EMN keeps on growing!

With 14 new members our organisation has strengthened her representation of the European Microfinance sector, which is crucial for the development of the sector and to provide more opportunities to underserved people on our continent. 2018 has been a year in which our activities have significantly increased, enhancing the collaboration with our members and our main partners.

I would like to highlight the following three initiatives for you and their potential impact:

ADVOCACY

2018 has been a crucial year in the design of the future EU programmes in support of the European microfinance sector. Our efforts in this area have started to pay off with the launch of the InvestEU and ESF+ initiatives which contain most of the requirements from the sector as communicated over all these years. Publications like the “Microfinance in Europe: Survey Report 2016-2017” and the 4th European Microfinance Day, with the slogan “E=mc2” have been fundamental in increasing awareness of the importance of the sector in Europe and its sustained growth. The time has come now to further increase our efforts and dedicate more resources to the Advocacy of the sector.

SERVICES TO MEMBERS

This year we have seen a big increase in the number of Peer to Peer Visits among our members, which shows a great interest in learning more about other good practices in the sector, which is one of the main purposes of EMN. The 2018 Annual Conference in Bilbao will always be remembered as the biggest EMN conference with nearly 600 participants from 45 countries. The co-organisation of the event with MFC shows the potential of collaboration by both organisations and we are looking forward to see this expanding.

COLLABORATING TOWARDS A COMMON FUTURE

As already announced during our last General Assembly in Bilbao, the Boards of EMN and MFC have decided to embark on a path towards a joint future. After three years of successful collaboration at operational level, both organisations will explore the possibilities of a joint future during the next few months. This project will be crucial for a successful future of the microfinance sector in Europe. Rest reassured that the Board of EMN will be in constant contact with all its members in order to collect any and all necessary feedback from your side in order to carefully steer the integration process while keeping the sector’s development as its main objective. I am grateful to work with the dedicated members of the EMN Board of Directors, not only those who left our Board in June - Spanish Microfinance Association & Nachala - but also the current Board members – Adie & Inpulse & microStart – as well as newly elected Good.bee and Seed Capital Bizkaia. With the efficient support of our Secretariat, I am sure the organisation is more than ready for the future challenges ahead.

Elwin Groenevelt

EMN President