European umbrella body · Poland · national
No direct farmer membership
The supreme body of Poland's cooperative self-government, operating under the Cooperative Law (Prawo spółdzielcze, 1982). It represents the cooperative movement at home and abroad, gives opinions on legislation, keeps registers of cooperatives and their unions, and audits (lustracja) cooperatives that do not belong to an auditing union. Its sectors include agricultural production cooperatives, cooperative producer groups, dairy, horticulture-beekeeping and farmers' circle cooperatives.
Farmers are not direct members: the Congress and the Council are the self-government of cooperatives and their unions; a farmer is connected through their own cooperative (e.g. a producer group or dairy cooperative).
Farmers pay nothing directly. The Council's costs are covered by contributions from cooperative organisations under rules set by the Congress (Cooperative Law, Art. 266; Resolution 13/2024 of the 7th Congress); the contribution is due by 15 February each year. Social cooperatives that belong to an auditing union are exempt.
For information only, not legal advice. Mandatory membership is set by local law — each profile lists its source.