Author
Anais Perilleux is an Assistant Professor of macroeconomics, labour economics, social economy and ecological and social transition at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL). She holds an PhD in Economics and Management Sciences from the Université de Mons. Her research interests are economics and management of cooperatives, social enterprises/social entrepreneurship and nonprofit organizations. She is also interest in social finance and sustainable development.
Executive summary
The recent financial crisis has shown the importance of developing a sustainable financial system. In this regard, cooperatives, which the United Nations celebrated in 2012, deserve special attention. Understanding their relationship with the banking sector is key to develop adequate policies. In line with the market failure theory, our empirical analysis shows that FCs reach more members in countries where the banking sector is less developed. However, important synergies exist between banks and FCs concerning savings activity. In particular, the presence of banks increases FCs’ capacity to collect savings by offering them a safe place to secure their savings surplus.