Co-operative Banking in Italy

The development of co-operative banking in Italy has differed from that of other European countries, and today, the co-operative sector plays a relatively modest role in the country’s economy. Consisting of two main types, the larger popular banks and smaller credit co-operative banks, the sector has some 1.8 million members, making co-operative membership a relatively rare phenomenon. The process of bank consolidation and the mandatory conversion of the largest popular banks into joint-stock companies have substantially reduced the sector since the 1990s, making commercial joint-stock banks the leading players in the national banking system. This chapter examines the structures and performances of the co-operative banking networks relative to some selected shareholder-oriented banking groups. Unlike what has been recorded in other European countries, Italian CBs have median values for lending activity lower than those recorded by commercial joint-stock banks and are riskier. The formation of the new strategic groups and of an IPS is expected to enable Italian credit co-operative banks to carry out operations for the restructuring of their loan portfolios more easily, as well as to make significant improvements in their risk management and in the offer of products, services, and technologies available to customers.