Status and functions

The National Union of Worker Producers` Cooperatives (NUWPC) is an independent organization that voluntarily unites at national level worker-producing cooperatives (TPK, TPKI), regional unions (RU) and other cooperative organizations – legal entities and works in accordance with cooperative principles and cooperative democracy.

The Union is a legal entity with management address in the city of Sofia, "Knyaz Alexander Dondukov" Blvd. No. 11, registered in the cooperative register under No. 17/51 and according to No. 3339/1995 of the Sofia City Court, also re-registered in the Commercial Register at the Registration Agency with EIK 000696508, has a seal, emblem, and trademark. The NUWPC is represented by the President and, in his absence, by the Vice-Presidents together and separately.

To fulfill its main purpose and scope of activity, the NUWPC performs the following functions and tasks:

- Represents and protects the interests of its members before the international, European, state, municipal, public and other bodies and organizations in the country and abroad;

- Develops strategic guidelines, programs and concepts for the development of the Union and cooperative activities;

- Pursues a policy of expanding the social functions of worker producers` cooperatives and their role as a factor in the social and solidarity economy;

- Encourages and supports the social entrepreneurship of its members;

- Pursues a policy of European integration of its members;

- Organizes and conducts European and regional forums for social entrepreneurship, cooperative festivals, conferences and round tables on important topics for the subjects of the social and solidarity economy;

- Provides organizational and methodological assistance to its members, assists in the selection of their governing bodies and supports the establishment of new cooperatives and cooperative organizations;

- Participates with projects under European and national programs and assists its members in participating in international, European, national and regional business programs and in projects funded by the Structural Funds of the European Union;

- Assists in technological renewal and implementation of European and international standards, information technologies and innovations;

- Organizes and conducts marketing activities through festivals, exhibitions, fairs, business forums, etc. and provide its members with relevant information;

- Assists in ensuring employment to people with disabilities in a regular, specialized and protected working environment;

- Provides services to and for people with disabilities and assumes an advocacy role for their benefit;

- Coordinates and supports the establishment of organizations and associations in the field of economic, investment, cultural and social activity of its members;

- Provides legal assistance to its members and assists in the preservation and protection of cooperative property;

- Organizes and conducts training, upgrading qualifications through its Professional Training Center (PTC);

- Performs financial control of cooperatives and cooperative unions through its specialized body - Financial Control Directorate;

- Collects and summarizes information from the members and prepares reports and analyses in relation to its activities;

- Assists in improving the rehabilitation and working conditions of people with disabilities in order to increase their employment among the members of the Union, for their social realization and protection of their interests;

- As an organization of employers, whose members are people with disabilities, participates in the National Council for People with Disabilities at the Council of Ministers and gives opinions and proposals for improving the regulatory framework for increasing the employment of people with disabilities;

- Conducts social policy in the network by supporting its members in the field of health and safety work and recreation and assists in conducting cultural, educational, artistic, sports tourist and other activities of cooperative members;

- With partnership with the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria and local self-government bodies to support and promote the activity and development of cooperatives;

- Supports and promotes cooperation between its members and municipalities in order to create more favorable conditions for their development as subjects of the social and solidarity economy;

- Interact with other cooperative unions, state, municipal, public and other organizations in the country and the European Union. Makes proposals to the National Assembly, the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and other competent bodies to solve problems of its members and gives opinion and other acts concerning the cooperative system and actively participates in their public discussion;

- Аchieves international activities and cooperates with European and international organizations and cooperative unions and participates in their activities;

- Works in close cooperation with cooperative organizations from the member states of the European Union for the establishment of European cooperative societies with Bulgarian participation;

- Organizes economic, social and cultural activities and achieves it through enterprises or in association with its members, as well as with cooperative and other organizations in the country and abroad;

- Achieves economic activity through his sole proprietorship "Tourmedico" Ltd;

- Assists in settling disputes between its members through voluntary arbitration and other forms;

- Performs other organizational, representative, coordination, legal, protective and control functions in the interest of its members;

The National Union of Worker Producers` Cooperatives achieves its activities in compliance with the Law on Cooperatives, the Bulgarian legislation, and its Statute.