General Assembly of the Young European Cooperators Network in Porto

General Assembly of the Young European Cooperators Network in Porto: New Horizons for Ukrainian Cooperation

From 5 to 7 November 2025, the General Assembly of the Young European Cooperators Network (YECN) took place in the Portuguese city of Porto. The event, organized by CASES – the António Sérgio Cooperative for the Social Economy, with the support of Cooperatives Europe and the Porto City Council, became a significant milestone for the youth cooperative movement in Europe.

Ukrainian cooperation was represented in Porto by Nataliia Soltys-Sholudko, Logistics Manager at the LLC «Zdolbuniv Production-Procurement Trading Enterprise», and Ivanna Melnyk, a teacher of foreign languages and world literature at the Rivne Cooperative Economic and Legal College.

More than 35 young cooperators from 14 European countries, representing 17 nationalities, gathered in Porto. Participants discussed key challenges for the cooperative movement, including generational continuity and youth engagement in decision-making processes.

The Assembly opened with speeches by the leadership of CASES, members of the Board of Cooperatives Europe, and the President of YECN. In her remarks, Mariam Gabrielyan, Board Member of Cooperatives Europe, emphasized the importance of uniting young cooperators to exchange experience and promote innovative ideas based on cooperative principles.

During the Assembly, participants learned about the history and activities of CASES, which brings together public and social organizations to develop the social economy sector in Portugal. They reviewed statutory issues, planned the agenda for 2026, discussed the role of the Network as an advisory body to the Board of Cooperatives Europe, and outlined future development steps, including strengthening ties with other youth and cooperative networks. Participants also visited several Portuguese cooperatives.

The delegates from Ukraine emphasized the high level of organization, the valuable opportunities for building international connections, and the chance to discuss practical aspects of cooperative activity. The attention shown by European colleagues to Ukrainian cooperation was especially meaningful, demonstrating the important role of Ukrainian cooperatives on the international stage.