What if we could turn job seekers into job creators? With this eloquent main tagline, the first edition of the European Microfinance Day wanted to point out that the European microfinance sector offers solutions to the under-served to help them become self-employed and to create jobs across the continent.
Under the aegis of the Luxembourgish Presidency of the EU, and with the eloquent tagline What if we could turn job seekers into job creators?, the European Microfinance Day was inaugurated on the 19th October 2015 with a high level opening session at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) addressed to European economic and political decision-makers from the EU institutions and EU stakeholders in general.
The opening session was honoured by the presence of Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians and welcomed the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Ms Marianne Thyssen, as keynote speaker. The session was hosted by the President of the ECO section from the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr Joost van Iersel. The Luxembourgish Minister of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy, Mr Nicolas Schmit was present as keynote speaker in representation of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The speakers' panel was composed of: MEP, Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats), Dr Paul Rübig; Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Mr Pim Van Ballekom; and the former President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and former President of microStart, Mr Philippe Maystadt.
Impact
- A total of 225 participants attended the First European Microfinance Day, which included the signature of the first EaSI Guarantees with six European Microfinance Institutions and a workshopon Regulations and laws for microfinance in the EU: Current situation and opportunities for improvement, co-organised on the 20th October by the European Microfinance Network (EMN), the Microfinance Centre (MFC), and the European Investment Bank Institute (EIBI).
- 27 EMN and MFC members from 17 countries got involved in more than 20 local actions which included workshops, open doors days, special discounts, awards, launch of new loan products, conferences, round tables…
- 33 mentions on European media where reported
Audiovisual material
- Video recording from the Opening session
- Video recording from the Workshop recording
- Pictures from the Opening session
- Pictures from the Meeting with Her Majesty the Queen of Belgians
- Pictures from the workshop on Regulations and laws for microfinance in the EU
Media corner
- Press Release 19/10/2015 More than 125,000 micro-entrepreneurs celebrate the European Microfinance Day
- Press Release 20/10/2015 Microfinance: lending for jobs, not for profit
To get further information and details from the 1st European Microfinance Day, contact us.
