SAVE THE DATE!
The European Microfinance Day is back!
This year, we are hosting a one-day, in-person event in Brussels on Thursday, April 16th. The 2026 edition of European Microfinance Day is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion (DG EMPL), the European Investment Bank (EIB), together with the EMN, and the Microfinance Centre (MFC).
Please note that participation will be subject to approval.
The European Microfinance Day 2026 aims to bring together key stakeholders in the EU microfinance ecosystem to discuss current and future challenges and opportunities for microfinance in Europe, drawing on experiences in deploying microfinance instruments supported by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and InvestEU.
The target audience includes policymakers, ESF+ managing authorities, microfinance providers (including EMN and MFC members), experts from the European Commission, EIB Group and other IFIs, as well as other stakeholders involved in the EU microfinance sector.
PROGRAMME
08:30-09:00 Arrival and registration of participants, welcome coffee
09:00-09:05 Welcome by the Moderator
- Bruno Robino – Deputy Head, Advisory Financial Institutions Division, European Investment Bank
09:05-09:15 Opening remarks
- Wojciech Stępień – CEO, Microfinance Centre (MFC)
09:15-09:25 Welcome from the two networks
- Wojciech Stępień – CEO, Microfinance Centre (MFC)
09:25-10:30 Impact of microfinance on the ground – Focus on Benelux countries
This session will showcase the impact of microfinance across Belgium, the host country of the European Microfinance Day 2026, as well as the Netherlands and Luxembourg. With contributions from MFIs and final recipients of microfinance support, the discussion will bring practical insights from the ground. It will highlight stories of successful entrepreneurs and discuss key challenges and lessons learnt for the sector from the region. With a Q&A with the audience.
- Dominique de Crayencour – former Vice-President, European Microfinance Network (EMN)and former Director, European Investment Bank
- Marcell Kovacs – Founder Magyarbolt (Hungarian products shop), Brussels, Belgium
- Lorraine de Fierlant – General Director MicroStart, Belgium
- Marco Smit – CEO, Director-General Qredits, the Netherlands
- Sam Paulus – Senior Manager Microlux, Luxembourg
- Patrick Somerhausen – Managing Partner, Funds for Good, Belgium
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-11:15 Keynote – The role of microfinance in the context of EU’s new Anti-poverty strategy (delivered online)
- Katarina Ivanković Knežević – Director for Social Rights and Inclusion, DG EMPL, European Commission
11:15-11:25 Setting the scene
- Cristina Dumitrescu – Head of Inclusive Finance, European Investment Fund
11:25-12:10 Part 1: Microfinance as a powerful tool for vulnerable groups
This session will showcase how, by focusing on vulnerable groups, microfinance contributes to job creation, financial inclusion, competitiveness, food security, the EU’s Antipoverty Strategy and the European Pillar of Social Rights. With a Q&A with the audience.
- Kristina Maslauskaite -Technical Advisor, Council of Europe Development Bank
- Brigitte Fellahi-Brognaux – Head of Unit, DG EMPL, European Commission
- Nicola Benaglio – Research Director, European Microfinance Network (EMN)
- Giulia Casagrande – Loan Officer, Financial Institutions Department, European Investment Bank
- Caroline Brandt – International Director, ADIE, France
- Raluca Andreica – CEO and Board Member, Patria Credit, Romania
- Katarzyna Sabarańska – Vice-President, Foundation Board, Foundation for the Development of Polish Agriculture (FDPA)
12:10-13:00 Part 2: How can microfinance support a range EC policy frameworks – challenges and opportunities for ways forward
This part will explore the role of microfinance in supporting a broad range of EC policy frameworks, as well as the challenges and opportunities for ways forward in this regard. Representatives from different Directorates-General will explore policy intersections and how microfinance can be better used to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, especially by expanding access to finance for vulnerable and underserved groups. With a Q&A with the audience.
- Brigitte Fellahi-Brognaux – Head of Unit, DG EMPL, European Commission
- Sabine Bourdy – Head of Unit Green Finance & Investments, DG ENV, European Commission
- Giulia Camozzini – Deputy Head of Unit E.2 (BG, RO, HU, CY, GR, HR, SI), DG HOME, European Commission
- Laura Liger – Policy Analyst, Unit ‘Cities, Communities, People’, DG REGIO, European Commission
13:00-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-14:20 Microfinance delivering on improved access to microfinance for vulnerable groups – fireside chat
- Gelsomina Vigliotti – Vice-President, European Investment Bank Group
- Mario Nava, Director-General, DG EMPL, European Commission
- Jorgos Papadakis, Managing Director, European Microfinance Network (EMN)
14:20-15:05 Part 1: Perspectives from the ground – Managing authorities
The session will explore how microfinance-related solutions have been implemented within national policy priorities to support vulnerable and excluded groups, reflecting on the progress made and the lessons learned. It will also discuss how insights from the past can inform a more effective use of microfinance instruments in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), addressing national and EC priorities at the country level.
- Tzvetan Spassov – Director General, Head of the MA of ESF+ HR Development Operational Programme, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Bulgaria
15:05-16:00 Part 2: Perspectives from the ground – Microfinance institutions
Building on the perspectives shared by managing authorities, microfinance institutions will provide their feedback from the field, highlighting operational challenges, emerging needs and areas where policy and practice still diverge. This interactive exchange will open a challenge discussion, examining what needs to change to ensure that lessons from the past inform a more effective and impactful use of microfinance instruments in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). With a Q&A with the audience.
- Pavol Kapsdorfer – Network and Partnership Manager, Microfinance Centre (MFC)
- Martina Grigorova – Executive Director, SIS Credit, Bulgaria
- Linas Armalys, CEO, Noviti Finance, Lithuania
- Neoklis Stamkos, CEO, Microsmart, Greece
- Marcos Salinero Múgica, Managing Director, Bizkaia Mikro, Spain
16:00-16:30 Closing – Key takeaways
- Frank Lee – Head of Advisory Financial Institutions Division, European Investment Bank
- Stefan Buciuc – Vice-President, European Microfinance Network (EMN) and CEO, BCR Social Finance, Romania
- Wojciech Stępień, Managing Director, Microfinance Centre (MFC)