The cooperative movement in Denmark has started in the 1850s, when the first agricultural, consumer, production and credit cooperatives were set up.
Cooperatives in different areas have then started to organize themselves at a national level since the beginning of the XX century.
Nowadays, cooperatives still play an important role in their fields. In particular, agricultural cooperatives have merged and are now large export enterprises; the consumer cooperatives have a market share of approximately 35%, whereas the housing cooperatives supply over 18% of the Danish housing need. Moreover, as far as renewable energies are concerned, the 80% of the wind energy provider is run by cooperatives. (source: http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?article521).
According to Chaves Ávila and Monzón Campos (2007), in Denmark – as well as in the UK and in the Czech Republic – there is no law generally regulating the cooperative sector. In general, the law which they have to refer to is therefore the legislation of normal companies (source: http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?article521).
Nevertheless, cooperatives have to register if they want to benefit of a specific tax regime (Chaves Ávila and Monzón Campos, 2007).
There is only a particular regulation concerning the Danish housing cooperatives (Act on Housing Cooperatives and other Collective Housing Societies, updated in 2006; source: Chaves Ávila and Monzón Campos, 2007).
Danish cooperatives and the social dialogue
Cooperatives as employers have four organization that are active in the social dialogue at national level in Denmark: Kooperationen (with members in industry, housing and services), Brugsforeningernes Arbejdsgiverforening (BA, for small consumer cooperatives), Sammanslutningen af Landbrugets Arbejdgiverforeningen (SALA, agricultural sector), FDB (for large consumer cooperative enterprises).
They take part in the collective bargaining concerning wage scales, working hours and working conditions, and all of them also stipulated an agreement with the trade unions, through which they pledge to respect some conditions (source: http://www.coopseurope.coop/spip.php?article521).
