Efficient functioning of cooperative forms of economic activity in Ukraine is primarily a question of establishing a productive strategy for the development of national cooperation which should be based on a positive historical, international and foreign experience of legal regulation thereof and on the provisions worked out by the dogma of law. The cooperative dogma rests on cooperative principles. The extent to which the principles of international cooperation have been correctly manifested in national legislation determines the scope with which our legislation embodies the main requirements to the harmonious combination of individual, group and public interests and to the reservation of cooperative identity. The purpose of the article is to analyze the basic principles underlying the operation of cooperatives in Ukraine and the principles of cooperation contained in international legislation, and to investigate whether the provisions of national legislation comply with international guidelines, and also to present the author’s own vision regarding the targeted areas for improvement of cooperative legislation in the said aspect, with a view to facilitating the overcoming of challenging points existing in national cooperative legislation and the implementation of its provisions in practice. The author identifies the connection between the fundamental concept of cooperation and the immanent features of organization of cooperatives with the cornerstone cooperative principles. Although the development of national cooperation is a topical issue for society and economy of Ukraine, the issues of re-establishing of international cooperative principles in national legislation and practical application thereof in the national theory of cooperative law still get inadequate attention. That is why these issues require further research. The article shows that Ukraine’s well-developed cooperative legislation evidences the demand for the cooperative form of economic activity; however, it is very imperfect which is primarily explained by the lack of consolidation of international cooperative principles in it and by the specifics of compliance therewith in practice. The author comes to the conclusion that the economic model and legal arrangement of cooperatives is based on the most specific form of economic activity which, to be recognized as such, should be consistent with international cooperative principles and have them as the core of its activity arrangement. Ukraine’s experience in this aspect is colored rather negatively, and this ensues from the disregard for some of these principles or from their distortion. Therefore, it is important that our country return to the world legal traditions developed by the cooperative theory and comply with the universal provisions of international cooperative legislation by entrenching them at the level of national legislation.

List of legal documents 
 

Legislation 
1. International Co-operative Alliance. Co-operative identity, values and principles accessed 1 April 2018 (in English). 
2. International Credit Union Operating Principles World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. approved 24 August, 1984 by WOCCU Membership Council accessed 12 April 2018 (in English). 
3. Pro kooperatsiiu [On Co-operation]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 10 lypnia 2003 r. № 1087-IV. URL: http://zakon5.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1087-15 (accessed: 12.04.2018) (in Ukrainian).

4. Pro spozhyvchu kooperatsiiu [On Consumer Co-operation]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 10 kvitnia 1992 r. № 2265-XII. URL: http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/2265-12 (accessed: 20.04.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
5. Pro silskohospodarsku kooperatsiiu [On Agricultural Co-operation]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 17 lypnia 1997 r. № 469/97-vr. URL: http://zakon3.rada.gov. ua/laws/show/469/97-%D0%B2%D1%80 (accessed: 20.04.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
6. Hospodarskyi kodeks Ukrainy [The Commercial Code of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 16 sichnia 2003 r. № 436-IV. URL: http://zakon3.rada.gov.ua/ laws/show/436-15/page (accessed: 16.04.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
7. Pro kredytni spilky [On Credit Unions]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 20 hrudnia 2001 r. № 2908-III. URL: http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2908-14 (accessed: 20.04.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
8. Pro vidnovlennia platospromozhnosti borzhnyka abo vyznannia yoho bankrutom [On Restoration of the Debtor’s Solvency or Recognition of it as a Bankrupt]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 14 travnia 1992 r. № 2343-XII. URL: http://zakon3. rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2343-12 (accessed: 9.04.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
 

Bibliography 
 

Authored books 
9. Honcharenko V, Kredytni spilky yak finansovi kooperatyvy: mizhnarodnyi dosvid ta ukrainska praktyka [Credit Unions as Financial Cooperatives: International Experience and Ukrainian Practice] (Naukova dumka 1997) (in Ukrainian). 
10. Koverznev V, Hospodarsko-pravove zabezpechennia kooperatsii v Ukraini [Economic and Legal Support of Cooperation in Ukraine] (NAN Ukrayiny, Instytut ekonomikonaukovykh doslidzhen 2017) (in Ukrainian). 

Edited books 
11. Semchyk V (red), Kooperatyvne pravo [Cooperative Law] (In Yure 1998) (in Ukrainian). 

Journal articles 
12. Hrabovan L, ‘Propozytsii shchodo vnesennia zmin do Zakonu Ukrainy “Pro vidnovlennia platospromozhnosti borzhnyka abo vyznannia yoho bankrutom” stosovno kredytnykh spilok’ [‘Proposals for Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Restoration of the Debtor’s Solvency or Recognition as a Bankrupt”’] (2012) 2 Sanatsiia ta bankrutstvo 185 (in Ukrainian). 

Websites 
13. ‘Global 300 u fokusi uvahy’ [‘Global 300 Focus’] (Materialy Zasidannia Heneralnoii Asambleii Mizhnarodnoho kooperatyvnoho Aliansu, 5-6 chervnia 2008) accessed 20 April 2018 (in Ukrainian). 
14. Kian Pen, ‘Robit pravylno, shchob roboty dobre’ [‘Do It Right to Work Well’] (Materialy Zasidannia Heneralnoii Asambleii Mizhnarodnoho kooperatyvnoho Aliansu, 5-6 chervnia 2008) accessed 20 April 2018 (in Ukrainian).