Microcredit in the Italian and Brazilian legal systems. A bird’s eye view

The aim of this paper was to analyze the regulation of microcredit in Brazil and in Italy, contextualizing the activity of microcredit within the Italian legal systemconstitutional order, and identifying the reasons for its poor diffusion. We believe that Italy, similarly to what has taken place in Brazil where gov-ernments, over the years, have strongly promoted policies to favor the development of microcredit in the country, should invest more in this field. It appears, moreover, appropriate to identify, in law, less strict criteria for access to this sector, as well as more flexible conditions in the areas of auxiliary services, interest rates and capitali-zation of the microcredit entities. SUMMARY: 1. Introduction. – 2. Microcredit in Brazil - in perspective. – 2.1. History and Legislative Discipline. – 2.2. The typology of microcredit in Brazil. – 2.3. The results of microcredit in Brazil. – 3. The regulation of microcredit in Italy. – 4. The various types of microcredit in Italy. – 5. The constitu-tional framework of microcredit in Italian regulation. – 6. The reasons for the poor diffusion of mi-crocredit in Italy. – 7. Conclusions.