Considerations on the legal nature of cooperatives

Cooperative businesses and cooperative organizations have not been the subject of in-depth theoretical research in Romanian law, mainly due to the sharp decline in the contribution of the cooperative sector in the national economy.1 In the commercial law doctrine, cooperatives have been qualified as being a professional trader.2 The economic doctrine analyses cooperatives as key actors of the social economy emphasizing both their economic and social value. Both approaches are reflected in the applicable legal regulations, as will be shown below.