The European Cooperative Society (SCE) constitutes one instrument designed to contribute to the EU’s internal market.

It aims at reducing existing cross-border obstacles to make it easier for companies to operate across European borders. In this sense, the SCE complements the legislation on European Companies (SE) which has enabled companies to set up as a European public limited company. The SCE fills the gap regarding the transnational activities of cooperatives. As in the case of the SE, the SCE legislation consists of a Regulation on the Statute for an SCE and an accompanying Directive on worker involvement. The Regulation came into force from 18 August 2006, by which date the member states also had to transpose the SCE directive into national law.

For more information on the SCE see this website's section on the European Company.