Support for Farmers’ Cooperatives Study Abstract Given the imbalances in bargaining power between contracting parties along the food supply chain, the European Commission (DG Agriculture and Rural Development) has launched a large study to gain better insights in the policies that could help farmers to self-organise in cooperatives as a means of strengthening their market position and so generating a solid market income. The specific objectives of this study were 1) to provide a comprehensive description of the current level of development of cooperatives in the EU, 2) to identify laws and regulations that enable or constrain cooperative development, and 3) to identify specific support measures, which have proved to be effective and efficient in promoting cooperatives and, more generally, producer organisations. This report provides the overall conclusions of the full study. It was carried out by a European research consortium during 2011 and 2012. Data gathered in all 27 Member States has been presented and analysed in separate country reports. The data collected were also used in preparing eight sector reports, focusing on the role of cooperatives in each of these sectors. At the EU level a number of analyses were performed, studying aspects such as the institutional environment, internal governance, and the position of cooperatives in food supply chains. In addition, 34 cases studies have been carried out, and the situation in selected non-EU, OECD countries has been investigated. These background reports on countries, sectors and cases, as well as the EU-wide analysis, provide farmers, cooperatives and policy makers with useful insights regarding the market orientation and organisation of cooperatives and producer organisations.