EaSI Technical Assistance in 2020

During 2020, the  EaSI TA programme was successful in reaching more than 2200 people working in public and private financial institutions (FIs) within the microfinance sector in Europe with 150+ diverse activities. All activities were tailored to the needs of institutions arising from the challenges brought by the pandemic, and aimed at improving the operations and widening the outreach of the microfinance institutions. Majority of the services this year took place online, involving participants from all over Europe.

Apply for EaSI Technical Assistance

The European Commission’s Call for expressions of interest from microfinance institutions continues to be open for applications from microcredit providers wishing to benefit from dedicated consultancy and training services to improve their operations, performance or governance and for COVID-19 specific support. To find more about the services offered, eligibility requirements and how to apply have a look at the Related documents section on the EaSI Technical Assistance webpage.

“Lovćen bank and its team greatly appreciated having the opportunity to work with the EaSI Technical Assistance team. The training we received was very practical. Together we have achieved a highly productive cooperation, which led to further improvements of the competitiveness of Lovcen and supported the strong drive of the bank to fulfil its mission of serving clients in Montenegro.”, Jovana Popović, Director of Business Development Division of Lovćen Banka Montenegro

“It was a great experience for us to learn more about digitalization, thanks to the EaSI Technical Assistance that we received. We implemented few things that we learned and it really helped us in this period where more than half of our employees work from home.”, Eleonora Zgonjanin Petrovikj, CEO of FULM Savings house North Macedonia   

The Updated Code enters into force on 1 January 2021

The Commission has led an update of the European Code of Good Conduct for Microcredit, which enters into force on 1 January 2021. The updated Code will remain a robust quality label for the microfinance sector in Europe.

In addition, the validity of Code certification will be extended to four years for MFIs that comply with the updated Code.

Download the updated version of the Code in English here. Answers to the most frequently asked questions related to the Code can be found here, together with an updated self-assessment tool and other related documents.

The most relevant changes made in the updated Code were discussed from different perspectives at an online session “Update on the European Code of Good Conduct for Microcredit Provision: What next?” during the EMN Annual Conference 2020. If you have missed this webinar, you can watch the recording or view the presentation.

Take part in a survey about the impact of the Code

All microfinance institutions, stakeholders and experts with some knowledge about the Code are kindly invited to take part in one of the two surveys on the Code. The survey responses will feed into a study assessing the impact of the Code for the microfinance sector in Europe, focusing on practices, visibility, reputation, credibility, funding and sustainability. The survey is open until Friday, 15 January 2021 and all responses will be treated confidentially and anonymously.  

What is the Code?

The European Code of Good Conduct for Microcredit Provision defines a unified set of standards for the microfinance sector in Europe. It serves as a self-regulation tool and a quality label for microfinance institutions committed to ethical finance. The Code has been developed based on recognised best practices in the sector in close consultation with stakeholders. Signing up to or endorsing the Code is a prerequisite for microfinance institutions and banks wishing to benefit from EU financial support.

Awarded Institutions

As of December 2020, 52 institutions have been certified as compliant with the Code. The full list of certified institutions, which successfully went through the evaluation process can be found on the Code page under “List of Awarded Institutions”.

“For Mikro Kapital Romania, it was a pleasure working with the EaSI Technical Assistance team. We found the Self-Assessment Tool and Technical Assistance on the Code very useful for us. It helped us to revise all our processes and make some chances and adjustments in order to bring our company to a higher level of development.“ Grigore Fusu, Marketing Manager, Mikro Kapital Romania

Upcoming Events

• 21 January 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance webinar from the series Leaders in Digital Era: Digital Emotional Intelligence
• 28 January 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance Webinar: Rubyx - How the use of Data can improve your microfinance practices.
• January 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance Webinar: Update on the Code – Overview and deep-dive in Chapters 1 to 3.
• February 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance Webinar: Update on the Code – Detailed changes in Chapters 4, 5 and Code Evaluation.
• 11 February 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance Webinar: Putting the customer first: Customer segmentation & Customer Journey
• 18 February 2021 - EaSI Technical Assistance Webinar: Credit Operations in crisis times

For more information about upcoming events and the registration links, be sure to regularly check the EaSI TA Related events page or subscribe to this newsletter.

Webinar Series

Watch recorded sessions from these webinar series at your own convenience:

How to Build a Corporate Immune System in Response to COVID-19:

• Business continuity;
• Stress Test for Success;
• Loan Restructuring and Refinancing Agreements;
• Amendments to lending policy for new products and online channels;
• Risk management for beginners and back-up staff;
• Financial planning and financial modelling.

Leaders in the digital era:

• Always winning team;
• Choosing and running online trainings;
• Online meetings facilitation.

Best Practice in Microfinance

Please find below recent analyses and short examples of best practice from the microfinance sector in Europe:

• Microfinance in the European Union: Market analysis and recommendations for delivery options in 2021-2027
• Best Practice from the adoption and compliance with the Code – the case of NOA Sh.a Albania

Helpdesk

The Helpdesk is a free-of-charge service developed by the European Commission and accessible via the EaSI MicPro platform. Through the Helpdesk, users – e.g. microfinance institutions, investors and clients – can ask questions in all EU languages concerning the EaSI financial instruments, EaSI Technical Assistance, European Code of Good Conduct for Microcredit Provision and other EU microfinance related topics.

To submit a question, users should fill out the Helpdesk form available on the EaSI MicPro platform. Please see also the Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Code and the EaSI TA (See “Related Documents”).

Please note that technical questions about the EaSI MicPro platform should be emailed to EMPL-EaSI-MicPro@ec.europa.eu