Conceptual Features of Co-opertive at its Inception and Now

Abstract

The legal institute of co-operative is among the few institutes which have arisen independently in Slovakia without foreign influences. It was created by association law because naturally there was no specific legislation in the initial period. The article presents both: the fundamental definition of a co-operative under the Slovak Commercial Code and the principles on which the institute is conceptually constructed as it is contained in international co-operative principles. On the other hand, the article detaily deals with association law in the forties of the 19th century and Statutes of Gazdovský spolok in Sobotište. Of these abstracts the conceptual features of this association - the first co-operative in continental Europe and then compares them with the international co-operative principles and the definition of a co-operative under the Commercial Code.