|
|
The Commission launched a public consultation that should reflect on how to ensure that nobody is denied access to a basic bank account. A recent Commission fact-finding study showed that in some Member States there are no mechanisms in place to guarantee citizens' access to a basic bank account.
The Commission services would in particular welcome input on how the responsibilities and competences between the public authorities and the private sector, and more broadly between the national and the European level, should best be shared to address financial exclusion, and on what instruments could be used.
The consultative document contains a description of the levels, causes and consequences of financial exclusion in the EU. It also presents various policy solutions to address financial exclusion that exist in some Member States, and discusses the possible role for the EU in guaranteeing access to a basic bank account.
Deadline for comments is 6 April 2009.