The European confederation of industrial and service cooperatives (Cecop) elected Monica Fantini as president at its general assembly in Brussels on 16 October.
Fantini also serves as president of Conscoop, an Italian consortium of construction and infrastructure co-operatives and vice president of national apex Legacoop Produzione e Servizi.
She has held senior roles within Legacoop and served as general director of the Legacoop Romagna regional office. Prior to this, she spent a decade in North Africa leading initiatives for environmental protection and public health and was involved in foundations promoting socio-cultural and health research initiatives. She was made a Knight of the Italian Republic honour in recognition of her work focused social and economic progress in Italy and abroad.
“It is a great honour and responsibility for me to be appointed as president of Cecop,” she said. “We must work together to put forward concrete proposals that align responsible innovation, competitiveness and social development, contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy.
“The complex era we are living in requires an extraordinary commitment from our network. Across Europe, there is an unprecedented need for co-operatives, given the socio-economic values they represent, and the next MFF [the EU’s long-term budget] shall take it into consideration.”
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Fantini takes over from Giuseppe Guerini, who has been president of Cecop since 2016. As president of Cecop, Monica Fantini will also become vice-president of the International Organisation of Industrial and Service Cooperatives (Cicopa). She is the first woman to hold the role of president of Cecop.
“Cecop warmly congratulates Monica Fantini and expresses its deep gratitude to Giuseppe Guerini for his outstanding service and leadership,” the apex said in a statement.
Fantini will serve a four-year term between 2025 and 2029. Cecop represents 27 members in 16 European countries, including are national co-operative federations, and organisations that promote co-operatives.
