The European Credit Research Institute (ECRI) provides analysis and insight into the structure, evolution and regulation of retail financial services

Financial services

Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...

 markets in Europe. Through its research activities, publications and conferences, ECRI keeps its members and the wider public up-to-date on a variety of topics, such as retail financial services, credit reporting and consumer protection

Consumer protection

Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...

 at the European level.

ECRI is an independent, non-profit research institute that develops its expertise from an interdisciplinary team and networks of academic cooperation partners. It was founded in 1999 by a consortium of European banking and financial institutions. ECRI's operations and staff are managed by the Centre for European Policy Studies

Centre for European Policy Studies

The Centre for European Policy Studies is a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium that undertakes research "leading to solutions to the challenges facing Europe today"...

 (CEPS).

Research

• ECRI Research Reports present analyses of issues affecting retail financial services in the member states of the European Union
  European Union
  The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
  
  .
• ECRI Policy Briefs give overviews of ongoing regulatory or policy initiatives impacting the European retail financial services landscape.
• ECRI Commentaries provide insights and views on the EU retail financial services market and regulatory developments.
• ECRI Statistical Packages offer an annually updated dataset that presents statistical information on credit to households.
• ECRI Databases hold systematically compiled data on regulations and legislation in the area of banking and credit, credit reporting and data protection.
• ECRI participates in large-scale research projects in cooperation with other international researchers and research institutions. ECRI has also conducted research for the European Commission
  European Commission
  The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
  
   and the World Bank
  World Bank
  The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
  
  .

Conferences

ECRI seminars and workshops debate emerging policy questions and provide a platform for an open exchange of views among policy-makers, academics, industry representatives and consumer associations.

ECRI website

The Institute's website offers ECRI news, publications and policy monitoring. Different sections on events, research projects and a categorised library keep visitors updated about developments in Europe. ECRI members have access to a restricted area featuring special databases and documents.

Newsletter

ECRI News provides information about past, current and upcoming regulatory developments in the European market for retail financial services, ongoing and planned ECRI research projects and other activities of the Institute.

ECRI Network

ECRI has a vast interacts with a broad network of cooperation partners, including the World Bank

World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

, DIW Berlin, the Personal Finance Research Centre in the United Kingdom and the European Savings Institute in France. ECRI is a founding member of the Consumer Finance Network, a research network composed of academics from nine different countries across Europe.

ECRI members

A number of banks and specialized credit companies, a credit bureau and a credit management service company are members of ECRI and represented in the institute's Executive Committee, presided by Dr. Rosa-Maria Gelpi:

• BNP Paribas
  BNP Paribas
  BNP Paribas S.A. is a global banking group, headquartered in Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger...
  
   Personal Finance
• Citibank Belgium
• Cofinoga
• Cofidis
  Cofidis
  Cofidis is a French company, one of the Otto Group's financial services providers.Founded in 1982 by 3 Suisses International in cooperation with Cetelem, Cofidis specializes in the consumer credit business of the 3 Suisses Group....
  
  
• Findomestic Banca
• Grupo BBVA
• International Personal Finance
  International Personal Finance
  International Personal Finance is a leading British-based international home credit business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
  
  
• Intrum Justitia
• Provident Financial
  Provident Financial
  Provident Financial plc is a financial services group based in Bradford, UK. It specialises in Home Collected Credit and also owns Vanquis which offers credit cards...
  
  
• RCI Banque
• Schufa Holding AG
• Sofinco
• Visa Europe