The need for a second edition of this work arose from the significant developments that have taken place in recent years in the field of cooperative law at both national and community levels, mainly with the introduction of Regulation 1435/2003 establishing a new type of company, the European cooperative company, as well as with the "maturation" of the cooperative banks institution introduced by Law 2076/1992.

This institution, which after its initial hesitant steps is now experiencing significant growth in our country, with the creation and successful operation of 15 cooperative banks and the prospects for the transformation of other credit cooperatives into credit institutions, is organized around its core principle of promoting the private economy of the members.

The area of cooperative rights, which is the main axis of this work, is certainly a recipient of all these developments, not only because of the interdependence it has with the cooperative purpose but also because it is the space where any legislative interventions have an immediate impact.

Meanwhile, in the period since the first edition, a new law for agricultural cooperatives has been issued, Law 2810/2000, which has already been partially amended by Law 3147/2003, while modifications have occurred in the main legislation for civil cooperatives, Law 1667/1986. Additionally, a significant number of judicial decisions have emerged, mainly concerning the exercise and protection of the members' rights.

Decisions that, although they indicate an incomplete understanding of cooperative law, nevertheless provide the impetus for the renewed analysis of certain issues that were also of concern in the previous edition.