Italy’s Popolari banks and SMEs: a history of success Forum on Cooperative Banks and SMEs Italy’s Popolari banks and SMEs: a history of success Riccardo de Bruyn Director of the “Associazione Nazionale fra le Banche Popolari” (Italian Association of ‘Popolari’ Banks) Brussels, 4 December 2007

1. Popolari banks and SMEs: rising together Source: Assopopolari, Banca d’Italia, Istat (National Statistic Institute)

Areas with high density 2. Popolari presence is focused on SMEs’ system-areas Areas with high density of Popolari branches SMEs areas Source: Assopopolari, Banca d’Italia, Istat (National Statistic Institute); data referred to the end of 2006

3. Efficiency: Popolari higher performance in customers screening Source: Assopopolari, Banca d’Italia

4.Popolari practice lower interest rates to SMEs Loans other than bank overdrafts up to EUR 1 million Source: Assopopolari, Banca d’Italia, European Central Bank