Articles in Europe

THE Co-operative Group has hit out against a proposed plastic bag tax in Scotland. At an environmental committee meeting in the Scottish Parliament, Becky Toal, Environmental Programme Manager, argued against a levy of 10p on plastic bags across Scotland proposed by Lib Dem MSP Mike Pringle in his Plastic Bags Bill. Ms Toal said that while the Group backed the ethos of waste management it did not support a charge on bags, which could bring further environmental repercussions and even violence ...

THE Co-operative Group has announced plans to close or sell all of its 36 department stores by February 2007. Ten stores – seven of them in Scotland – will be closed in February next year, but many of the remaining 26 could be sold as going concerns to Peterborough-based Anglia Co-op, which has already acquired some department stores from United Co-operatives. Negotiations with Anglia are still ongoing and a decision on which outlets the society will acquire is expected in the next ...

THE British Movement increased its representation in the International Co-operative Alliance, the global co-operative body, during a gathering of 70 countries for the ICA General Assembly in Cartagena, Colombia. Bob Burlton, Co-operative Group chairman and Midcounties Society CEO, was elected President of Consumer Co-operative International, one of the ICA's principal sectoral bodies. He replaces Giuseppe Fabretti, from Italy, who had an uninterrupted presidency of ten years.