Brussels, 3 May 2023 - The European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) is proud to announce the release of its 2022 Annual Report, displaying the main achievements of the Association in voicing the key business concerns of cooperative banks in the regulatory debate. In particular, the report reflects the advocacy efforts directed at securing a business neutral legislative framework that respects the specificities of the cooperative model. It highlights the work undertaken to promote understanding of the cooperative particularities and reveals the sector's impact value to diversity of the banking industry for the economy as a whole and society at large.
In 2022, the world was confronted with a challenging geopolitical and economic landscape. The ongoing effects of the pandemic and the invasion in Ukraine had deep implications for economic growth and societal stability, triggering a substantial number of political initiatives. By reflection, the EACB's advocacy activities focused on a wide range of policy areas from financial stability to digital payments, open finance, ESG risks and non-financial reporting, and retail investment.
Berry Marttin, EACB President stated: “In the new environment, marked by the inflationary surge that has been threatening growth, and thus financial stability, as well as societal cohesion in the EU, cooperative banks have stayed true to their mission, supporting their communities and providing financing sources to the public, proving once more to be an anchor for the entire economy to prosper”.
The EACB Secretariat received constant support from its members, the Board and General Assembly allowing the Association to focus on implementing its comprehensive work plan and to continue improving the efficiency of its internal operations over the course of the year. This involved enhancing IT, HR, communications, and aligning advocacy activities with the EU Agenda and market demands.
“To effectively demonstrate our clout in the regulatory discourse, our strategy focused on targeted engagement, particularly on the implementation of a high-level advocacy plan, coupled with aligned communication leveraging the key messages underlining cooperative banking concerns to increase visibility” declared Nina Schindler, CEO of the EACB. “I am proud to look back on yet another year of intensive advocacy involvement, which demonstrates what we, as a team, have achieved in pursuit of our association's goals. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to the EACB members and the staff of our secretariat for their valuable contributions to the association's activities and continued commitment to the EACB's objectives".