutual fund for cooperative promotion and development, funded by 3% of annual profits of member cooperatives and residual patrimony from cooperatives in liquidation. Supports cooperative development through training and consolidation activities, established April 2014 under Law 59/1992.
• App UE.Coop Mobile application providing access to information about cooperatives affiliated with UE.Coop, serving as a dynamic showcase for cooperative enterprises and enabling member cooperatives to connect and create commercial relationships. Available on Android and iOS.
• App 5 Pesci Specialized mobile application for identifying fishing cooperatives affiliated with UE.Coop. Each cooperative is assigned a fish symbol indicating services such as direct sales, restaurants, fishing tourism, or ittiturismo. Includes fish recipes, seasonal information, and traceability details. Available on Android and iOS.
• Spazio Interattivo (Virtual Interactive Space) Multimedia interactive virtual space presenting dynamic content about the cooperative world, featuring thematic cards, videos of cooperatives, interviews with protagonists, and exhibit-style navigation.
• Bacheca dei Cooperatori (Cooperators' Bulletin Board) Online bulletin board system enabling cooperative members to exchange experiences, discuss issues, share real-time updates, and build territorial and supply chain partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 cooperatives represented across Italy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fondazione Interesse UomominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Protocol signed in 2019 to support cooperative enterprises and their members in awareness about economic crisis and bureaucratic burdens that risk facilitating organized crime infiltration in productive sectors.
• Banca EticacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Protocol signed in 2019 enabling cooperatives to consolidate their mission and undertake new development projects, addressing both cooperative needs and member financial requirements.
• Carabinieri - Tutela dei Prodotti AgroalimentariminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Carabinieri Command for Agricultural Product Protection to focus on food safety and citizen health, as well as to combat counterfeiting and criminal behavior.
• Cascina Clarabella - Consorzio di Cooperative SocialicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtocollo d'Intesa signed to promote Convention opportunities under Article 14 of D.Lgs 276/2003 for labor inclusion of disadvantaged persons. Currently operating experimentally in Piemonte, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Lazio.
• Necst S.p.A. - Nuova Economia Cooperativa per lo Sviluppo dei TerritoricoreOthersMutualistic fund for cooperative promotion under Law 59/1992, funded by 3% of annual profits of member cooperatives and residual patrimony from cooperatives in liquidation. Created April 2014.
• Penal Lawyer (Convention)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConvention with a criminal lawyer available to each member cooperative for legal support.
• Administrative Lawyer (Convention)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConvention with an administrative lawyer to evaluate public procurement disputes upon referral by member cooperatives.
• Dipartimento per la Pesca Marittima e l'Agricoltura Marina delle Alpi Marittime - AntibesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed between UE.COOP Liguria and the Department for Maritime Fisheries of Antibes (France) within P.E.S.C.A.R.E. INSIEME project for cross-border fishing cooperation.
• Auditing Firms NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConvention with 19 auditing firms for balance sheet certification: Auditors Associati, Axis, BDO Italia, Crowe Bompani, Deloitte, Essezeta Controlgest, EY, Forvis Mazars, Hermes, HLB Analisi, KPMG, Labase, PKF Italia, PwC, Reviprof, RIA Grant Thornton, RSM, S.I.RE.CO, Uniaudit.
• Ispettorato Nazionale del Lavoro (I.N.L.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for 6 online training sessions on preventing irregular work practices and workplace safety compliance, held April-November 2022.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• CECOP-CICOPA Europe: European confederation of cooperatives operating in industry and services. Comparable to UE.Coop as a higher-tier cooperative federation, but operating at the European (rather than national) level, focused on industrial and service cooperatives.
• Cooperatives Europe: Regional umbrella representing European cooperative enterprises to EU institutions. Functionally analogous to UE.Coop but at the supranational level, providing policy advocacy, representation and visibility for cooperative members across Europe.

Direct peers

• AGCI (Associazione Generale Cooperative Italiane): Italian cooperative association providing representation, revision and member services. Structurally identical to UE.Coop as a recognized national association under D.Lgs 220/2002, and a joint actor in cooperative reform advocacy.
• Unci: Unione Nazionale Cooperative Italiane — another recognized Italian cooperative association under D.Lgs 220/2002, providing auditing, representation and training. Smaller and overlapping in scope with UE.Coop, with joint advocacy on cooperative reform.
• Confcooperative: Italy's largest cooperative federation, representing the majority of Italian cooperatives across all sectors. Directly comparable to UE.Coop as a 2nd-tier cooperative association with statutory auditing rights, regional offices and member services under D.Lgs 220/2002.
• Legacoop: Major Italian cooperative federation (historical Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative e Mutue). Operates the same national representation, auditing and member-service model as UE.Coop and is a co-petitioner in the cooperative surveillance reform process.

Others

• Euricse: European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises based in Trento. A research-driven ecosystem player that intersects with UE.Coop's territory (Italian cooperative sector) and shares the policy/advocacy mission, though its primary output is research rather than member services.

Broad incumbents

• Coldiretti: Italy's largest agricultural association representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Shares leadership overlap (Ettore Prandini) and serves a related cooperative segment, but operates at much larger scale and is sector-specific rather than multi-sector.
• Confcommercio: Italy's largest business association for tertiary-sector enterprises, including cooperatives in retail, tourism and services. Comparable in operating model (membership fees, regional offices, representation, training) but covers a much broader and larger SMB membership base.
• Confesercenti: Italian confederation of SMEs, including cooperatives in commerce, tourism and services. Comparable in function as a national trade association with member services, regional offices and government engagement, though not strictly a cooperative federation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uecoop
• Instagraminstagram.com/il_pescetariano
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uecoop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Union Of Cooperatives