RATIONALE BEHIND AND DILEMMAS OVER CONSOLIDATION AND COOPERATION OF COOPERATIVE BANKS IN POLAND

Abstract

The study analyses the processes of consolidation of cooperative banks in Poland in 2010-2020 and the cooperation of banks within operating cooperative banking associations. The essence of the processes of consolidation and cooperation of cooperative banks was determined and their premises, scale and effects to date were presented. The main focus was on the analysis of factors determining the need for the further transformation of the cooperative banking sector in Poland and the role that may be played by bank consolidation and various forms of cooperation of cooperative banks in this process. It has been shown that the consolidation of banks, consisting of taking over economically weak banks by larger cooperative banks, better performing on the market, is necessary, but it is not a solution leading to the development of the sector. Such a solution may be the tightening of cooperation between banks within associations, leading to the gradual integration of selected areas of banking activity while maintaining the autonomy of local banks in relations (at the contact) with customers.