European Association of Co-operative Banks

Co-operative banks serve 214 million customers

Co-operative banks are mutual and private banks, owned by their 85 million members

Co-operative banks share common values and foster local growth and entrepreneurship through their 2.700 regional and local banks, 43.000 branches

Co-operative banks employ 713,000 individuals nationally

Co-operative banks manage more than €7,9 trillion in banking assets

Co-operative banks safeguard €4,2 trillion in deposits

Co-operative banks extend more than €4,6 trillion in loans

Following an initiative launched by Mr. Johannes TEICHERT, a first meeting with representatives of the European Commission was held in December 1969 with the aim to create a representative body for credit co-operatives of the 6 EU-member states. Hence the Association of Co-operative Savings and Credit Institutions of the E.E.C. was officially created on October 1, 1970. The first statutes of the Association were signed at the end of 1971 by the following founding members:

• Caisse Centrale des Associations Agricole Luxembourgeoises
• Centrale Raiffeisenkas, Leuven Belgium
• Confédération Nationale du Crédit Mutuel, Paris
• Coöperatieve Centrale Boerenleenbank, Eindhoven
• Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Bank, Utrecht
• Deutsche Genossenschaftskasse, Frankfurt
• Deutscher Raiffeisenverband, Bonn
• Ente Nazionale delle Casse Rurale Agrari ed Ente Ausiliari, Rome
• Fédération Centrale du Crédit Agricole Mutuel, Paris
• Fédération Nationale du Crédit Agricole, Paris
• Federazione Italiana dei Consorzi Agrari, Rome
• Union du Crédit Coopératif, Paris

The EACB is a European non-profit association, located and registered in Belgium. It is headed by a President and regulated by the Board and the Executive Committee. The General Manager, Mr. Hervé Guider[4] leads the Secretariat based in Brussels.

The EACB supports the code of conduct on lobbying of the European Commission and is registered in the EU transparency register book[5] (Transparency Book Register 4172526951-19).

The President is elected for 2 years with a mandate, which may be renewed once. He chairs the Board and the Executive Committee. The Board meets 3 to 4 times a year and defines the general policy. The Executive Committee is composed of 39 appointed Members,[6] who endorse recommendations put forward by the Working Groups members.[7] They meet three times a year. The activities of the EACB are articulated around Working Groups and Taskforces,[7] covering topics from banking legislation to customer policy, CSR and Social Affairs.

As the voice of co-operative banks, the EACB maintains close relations with other bodies that regroup certain co-operative banks with the purpose of enhancing business co-operation, such as the Conféderation Internationale des Banques Populaires (CIBP). In addition the EACB is a member of Co-operatives Europe , the umbrella body gathering European and national co-operative organisations and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). The EACB is a founding member of the European Payments Council (EPC), the European Banking Industry Committee (EBIC) and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG).

• European Central Bank
• European Securities and Market Authorities
• European Banking Authority
• International Monetary Fund
• World Bank Group
• EBIC (European Banking Industry Committee)
• EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group)
• EPC (European Payments Council)