| FINANCIAL EXCLUSION – Conference on Financial Services Provision for all, led by ECRC partner RFA will explore questions of access to financial services in their study |
On 31 January 2008 a one day seminar entitled “Financial Services Provision and Prevention of Financial Exclusion” will be organised on behalf of the European Commission DG Social Policy (Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities).ECRC partner RFA is the lead organisation of the study.
The study aims at identifying and analysing the most effective policy measures in the area of financial services provision and prevention of financial exclusion of people facing poverty or social exclusion.
The conference will disseminate and discuss the results of a study commissioned by the European Commission. The study is carried out by Réseau Financement Alternatif (our ECRC partner from Belgium), the University of Bristol (Personal Finance Research Centre), the University of Milan (Department of Economics, business and Statistics) and the Warsaw School of Economics (Center for Financial Services Market Research and Institute of Social Economy).
The One day seminar seeks to:
• Take a discerning look at the state of the art regarding financial exclusion – What do we mean by it, who is affected and what are the consequences?
• Present examples of financial exclusion situations in 14 European countries, with a specific focus on the situation in new Member States - What are the similarities and disparities across countries? What are the changes occurring in new Member States? – What limitations do we face in dealing with the issue?
• Highlight the best programmes implemented by financial providers to guarantee access to the most disadvantaged people – What can mainstream banks and/or niche providers do, are there possible partnerships? - How to learn from each other?
• Outline the best policy measures which are necessary to promote and guarantee financial inclusion - How to monitor and evaluate financial exclusion and include its prevention in the political framework? Which policies, strategies and mechanisms promote financial services that are accessible to all?
PROGRAMME:
FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVISION AND PREVENTION OF FINANCIAL
EXCLUSION
ONE DAY SEMINAR
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Hotel Plaza, Bvd Adolphe Maxlaan, 118-126 - 1000 Brussels – Belgium
8.30 Welcome to participants
9.00 Introduction
9.15 What is financial exclusion, and why does it matter?
This first presentation takes a discerning look at financial exclusion, the people that are affected and the consequences of lack or inadequate access to financial services.
Prof. Elaine Kempson
Prof. Luisa Anderloni
10.15 Financial services provision in new Member States: rapid changes taking place
The specificities, developments and future needs regarding financial services provision in new Member States will be highlighted by the speakers in the light of the first study reports focussing on the issue in Poland, Bulgaria Slovakia and Lithuania.
Prof. Piotr Bledowski & Prof. Malgorzata Iwanicz-Drozdowska
10.45 Coffee break
11.15 Financial service providers’ engagement: why and how can mainstream banks and niche providers guarantee access to most disadvantaged people?
The speakers will present best practices and partnerships implemented by the financial sector and explain the essential role that each stakeholder can play in the implementation of those programmes.
Goerges Gloukoviezoff (Introduction)
NMS Credit union representative – to be decided and confirmed
Commercial bank representative -Benny Higgins from Bank of Scotland Representative from Confederation of Savings Banks in Spain or NGO representative from France
12.35 Debate
13.00 Lunch
14.15 Which policy measures promote and guarantee financial inclusion? The speakers will analyse how to monitor and evaluate financial exclusion and present the various policies, strategies and mechanisms that can be implemented to promote financial services accessible to all on a voluntary or compulsory basis.
Bernard Bayot (Introduction)
Kitty Usher or Brian Pomeroy (Chair of the UK financial inclusion taskforce)
Pierre Dejemeppe (Belgium)
Consumer protection organisation representative (Germany : Manfred Westphal - Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. - vzbv)
15.35 Debate
16.00 Coffee break
16.30 Conclusion and closing of the conference
Mr. Antoine Saint-Denis
Bernard Bayot |
| ID: |
40707 |
| Author(s): |
iff |
| Publication date: |
20/12/07 |
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Created: 20/12/07. Last changed: 20/12/07.
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