Citizens' Cooperative

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A civil association is a personal corporations of public law that in about half of Liechtenstein occurs communities. It consists exclusively of people with Liechtenstein citizenship . The citizens' cooperatives are to be distinguished from the political communities .

prehistory

In the 19th century, the terms communal soil or communal property prevailed for the previous commons . These were collectively used forests and pastures and also parceled arable land that was not the private property of the household concerned, but was made available to it for use. The community benefits particularly comprised wood procurement rights and alpine usage rights. From the 1920s, new residents were excluded from community use, which, however, hardly led to conflicts due to the declining interest in use.

Two bills drawn up in 1849 and 1926 attempted to separate the political and economic communities based on the Swiss model , but failed both times. Such a separation only came about in 1996, when the citizens' cooperatives were separated from the political communities .

Establishment of citizens' cooperatives

Foundations

The forest above Vaduz is owned by the local citizens' association.

The law on the citizens' cooperative from 1996 made it possible to separate the beneficiaries of the municipality from the political municipality. This means that the municipal assets and the assets of the user community can be clearly separated. This prevents the residents of a municipality who are not involved in the community benefit from providing services to the user community without benefiting from them.

The municipalities of Balzers , Triesen , Eschen and Mauren transferred their municipal land to the ownership of the citizens' cooperatives within the statutory period of up to 2004, Vaduz followed in 2010. Schaan and the other municipalities decided not to set up a second municipal administration within their own administration.

Members

The founding members of the citizens 'cooperatives were all citizens who were entitled to vote in the former citizens' assembly as well as all citizens who are entitled to use and who live outside the community.

Membership is voluntary. In contrast to community citizenship rights, membership is not inherited, but can be applied for at the age of majority. Liechtenstein citizens who descend from a member of the citizens' cooperative or are married to a member are eligible to apply. Only citizens who are not already members of another citizens' cooperative are accepted.

tasks

Citizens' cooperatives manage and maintain the cooperative property. These primarily include forests, agricultural soils and the Alps, but also parcels in the building zone. The citizens' cooperatives grant their members shares in the use. Any additional income is used for the care and protection of forests and pastures as well as for other, above all cultural, community tasks.

criticism

A municipality without a citizens' cooperative can determine the entire municipal assets - finances and land - alone. Important decisions can be made by all residents who are entitled to vote. At a time when the influence of the civil parishes in Switzerland was tending to decrease, Liechtenstein took a different path.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bernd Marquardt: Community soil . In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
  2. ^ Bernd Marquardt: Community use. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
  3. ^ Bernd Marquardt: Community. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
  4. ↑ a b c Bernd Marquardt: Citizens' Cooperative. In: Historical Lexicon of the Principality of Liechtenstein . December 31, 2011 .
  5. ↑ a b c d Are Liechtenstein's five citizens' cooperatives an anachronism? On: lie: zeit (online), Zeit-Verlag Anstalt, Eschen, June 15, 2017
  6. ↑ a b Act on Citizens' Cooperatives of March 20, 1996. On the Liechtenstein Collection of Laws (LILEX)