Associative priority entities as an instrument for the integration of agrifood companies. Difficulties and opportunities of its recognition

Abstract

Given the existing fragmentation in the Spanish cooperative system and the consequent lack of competitive level of Spanish cooperatives in the international market, the Act 13/2013, of August 2nd, to promote the integration of cooperatives and other associative agri-food entities was developed, which sought to address these problems. Obtaining the qualification of "Associative Priority Entity" created by said Act, these entities will have preferential access to subsidies and aids, as well as the entities that are integrated in them and the agrarian producers. But to obtain this qualification they will find multiple difficulties, whether they are intrinsic to the integration itself, such as the problems of concentration / differentiation, or the requirements imposed by the same Act and by the Royal Decree 550/2014, of June 27th, by which the requirements and the procedure for the recognition of the Associative Priority Entities and for their inscription and entry in the National Register of Associative Priority Entities are developed, among which are the demands for turnover, joint marketing and the controversial nature of supra-regional, or difficulties derived from the plurality of regulations generated by the autonomous regions.