Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo

Sommario

1. Il sistema creditizio tedesco: la c.d. “Drei Säulen-Struktur”. – 2. Natura giuridica e fondamenti del sistema delle Sparkassen: a) la pubblica utilità; b) il principio regionale; c) il principio della sussidiarietà; d) la mancanza di capitale in dotazione; e) la struttura federativa. – 3. Rapporti tra Sparkasse ed ente fondatore: l’abrogazione delle garanzie pubbliche (Anstaltlast e della Gewährträgerhaftung). – 4. L’evoluzione del settore delle Sparkassen: processi di consolidamento e di privatizzazione. – 4.1. Segue. La recente privatizzazione della Berliner Sparkasse. – 5. Le Landesbanken e la DGZ-DekaBank. – 6. Le fondazioni di emanazione bancaria tra funzione patrimoniale e funzione erogatrice. – 6.1. Gli anomali casi della Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung di Lubecca e della Spar und Leihkasse zu Bredstedt: un modello analogo alle fondazioni bancarie italiane? – 7. Conclusioni.

Abstract

German saving banks were established in the 19th century to provide basic financial services to low-income people and peasants. Today they are still perceived and ruled as public institutions. In fact, exception made for the Freie Sparkassen (freely established saving banks), most saving banks are still owned by local public bodies. However, as a consequence of the agreement signed by the Federal Republic and the EU that was aimed at replacing state guarantees of saving liabilities, there has been a consolidation of smaller German banks. Currently, the banking market leaders are regional Landesbanken that implement forms of vertical integration at regional level. Moreover, as a consequence of the decision to decrease public budgets, but also due to the financial crisis that recently hit Germany, there is a need for saving banks to separate social tasks and for profit activities. On the basis of the experiences analysed in the article the Author identifies two main trends: the creation of community foundations and the destination of part of the annual profit to social activities. However, she underlines that these solutions do not tackle the mostly important issue of ownership, nor do they seem to foresee a more contextual statutory reform in the future.