ECRC – The European Coalition for Responsible Credit

1. Introduction:

• A number of organisations have given their names to be a part of this series of conferences and conversations on the national and the international level about issues relating to responsible credit.

• Clear to all is that this concept should lead to the creation of a more lasting structure for a European Coalition for Responsible Credit (ECRC) that should promote this continuing dialogue and collaboration including hosting conferences on the issues related to responsible credit and fair finance.

• At the end of the April 2006 Brussels conference a group of people representing various organisations and countries have agreed to serve as the initial board of directors of the European Coalition for Responsible Credit.

2. Goals of the Coalition:

• Further the idea of responsibility in credit and banking and promote a set of principles for responsible credit and fair lending.

• Organise and maintain a continuing dialogue among consumer and money advice organisations, social welfare organisations and trade unions, alternative financial institutions and other NGOs.

• Influence bank thinking, strategies, products and services to benefit underserved and excluded groups.

• Promote the production of research and transparency.

• Organise conferences and other forums that increase people’s and NGO understandings and abilities to promote fair access to lending products and services.

• Act as a collective voice for underserved people to the public with respect to financial services.

3. How to join the ECRC:

Please contact the ECRC Secretariat (currently based by iff in Hamburg, Germany) by phone, letter or email stating your intent to join the coalition network and thus be involved and included in decision making and information exchanges of the group. The prerequisite for becoming a member is that the activity of your organisation be classified as a non-for-profit one. Should you be unable to join on behalf of your institution, we also welcome volunteers of support on an individual level (as is often the case for academic persons). We welcome all non-for-profit organisations and NGO’s interested in promoting responsible credit and fair finance to be part of our Coalition, and encourage the European actors and stakeholders as well as those from other continents to contact us in order to learn, share their knowledge, and participate in ECRC activity.

*Note that the extensive list of policy makers, politicians, and financial institutions etc.. involved in the constant dialogue and efforts with the ECRC are not represented under this membership section.

4. How to signal your support of the ECRC Principles:

Also required from ECRC members and encouraged and obtained from non-members is a word of adherence to the 7 Principles for Responsible Credit which have been elaborated by the ECRC Steering Committee to date and which are undergoing deeper investigation and exploration by Members in 2007. To see the Principles in the language of your choice (English, French, Italian, German, or Portuguese) please go to the “Principles” section of these respective websites.
Again please send us an email stating your support of these and any questions or comments you may have.

5. ECRC Secretariat

Please contact the ECRC via the institut für finanzdienstleistungen (iff) for all information and membership on the Coalition and its activity. Sebastien Clerc-Renaud is the coordinator of the network and will deal with any questions you may have before transferring the query to a relevant country member or issue-related expert.

Sebastien Clerc-Renaud
c/o iff
Rödingsmarkt 31-33
D-20459 Hamburg
tel. +49-40-309691-24
fax +49-40-309691-22
e-mail 1: sebastien.clerc@iff-hamburg.de
e-mail 2: ECRC@iff-hamburg.de

*Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to share research, news or commentary on credit market developments, regulatory changes, or issues affecting financial services from the world over.