VITTORIO BOSCIA is Professor of Banking and Finance at University of Salento, Italy and Visiting Researcher at the University of Wales. He is also a member of the Ph.D in Banking and Finance academic board at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. He is the author of numerous articles and is currently researching in the areas of corporate banking, project financing and public finance. ALESSANDRO CARRETTA is Professor of Financial Markets and Institutions and Director of the Ph.D Program in Banking and Finance at University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. He has been teaching Banking and Finance for over 25 years and is widely published in this area with more than 100 books and articles in academic journals.   PAOLA SCHWIZER is Professor of Banking at University of Parma, Italy and Professor at SDA Business School, Bocconi University, Italy. She is the author of several publications on various aspects of finance and banking.

• List of Illustrations Preface About the Authors Introduction; A.Carretta, P.Schwizer &  V.Boscia PART I: CO-OPERATIVE BANKING IN THE WESTERN EU-COUNTRIES The Banking System in Portugal: The Case of Credito Agricola Mutuo Group; V.Stefanelli The Cooperative Banking System in Spain; V.Stefanelli The Cooperative Banking System in France; P.Marchetti &  A.Sabetta The Peculiarity of the UK Case: The Mutual Building Societies; V.Stefanelli Cooperative Banking in the Netherlands: Rabobank Network; M.Cotugno The German Cooperative Banking System: Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken; M.Biasin The Cooperative Credit System in Italy; R.Di Salvo The Credit Cooperative System in Finland; R.Di Salvo, J.S.Lopez &  I.Schraffl PART II: CO-OPERATIVE BANKING IN THE NEW EU-COUNTRIES Cooperative Banking in the Newly European Countries; M.Cotugno Credit Cooperatives in Romania; C.Bussoli The Bulgarian Cooperative Banking; M.Cotugno CONCLUSIONS Concluding Remarks; A.Carretta , P.Schwizer &  V.Boscia Notes References Index