Statute for a European mutual society

The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Luigi BERLINGUER (S&D, IT) and Regina BASTOS (EPP, PT) with recommendations to the Commission on the Statute for a European mutual society.

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs exercised its prerogatives as an associated committee under Rule 50 of the Rules of Procedure on this report.

Members recall that Parliament has adopted several resolutions calling for the adoption of a regulation on the statute for a European mutual society, and they consider it regrettable that the Commission, having withdrawn its proposal for a statute for a European mutual society in 2006, has not brought forward any new proposals which would give mutual societies a suitable legal instrument to facilitate their cross-border activities.

The committee underlined the major role mutual societies play in the Union's economy by providing health care, social services and affordable insurance services to more than 160 million European citizens, representing more than EUR 180 billion in insurance premiums and employing over 350 000 people.

It insisted, therefore, that mutual societies cannot continue to be forgotten by the single market and should be given a European statute to place them on an equal footing with other forms of undertaking in the Union, noting also that diversity in forms of entrepreneurship is an asset that should be fully encouraged.

The statute proposed would create a voluntary scheme in the form of an optional instrument allowing mutual societies to act in different Member States, to be introduced even in countries where they do not currently exist.

The committee put forward four detailed draft Recommendations for a European mutual society on the following: (i) the objectives of the statute; (ii) the elements of a statute; (iii) the scope and coverage of a statute; and (iv) governance of European mutual societies.