Advocacy
Awareness on the role of Ethical Finance
FEBEA acts as an intermediate between its members and the institutions of the European Union and other financial and political organisations.
Check our Positions
FEBEA monitors programmes and initiatives launched by the European Commission in order to identify all funding opportunities that may be of interest to its members, to Ethical Finance and Social Economy organisations, and advises them during the application procedures and in their relations with relevant institutions.
FEBEA also takes positions on specific European legislative files and participates to relevant political discussions, such as:
Working on
FEBEA follows the initiatives related to the creation and development of financial tools at the European level dedicated to Social Economy, and in particular:
InvestEU Guarantee Instrument
Funded from the Social Investment and Skills window of the InvestEU Fund and specifically dedicated to microfinance and social entrepreneurship.
InvestEU Advisory Hub
Funded from the Social Investment and Skills window of the InvestEU Fund and specifically dedicated to microfinance and social entrepreneurship.
EU Commission, EIB and CEB
FEBEA supports its members in the process of accessing EU Guarantees or funding to expand their lending activities and facilitates the development of long term partnerships with the EU Commission, the EIB Group, the Bank of the Council of Europe and other relevant institutions.
Social investment programmes
FEBEA is particularly attentive at the deployment of key social investment programms such as InvestEU and also at the use of ESF+ funding by regions and European countries in the development of the Social Economy.
Capital Markets Union
FEBEA is invested in influencing the integration of EU financial markets to yield more social and green investments.
Involvement in civil dialogue and collaboration with partners
FEBEA supports its members in the application procedure and in establishing long term partnerships with the EU Commission, the EIB Group and other implementing partners.
Intergroup on Social Economy in the European Parliament
The Intergroup on Social Economy in the European Parliament serves to ensure a permanent dialogue between all European institutions, member states and the Social Economy sector, and is of vital importance to mainstream the Social Economy perspective into the legislative and non-legislative work of the European Parliament. It was created in 1990 and has been continuously active since then.
FEBEA supports the renewal of the Intergroup at the start of every mandate and participates regularly in its public hearings.
Social Economy Europe
FEBEA is a member of Social Economy Europe and has recently been appointed to its Executive Committee.
Working Group on Social Finance within Social Economy Europe
The Group brings together actors from both the supply and demand side of the Social Economy to facilitate the creation of a network and tackle challenges in financing Social Economy initiatives at the EU level. The Working Group has published a position paper on InvestEU, highlighting the barriers social finance providers experience in accessing the InvestEU Fund.
Working Group on Transition Finance within the European Responsible Investor Network (ERIN)
FEBEA is part of the ERIN Working Group on Transition Finance. It is dedicated to evaluating the EU’s policy proposals to facilitate the financial transition towards a more sustainable economy. The group aims at exploring clear definitions, guidelines, and standards for transition finance, ensuring transparency and mitigating the risks of greenwashing.
Working Group on the Social Investment Framework
FEBEA is a member of a EU-level Working Group formulating a Social Investment Framework for the EU.
FEBEA's internal working groups
FEBEA has established several thematic working groups to analyze issues in ethical and solidarity finance and provide tools for its members. These groups create contributions and documents to aid the Federation’s lobbying efforts with European institutions. Formed as needed, these groups include interested members and, if necessary, external experts, and are disbanded once their objectives are met.
FEBEA has currently 5 active working groups,
involving several members:
- Advocacy Group
- Working Group on Sustainable Finance
- EU Funding Group
- Communication Community on Social Finance
- European Network of Young Enthusiasts around Ethical Finance
Previous working groups have worked on:
- Socially Responsible and Impact Investing
- Capitalisation of Ethical Banks
- Ethical Impact Bonds
- Financing the South of the World and Fair Trade
- Financing Healthcare Infrastructures and Social Services
- Sustainable Development
- Social Inclusion
In some cases, the results obtained by the working groups led to the creation and launch of dedicated financial instruments to meet the needs that emerged from discussions among members.
2024 Ethical and value-based finance report
ADVOCACY
Have a look at our Publications
Discover our papers
Draghi’s Blind Spot: Making EU Prosperity Inclusive and Secure
Analysis of Mario Draghi’s report, The Future of European Competitiveness.
Key Financial Instruments for Supporting Business Initiatives in Reducing Food Waste and Losses
The document outlines alternative finance options like crowdfunding, crowdlending, crowdequity, and other innovative models, providing detailed access guides and examples for each.
EU Funding Opportunities
This research guides financial institutions and social economy organizations through the complexities of EU grants, social impact funding, and application strategies. Optimize your impact with expert advice on navigating funding frameworks for social and environmental projects across Europe.
Impact Measurement and Management for Ethical Finance Providers
This paper is based on three trainings that have been organized by FEBEA on the topic of impact measurement and management.
Europe needs to mobilise capital for Social Investments
This policy paper urges the European Commission to build upon existing international and EU standards to develop a robust Social Investment Framework.
Much more than a transition: the sustainability shortcomings of the Capital Markets Union
As the European Union grapples with challenges in its Single Market, calls for deeper capital markets integration have intensified. Enrico Letta’s report “Much More than a Market” has gained significant attention, serving as an unofficial blueprint for the proposed Capital Markets Union (CMU), which aims to enhance EU competitiveness and bridge the green funding gap.
Decoding the EU Election manifestos through the Ethical Finance lens
What do the parties running for the 2023 European Elections propose in terms of Ethical and Sustainable finance?
Financing Social Economy In Europe: the need for a stronger InvestEU program
This policy paper from the Social Economy Europe’s Social Finance Working Group explores the challenges faced by social finance providers—such as ethical finance institutions, microfinance bodies, and national development banks—in accessing the InvestEU fund.
Beyond the ‘green approach’ to tackle greenwashing
FEBEA and its members have contributed to the European Supervisory Authorities’ (ESAs) call for evidence on potential greenwashing practices in the EU financial sector.
European Elections, a young perspective
This policy brief examines this tension, exploring its ramifications for the EU’s legitimacy and the urgent need for better representation and engagement of young people in shaping their futures.
Progress and Pitfalls: FEBEA's View on the EU's Sustainable Finance Framework
This policy paper provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union’s journey toward integrating sustainability into its financial systems since 2018
Equity Capital in the Social & Solidarity Economy
The paper is based on a workshop on Equity Capital in the Social & Solidarity Economy that took place on June 27, 2023 with FEBEA members. We thank the participants for providing their valuable insights.
The role of Blockchain in Social Finance
This research paper was developed as part of a workshop that took place on April 28, 2023 on ‘New Developments on Social Finance’ organized by the European Center for Social Fiance and FEBEA with the support of the European Commission. FEBEA members participated in the discussion and shared their views on the topic.
The role of Artificial Intelligence in Social Finance
This research paper was developed as part of a workshop that took place on April 28, 2023 on ‘New Developments on Social Finance’ organized by the European Center for Social Fiance and FEBEA with the support of the European Comission. FEBEA members participated in the discussion and shared their views on the topic.
Mediterranean Sustainable Finance Observatory
FEBEA and its members have contributed to the European Supervisory Authorities’ (ESAs) call for evidence on potential greenwashing practices in the EU financial sector.
Not my Taxonomy
Calling on the EU Parliament to vote for a truly sustainable taxonomy
Climate Finance for Ethical Banking
Recognizing the central role of banks and financial intermediaries in managing capital flow, this introductory text explores the dual aspects of climate finance.
