This book offers a comparative analysis of credit cooperative systemsacross 23 European countries. Cooperative banking has an important place in thefinancial, economic and social life of most European countries, and whilecooperative banks, credit mutuals, credit cooperatives and credit unions sharethe spirit of cooperation and mutuality, they often have very differentfeatures, history and development. The book examines the evolution and currentmodel of each credit cooperative system, its importance for the national andlocal banking markets, as well as the impact of the financial crisis oncooperative banking, and also presents the sharp contrasts between thesesystems throughout the EU. It is of significant scientific and practicalinterest and enables policymakers, practitioners and academics at European andnational levels to deepen their understanding of the evolution of the systemand its governance.