1. Preamble and definitions

These General Terms and Conditions of Use (hereinafter "GCU") govern access to and use of the website. oetc-rights.eu (hereinafter the "Site"), published by the association European Observatory for Transparency in Cooperatives (OETC), an association under French law governed by the law of July 1, 1901, whose registered office is located at 200 rue de la Croix Nivert, 75015, Paris, France.

• "User" : refers to any natural or legal person who accesses and navigates the Site.

• "Services" : refers to all functionalities and information made available to Users on the Site, including articles, guides, analyses, and the reporting channel.

Access to and use of the Site implies the User's unreserved acceptance of these GCU.

2. Purpose of the Site

The purpose of the Site is to inform the public and cooperative members of their rights, to promote transparency and good governance in the cooperative sector, and to provide support tools in accordance with the corporate purpose of the OETC.

3. Access to Services

Access to the Site is free of charge. OETC undertakes to use its best efforts to ensure uninterrupted access to the Site and its Services, but cannot be held responsible in the event of temporary interruption of the service for maintenance reasons or in the event of force majeure.

4. Access to Services and Association Membership

The OETC is based on a model that distinguishes between public information and dedicated support for its members.

• Public and Free Information The informational content of the Site, such as articles, general guides, and analyses, is accessible to all Users free of charge, to maximize the dissemination of knowledge about members' rights.

• Services Reserved for Members Advanced and personalized services, such as the "Initial Legal Assessment" (legal triage), access to the Network of Professional Partners, and direct support, are exclusively reserved for members of the association who are current with their membership fees. Joining the OETC is not only a means to access these services but also an act of support for our institutional mission.

• Sustainability and Future Services The OETC's institutional activities (research, monitoring, advocacy) are made possible by membership fees and by potential public and private contributions or funds. In the future, the association reserves the right to offer specific high-value-added services that may require the payment of a specific contribution, which will be clearly indicated.

5. Intellectual Property

All content on the Site, including, by way of example, texts, articles, reports, logos, graphics, and videos (hereinafter the "Content"), is the exclusive property of the OETC or its partners and is protected by French and international intellectual property laws.

Any reproduction, representation, modification, or distribution, in whole or in part, of the Content without the prior written consent of the OETC is prohibited. Quoting short excerpts is, however, permitted provided that the source (OETC - oetc-rights.eu) is clearly mentioned.

6. Responsibility of the User

The User undertakes to use the Site and its Services in compliance with the laws in force and with these GCU. In particular, the User undertakes to:

• Not to use the Site for illegal or defamatory purposes.

• Not to compromise the security or integrity of the Site.

• Provide true and accurate information, to the best of their knowledge and belief, when using the reporting channel and when interacting with the Services.

7. Limitation of Liability of OETC

The information provided on the Site is of a purely informative and general nature. Although OETC makes every effort to ensure that the Content is accurate and up-to-date, it cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

In particular, it is specified that:

• The Site Content, including guides and analyses, does not constitute formal legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified attorney.

• The "Initial Legal Analysis" service offered to members is an initial orientation and triage service, aimed at identifying the nature of a problem and suggesting courses of action. It does not establish a lawyer-client relationship, and does not engage the professional liability of OETC or its experts.

OETC cannot be held responsible for any direct or indirect damage resulting from the interpretation or use of the information on the Site.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies

To enhance the effectiveness of its Services, the OETC uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. By using the Services that rely on these technologies, the User accepts and understands the following:

• Purpose AI is used to process the information provided, overcome language barriers, increase management efficiency, and provide a first level of analysis and guidance, as in the case of legal triage.

• Human Supervision AI is an empowering tool for our experts. Any output, analysis, or suggestion of a critical nature, particularly with regard to legal triage, is always supervised, verified, and validated by a qualified human operator before being communicated. AI does not make autonomous decisions.

• Conversational and Voice Agents The User may interact with AI-based conversational or voice agents. These interactions are intended to gather preliminary information and provide guidance. These agents do not provide legal advice, and the User is aware of the non-human nature of their interlocutor in such contexts.

• Limitation of Liability Specific to AI The preliminary information and analyses generated by our AI systems, including legal triage, are provided for information purposes only and in no way constitute formal legal advice. OETC shall not be held liable for any decisions or actions taken by the User based solely on the outputs generated by AI.

