National Federation of Co-operative Banks The Italian Federation of Co-operative Credit Banks (Federcasse), formed in 1950, is the national association representing a specific category of banks, which find their reason for being and market niche in their small size, structure as co-operatives, local links, mutual nature and the special relationship they forge with their members. Mission The mission of the Italian Federation is to represent the member banks at national government level, protecting their interests and promoting their development. More specifically, the Italian Federation sets strategic policy guidelines for co-operative banking, with the aim of achieving ethical, cultural, social and economic objectives. Among the roles it is called upon to play, mention should be made of planning, coordination and development of the system, promotion of the image of the category and handling of external relations. Membership At present, 438 Co-operative and Rural Banks, located in all parts of the country, are members of the Federation. Taken as a whole, they form one of the most important banking groups in the country, with over 5,4 million customers and over 4.044 branches. At the end of 2008, their total deposits had passed 113,6 billion Euros. The Co-operative Banks have over 926.000 members, including all types of businesses and all strata of Italian society. International framework Internationally, the member co-operative banks, through Federcasse, are members of the European Association of Co-operative Banks, based in Brussels . They also maintain relations with different European co-operative banking groups. President: Alessandro Azzi