COOPERATION IN ITALY: Distinctive Features and Development Trajectories

The Italian cooperative system is an important actor in the national economy, playing a significant role in creating value, generating income, promoting employment, and fostering social cohesion. This research report by Euricse, edited by Chiara Carini and Eddi Fontanari, provides an updated analysis of this system, highlighting its economic, employment, and social characteristics. The report utilizes various data sources to offer a comprehensive overview of the sector and its potential for development.

The report is structured into several chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of the economic dimensions of non-financial cooperatives and their subsidiaries in 2021, analyzing the trends from 2017 to 2021. The second chapter delves into the economic importance of Cooperative Credit Banks and their role in supporting families and businesses. The third chapter focuses on the employment positions generated by Italian cooperatives, while the fourth chapter analyzes the composition of cooperative boards of directors.

The fifth and sixth chapters of the report examine the use of structural resources by cooperatives and their potential role in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), reflecting on the sector’s development prospects.

Scientific Coordinators: Chiara Carini and Eddi Fontanari

Researchers: Paola Delvecchio, Giacomo Pisani, Jacopo Sforzi, Annalisa Spalazzi, Maria Carmen Mazzilis

Euricse would like to thank Silvia Rimondi (AGCI Research Office), Pierpaolo Prandi and Giuseppe Daconto (Confcooperative Study Center – Fondosviluppo), Mattia Granata and Francesco Linguiti (Legacoop Study Area), and Maria Carmen Mazzilis (Economic Analysis and Credit Statistics Service – Federcasse) for their support in defining and implementing the report.