Shaping the future of microfinance
Our work
Advocacy
The development of microfinance in Europe has encountered many legal and political obstacles. It is therefore important that the European Microfinance Network be strongly involved in advocacy on a wide range of issues related to microfinance, micro-enterprises, social and financial exclusion, self-employment and employment creation.
Knowledge Exchange
The peer-to-peer exchange visits, exclusively intended for EMN members, provide each EMN member with the opportunity to visit another member on a specific theme, in order to deepen the understanding of their work, to encourage exchange of good practices and to develop expertise. These bilateral exchanges, tailor-made to members’ needs and expectations, also facilitate cooperation and collaboration between EMN members.
Research
The development of microfinance in Europe has encountered many legal and political obstacles. It is therefore important that the European Microfinance Network be strongly involved in advocacy on a wide range of issues related to microfinance, micro-enterprises, social and financial exclusion, self-employment and employment creation.
Working Groups
EMN organises Working Groups to strengthen the involvement of its members in the Network. The activities carried out by the different Working Groups are very diverse: organisation of workshops, elaboration of research papers, publications, creation of new tools for microfinance management, etc.
Discover who we are
About us
European Microfinance Network is an NGO that connects microfinance institutions, social finance organizations, and other stakeholders throughout Europe (EU and candidate countries). Since 2003, with the help of members from EU countries and candidate countries, EMN has played an important role in cultivating collaboration, encouraging innovation, and knowledge sharing across the microfinance ecosystem. We partner with EU institutions like the EIF and EIB, as well as corporations, to implement projects across Europe. EMN, together with other partners, also developed the Code of Good Conduct to ensure high standards in microfinance operations and protect clients’ interests.
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The future of microfinance is stronger together
Our network
We are proud to have 91 members from 22 countries, including EU and candidate countries. Among these, 27 organizations follow the Code of Good Conduct, showcasing their dedication to high standards in microfinance. Inside EMN there are 11 national networks that are focused on advocating for microfinance as a tool for overcoming social and financial exclusion. Inside of EMN members are collaborating across regions in project consortia and also establish partnerships between themselves for developing dedicated financial products.
EMN amplifies its support for its members through partnerships with companies offering tailored value, enabling the creation of customized events and services. Members also receive assistance from EMN in applying for SIFTA technical support, organizing study visits, and obtaining the COGC. Additionally, EMN offers its support and knowledge to members in conducting research on specific needs, like impact assessments, ensuring they are well-equipped to thrive in the evolving microfinance landscape.
Explore our latest publications, reports, and insightful studies
Latest publications
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
The 2022 edition of the Microfinance Survey in Europe offers a snapshot of the microfinance sector from 2020-2021, during and after the most severe phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the 10th edition of the Overview Survey for the European Microfinance Network (EMN) and the fourth 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 156 institutions from 30 countries and captured data for 2020-2021.
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Microfinance overview surveys
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
This is a policy note to demonstrate the many ways in which microfinance actors support the objective of financial and economic inclusion for entrepreneurs with migrant backgrounds. It explores a number of activities that microfinance institutions (MFIs) have put in place, and a number of successful public-private partnerships that also address this goal.
Policy notes
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