The European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB)
The voice of cooperative banks
The European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) represents, promotes and defends the common interests of its 27 member institutions and cooperative banks, with regard to banking as well as cooperative legislation.
Founded in 1970, today the EACB is a leading professional lobbying association in the European banking industry. Cooperative banks play a major role in the local and regional financial and economic system in Europe.
They contribute widely to stability thanks to their anti-cyclical behavior, drive local and social growth growth with 2,800 local banks and 51,500 points of sale, and serve 210 million customers, mainly consumers, SMEs and communities.
Europe's cooperative banks represent 84 million members and 713,000 employees and have a 20% share of the European banking and local economy financing market.
Crédit Mutuel chairs the CSR working group at the EACB Social responsibility of cooperative enterprises
Responsibility is one of the key values of cooperative banks, whether for their members, their local communities or the environment. Along these lines, the working group on CSR and cooperatives focuses on a series of issues related to cooperative social responsibility or to CSR, sustainability and cooperative activities and provides input on legislative developments, projects and discussions at the EU and international levels.
The group is also a platform for sharing best practices and engaging with leading actors (EU institutions, UNEP FI, GRI, OECD, etc.) on theenvironmental, social and governance aspects of cooperative banking..
The group also acts as a liaison with Cooperatives Europe and the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) to enhance the vitality of cooperative roots at the international level.