The organe central du crédit agricole is a public limited company (société anonyme), responsible for facilitating, coordinating and controlling the performance of the operations provided for in this Code, governed by the provisions of the Code de commerce and by the specific provisions of this sub-section.
It carries on the tasks which, prior to the promulgation of the law of 18 January 1988 relating to the mutualisation of the caisse nationale de crédit agricole, were entrusted by law to the caisse nationale de crédit agricole and to the fonds commun de garantie.
The holdings of the caisses régionales de crédit agricole mutuel referred to in Article L. 512-34 in the capital of the organe central du crédit agricole are grouped together in a joint company.