WRITTEN QUESTION E-0714/00 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission. National bankers and ethnic entrepreneurs.
Date: 2000-03-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, bank, entrepreneur, ethnic discrimination, small and medium-sized enterprises

28.12.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 374 E/141

(2000/C 374 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0714/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(17 March 2000)

Subject: National bankers and ethnic entrepreneurs

Has the Commission, in its roundtables with national bankers, raised the issue of discrimination against
ethnic entrepreneurs? If not, will it do so in future?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(18 April 2000)

The issue of discrimination against ethnic minorities in the area of finance was touched on in both the 2nd
and 3rd Round tables of bankers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), since entrepreneurs from
ethnic minorities were identified as being among the more vulnerable groups that encountered difficulties
as regards access to finance. The Round table of bankers and SMEs is an initiative of the Commission to
improve the relationship between banks and SMEs.

The 3rd Round table brought together European SME organisations and representatives from the European
banking (saving, cooperative, commercial banks), venture capital and mutual guarantee associations and
several public SME development agencies of the Member States. The final report of the 2nd Round table
was adopted early in 1997 and the final report of the 3rd Round table will be adopted in May or in June
2000.

Some of the participating bankers seemed to feel that lending to such entrepreneurs meant taking on
higher than average risk and often was not profitable, which translated into additional caution when
assessing requests for loans. However, they continued to offer micro-loans to business creators in order to
facilitate the integration of ethnic minorities into society, especially when part of the risk was taken on by
public programmes.

In the 2nd Round table, one of the case studies highlighted in the final report as a best practice was that of
Mama Cash in the Netherlands, an organisation that provides advice and guarantees to women (especially
immigrant women from ethnic minorities) wishing to set up businesses, who have been refused credit by
the banking sector. The initiative was considered to be especially interesting because it was successful, self-
sufficient and did not rely on public funding.

The draft final report of the 3rd Round table also looks at the ethnic minority issue, highlighting various
initiatives taken by British banks in order to better serve their customers from ethnic minorities.

The Commission will examine thoroughly the recommendations of the Round table on better access to
micro-loans. In the meantime, the Commission recalls that,
in its proposal for a directive on equal
treatment irrespective of racial and ethnic origin of 25 November 1999 (1), discrimination on grounds of
racial or ethnic origin in access to services is expressly forbidden. The Commission has called on the
in order to secure its early
Council and the Parliament to accelerate their handling of this proposal
adoption.

A copy of the final report of the 2nd Round table is sent direct to the Honourable Member and
Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(1) COM(1999) 566 final.

(2000/C 374 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0723/00

by Roberto Bigliardo (TDI) to the Commission

(17 March 2000)

Subject: Violation of directives by insurance companies in Italy

Is the Commission aware that Italian insurance companies refuse to insure the vehicles of Italian citizens in
southern Italy, particularly in Campania and Puglia, even though motor vehicle insurance is compulsory