COOPERATIVES EUROPE asbl ◊ European Region of ICA Brussels, November 2010.

c/o Cooperative House Europe

Avenue Milcamps 105◊ BE-1030 Brussels
Tel. (32/2) 743 10 33 ◊ office@coopseurope.coop

KLAUS NIEDERLÄNDER APPOINTED

NEW DIRECTOR OF
COOPERATIVES EUROPE ASBL

The COOPERATIVES EUROPE Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Klaus
Niederländer as the new Director of COOOPERATIVES EUROPE asbl and as the Regional Director for
Europe of the INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE ALLIANCE (ICA).

Klaus Niederländer comes to COOPERATIVES EUROPE and the ICA with a

professional background in enterprise development via his experience as a
financial analyst, management consultant and SME programme manager
in Europe, Africa and the USA (with a Masters degree in European
Economics and BA in Business). He has hands-on experience of developing
cooperative enterprises and movements in various countries of Africa (e.g.
in the artisanal textile sector and for the development of fairtrade cotton).
Cooperative development has deep roots in his family’s history with their
involvement in the creation and development of the local cooperative
banking and agricultural sector in the South Western part of Germany.

Etienne Pflimlin and Felice Scalvini, co-Presidents of COOPERATIVES EUROPE, in announcing

the appointment said, “We and the Board of Directors look forward to working with Klaus
Niederländer to take COOPERATIVES EUROPE into its next phase of development whilst
continuing to defend and to promote the viability of the co-operative business model
throughout Europe.”

“Klaus has demonstrated that he has the skills, knowledge and the ability necessary
for this demanding role but also that he has the proven interest in developing the
sustainable economy of tomorrow and is committed to using our cooperative principles as a
lever for change.”

Klaus Niederländer succeeds Rainer Schlüter who was Director until April 2010.
ENDS

For further information contact Agnès Mathis: a.mathis@coopseurope.coop

NOTES
1. Klaus Niederländer takes up the appointment on 15 November 2010.
2. COOPERATIVES EUROPE — the European region of the International Co-operative Alliance - is
the biggest membership organization in Europe promoting the co-operative model of enterprise
for sustainable economic progress with social objectives. It represents a force for economic
growth and social change of 123 million member co-operators owning 160.000 co¬operative
enterprises and giving jobs to 5.4 million European citizens. http://www.coopseurope.coop.
3. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is an independent, non-governmental
association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895,
ICA has 248 member organisations from 92 countries active in all sectors of the economy.
Together these co-operatives represent nearly one billion individuals worldwide.
http://www.ica.coop.
4. 2012 has been designated as the UN International Year of Cooperatives
http://www.ica.coop/activities/iyc/index.html.