Intro; Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; Contents; Notes on Editor and Contributors; List of Figures; List of Tables; Chapter 1: An Overview of Cooperative Banking in Europe; 1.1 Cooperative Banks: Origins and Fundamental Principles in Today's World; 1.2 Types of Cooperative Banking Groups and Networks; 1.3 Size and Geographical Presence of Cooperative Banks in Europe; 1.4 Cooperative Banks and Relationship Banking; 1.5 Characteristics of the Support of Cooperative Banks to the Economy; 1.6 Stability of Cooperative Banks; 1.7 Cooperative Banks and Savings Banks; References

Chapter 2: The New Economic Scenario and Its Impact on the Cooperative Banking Business Model2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Key Elements of the New Economic Scenario; 2.2.1 Low Interest Rates; 2.2.2 Regulatory Burden; 2.2.3 Digitalization; 2.3 The Impact of Extremely Low Interest Rates on Cooperative Banks; 2.3.1 Interest Rates and Their Impact on Bank Profitability; 2.3.2 Cooperative Banks and Cooperative Banking Groups; 2.3.3 Development of Cooperative Banks' Net Interest Income and Profitability; 2.4 Reacting to the New Economic Scenario; 2.4.1 Bringing Risk to the Market; 2.4.2 Reducing Costs

2.4.3 New Sources of IncomeReferences; Chapter 3: Cooperative Banks Lending During and After the Great Crisis; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Lending Behaviour of Cooperative Banks in the Different Areas of the Continent; 3.2.1 Analysing Lending Behaviour Via the Bank Lending Channel; 3.2.2 Research Method; 3.2.3 Empirical Observation and Discussion of Results; 3.3 Lending Supply, Capitalisation and Non-performing Loans During the Great Crisis: The Italian Case; 3.3.1 Credit Crunch and Levels of Banks' Capitalisation; 3.3.2 Research Method; 3.3.3 Empirical Observation and Discussion of Results

3.4 Limits to the Countercyclical Role of Cooperative BanksReferences; Chapter 4: Cooperative Banks and Banking Regulation in the EU: Key Elements; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 The Cooperative Banking Singularity in the EU Regulation; 4.3 Relevant Aspects of Regulation for Cooperative Banks; 4.3.1 Capital Requirements; 4.3.2 Governance Requirements; 4.3.3 The Institutional Protection Schemes; 4.3.4 The Opening of the Market of Payment Services to Third Party Providers; References; Chapter 5: National Initiatives to Drive the Evolution of the Cooperative Banking Sector; 5.1 Introduction

5.2 The Reform of the Cooperative Banking Sector in the Netherlands5.2.1 Overview; 5.2.2 External Environment; Macroeconomic Environment; Banking Regulation and Supervision; Banking Sector Shake Up; 5.2.3 Internal Challenges; 5.2.4 Strategic Responses; Fundamental Governance Reform; Cost Reductions, Efficiency Improvements and Capitalisation; Strategic Reorientation; Evolution of the Rabobank Group; 5.2.5 Concluding Remarks; 5.3 The Reform of the Cooperative Banking Sector in Italy; 5.3.1 The Cooperative Banking Industry in Italy and Its Recent Evolution; The Legal Framework