French co-operatives – striving to maintain their differences. (supplement to Euromoney magazine: Co-operatives – the green banks go international)

FRENCH CO-OPERATIVES STRIVING TO MAINTAIN THEIR DIFFERENCES

French co-operative banks are striving hard to maintain their differences, while sparing little effort to adapt to the rapidly evolving French banking scene. In the scramble for new business, they are attempting to build from their traditional, mutualist base by offering an ever widening range of services both in France and abroad. They are also investing heavily in new technology to match France’s ommercial banking sector.

Unlike West Germany and the Netherlands, co-operative banks in France are not all under just one roof.