• Responsibility for Data Provided The accuracy and quality of the outputs generated by AI depend directly on the veracity and completeness of the information provided by the User.

• Technology Quality Commitment OETC is committed to using and keeping its systems up to date with some of the most advanced and powerful AI-based analysis and reasoning models available, in order to provide members with the best and most accurate support possible.

• Data Protection in AI All information provided to our AI systems is treated with the highest measures of security and confidentiality. Data is not used to train third-party models and is protected by advanced security protocols to prevent unauthorized access, in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

9. Professional Partner Network and Contacts

In order to provide comprehensive support to its members, OETC develops and maintains a network of independent professional partners (hereinafter the "Network"), such as law firms and chartered accountants, in various European countries. The User accepts and understands the following:

• Role of OETC OETC acts exclusively as a facilitator and intermediary. Following the "Initial Legal Analysis" service, OETC may propose that the User be put in contact with one or more Network partners. This proposal is not binding.

• Freedom of Choice The User is always free to choose their own trusted professional, even outside the Network proposed by OETC, and to continue to benefit from the association's other information Services.

• Independence of Partners Network professionals and firms are third-party entities, totally independent of OETC. OETC undertakes to select its partners on the basis of criteria of competence and reliability, but cannot be held responsible for the quality of service, fees, advice provided or, more generally, for any act or omission on the part of said partners.

• Contractual Relationship Any professional mandate entrusted to a Network partner establishes a direct and exclusive contractual relationship between the User and the professional. The OETC is and remains outside this relationship.

• Quality and Feedback OETC is committed to monitoring the quality of its Network. For all reports, feedback, or complaints concerning a partner, the User is invited to write to the following address network-quality@oetc-rights.eu.
  

Availability of Experts and Alternative Procedures
OETC endeavors to develop as wide a network of experts as possible. However, the User acknowledges that geographical coverage may not be complete in all European regions at the time of request.

In the event that no Network expert is active in the User's region, OETC undertakes to provide the "Initial Legal Analysis" service in order to offer initial qualified support in understanding their rights and possible courses of action.

At the same time, OETC will undertake an active search to identify a suitable professional in the said area, without, however, being able to guarantee a positive outcome to this search.

If the User identifies and proposes their own trusted professional, OETC undertakes to collaborate by providing the latter with the results of the Initial Legal Analysis and the suggested action strategy, in order to facilitate the start of the mandate.

10. Confidential Reporting Channel

The OETC provides a channel for reporting alleged irregularities. The OETC guarantees the utmost confidentiality of the information received and the protection of the reporter's identity, in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The User of this channel is responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.

11. Whistleblower Protection and Confidentiality Pact

The protection of those who contact us is the foundation of our credibility and our mission. A User who entrusts us with their story must feel completely secure. That is why we are committed to the following principles:

• Absolute Confidentiality The OETC will never disclose the identity of a reporter or the specific details of their case to third parties, including the cooperative concerned, without the prior, explicit, and written consent of the User. This commitment is total and unconditional.

• Aggregated and Anonymized Use The information you provide is invaluable for our monitoring activities. It will be used, in a strictly anonymized and aggregated form, for our analyses, reports, and institutional advocacy actions, in order to highlight systemic issues without ever exposing individual cases.

• Protection Against Retaliation We understand the fear of retaliation. Our structure as a French-law association was also chosen to act as a protective filter. All external communication will be managed by the OETC, acting as an intermediary between the User and the cooperative and reducing the personal exposure of the reporter.

• Pact of Trust Our action is based on a pact of mutual trust. We commit to protecting you and using your testimony for a greater cause; in return, we ask you to provide us with accurate and truthful information to enable us to act with the utmost effectiveness and integrity.

12. Personal Data

The collection and processing of Users' personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy, which are an integral part of these Terms of Use.

13. Amendments to the Terms of Use

The OETC reserves the right to amend these Terms of Use at any time. The amendments will take effect upon their publication on the Site. The User is advised to consult this page regularly.

14. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed by French law. Any dispute relating to their interpretation or execution shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Paris.