Cooperatives Act (No. 421 of 2013). Country/Territory Finland Document type Legislation Date 2013 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Agricultural & rural development, Water Keyword Cooperative/producer organization Basic legislation Registration Water supply Water users' associations Non-governmental entity Geographical area Arctic, Europe, Europe and Central Asia, European Union Countries, North-East Atlantic, Northern Europe Abstract This Act regulates establishment, incorporation, registration, and various aspects of administration and functioning of cooperatives in Finland. The Act introduces reformed rules for cooperatives, so as to correspond to the demands of modern business operations and to strengthen the competitive position of Finnish cooperatives. The Act simplifies the process of incorporating a cooperative, reduces governance obligations, and facilitates the process of acquiring capital from members and investors. A large part of the cooperatives in Finland are cooperatives for water supply purposes. Provisions on standard bylaws for cooperatives may be issued by Regulation of the Ministry of Justice. A cooperative shall be registered in accordance with provisions of the Trade Register Act (129/1979) within three months after the constitution agreement is signed. Full text English Website www.finlex.fi References - Legislation Repeals Co-operatives Act (No. 1488 of 2001). Legislation | Finland | 2001 (2010) Keyword: Cooperative/producer organization, Basic legislation Source: FAO, FAOLEX