论合作社的法律地位

合作社是自愿联合起来的人们通过共同所有与民主管理的组织以实现其共同的经济、社会与文化目标与抱负的自治联合体。合作社的基本价值是自助、民主、平等、公平和团结;合作社社员信奉诚实、开放、社会责任与关怀他人的道德价值观。合作社的原则包括社员资格的自愿和开放、社员民主管理等七项。合作社与集体制是两种极易混淆,但实存重大区别的制度。由于合作社类型的多样性,规模大小不一,因此不宜将合作社的主体地位统一确定为法人,而应由合作社发起人自行选择。既可以选择为有限责任性质合作社、股份合作社等法人形式,也可选择为合伙组织、合作社分社等非法人组织形式。

On the Legal Status of a Cooperative

A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united to meet their common economic,social,and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.The cooperative philosophy lies in its self-government,democracy,equality,fairness and cooperation.Its members are devoted to such moral beliefs as honesty,openness,social responsibility and concerns for others.There are seven cooperative principles,for instance,voluntary and open membership,democratic member control,etc.It is easy for us to confuse a cooperative with a collective ownership,though they vary substantively.With various types and different sizes and scales,cooperatives cannot all be deemed a legal entity.Initial members may freely form a corporative limited by liabilities or a cooperative limited by shares with legal person status,or an entity without legal person status,such as a partnership or a sub-cooperative.