Bearing 6 signatures, on the situation of land improvement cooperatives in Emilia Romagna, Italy 

The petitioners (six municipal councillors) request action by the European Parliament with regard to the powers of the Region of Emilia Romagna (RER) in relation to functional and hierarchical control over the activities of the eight regional land improvement cooperatives, drawing attention to various shortcomings, inequities and anomalies. In particular, they complain about the overlapping of competences between the activities of cooperatives in the fields of land improvement and hydrogeological protection, and regional functions, the alleged antidemocratic electoral system and consequent totalitarian management and control by the largest agricultural associations and land owners and the abnormal system of staff recruitment, via direct calls at the discretion of the administrative committees, rather than through public competitions.