The Commission has launched an exploratory on-line consultation on “Mutuals in an enlarged Europe” to:

• improve European and national authorities’ understanding of the sector in order to ensure appropriate regulation,
• assess the potential of the proposed European Mutual Society statute to facilitate mutuals’ cross-border activities and foster the creation of new ones, and
• see how mutuals can help enhance enterprise competitiveness and help meet EU enlargement challenges.

This consultation (reply deadline: 30 January 2004) includes a consultation paper for stakeholder comments and nine specific questions on mutual sectors, their value-added, limitations and dilemmas, national legislation, the need for a European Mutual Society statute (in addition to the Co-operative Society and European Society ones), and how mutualist movements are helping to develop the European social model, as well as contributing to competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.

The consultation document and replies should form the basis for a future Commission Communication on mutual society policy

Mutuals in an enlarged Europe consultation (web archive)