Research
EMN, a knowledge hub for microfinance in Europe
EMN serves as a leading knowledge hub on microfinance in Europe, providing valuable insights for policymakers, investors, researchers, MFIs and other sector stakeholders.
Through its research activities, EMN delivers up-to-date data on market developments, emerging trends, and the impact of microfinance, supporting evidence-based policy design and advocacy efforts.
Survey Report on Microfinance in Europe
In collaboration with MFC, EMN publishes the most comprehensive report on the European microfinance sector.
This flagship publication covers a significant share of the market, offering in-depth statistics and analysis on sectoral trends, practices, and needs.
The report serves as a critical resource for stakeholders and strengthens EMN’s advocacy efforts.
The 2023 edition of the Microfinance Survey in Europe offers a snapshot of the microfinance sector from 2022, marking the first annual release of its kind.
This is the 11th edition of the Overview Survey for the European Microfinance Network (EMN) and the fifth time it was carried out in collaboration with the Microfinance Centre (MFC). The collaboration between these two networks allows the survey to cover the lion’s share of the European microfinance sector, delivering the most complete dataset available at this time.
The study covered 169 institutions from 29 countries and captured data for 2022.
Microfinance overview surveys
Mapping of Regulatory Frameworks
EMN conducts ongoing research to map the diverse regulatory environments for microfinance across Europe.
This initiative provides essential insights into national regulations, helping MFIs navigate their legal landscapes and advocate for improved regulatory
conditions.
Along with the evolution of microcredit over the last 20 years, the legislation on microcredit activities has formalised the presence of non-bank microfinance institutions (non-bank MFIs) in the market. In contrast to banks, non-bank MFIs are the primary microcredit providers in Europe, and they are not obligated to comply with full banking requirements to offer loans. Their main target clients are primarily excluded from the banking system and therefore non-bank MFIs play a key role in promoting financial inclusion. However, what is the current legislation for non-bank MFIs in Europe?
This paper examines the various legislative frameworks adopted in Europe. For EMN, this is part of a larger learning process that will help to identify regulatory approaches that are more conducive to the development of the sector. This is key to help policymakers improve their own framework, capturing the specificities of microcredit that EMN advocates for, based on EU good practices. For microfinance practitioners, this paper can be a practical tool to compare their context with that of their peers across Europe and engage in discussion with policymakers on regulatory issues.
Regulatory reports
EMN supports microfinance research through the Maria Nowak Research Fellowship, which provides free consultancy to a selected EMN member.
A designated researcher, chosen in agreement with the recipient, undertakes a research assignment for up to one year, contributing to knowledge generation and institutional capacity building.
