The structure of the slovenian co-operative system in Carinthia
Zveza Bank in Klagenfurt is the provincial association of Slovenian credit and industrial co-operatives in the bilingual territory of Carinthia. 7 Posojilnica banks, 5 Zadruga market co-operatives, 1 livestock breeding co-operative, 1 co-operative for bio heating, as well as other legal entities and physical persons, are affiliated to Zveza Bank. Its sphere of activity extends to the monetary sector and auditing.
Zveza Bank is an Austrian bank, equally at home in two languages, with over 90 years of tradition. It is a member of the Austrian Raiffeisenverband. The Slovenian co-operatives are members of the Austrian Raiffeisen organisation.
The Slovenian co-operative system in Carinthia has been in existence since the nineteenth century. The first Slovenian credit co-operative, which was formed in 1872 in St. Jakob im Rosental, is thus the oldest co-operative credit institution of this kind in Austria.
The primary level of the Slovenian co-operative system consists, in the monetary sector, of 7 Posojilnica banks with 13 branches. The catchment area covers not only the whole of the bilingual territory of Carinthia, but also other Austrian federal provinces as well as Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Germany.
The range of services provided by the banking sector of the Slovenian co-operative system comprises all bank transactions, with individual consultancy and full services. Payment transactions, most foreign business, and larger financing operations are carried out by Zveza Bank in Klagenfurt.