EU: Food co-ops should cooperate in cyberspace – Commission

Food industry cooperatives have been encouraged by the European Commission to use the Internet as a way of improving communications with fellow producers and processors, distributors and customers. Speaking to the Praesidium of EU cooperative movement COGECA, information society commissioner Erkki Liikanen said: "Cooperatives have a major economic interest in linking members to their networks. Once comprehensive, it may show its full benefits. A broad network has capacity to produce unique information, and access to it becomes a real asset." He said that the Commission was preparing a programme to encourage Internet use by food co-ops, with a policy document "Cooperatives in Enterprise Europe" being published this year.