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| What are the main activities of
the Forum? |
| The Forum organises regular
lunches to foster a dialogue between the European Parliament
and the financial services industry. It provides a forum for
an open and informal discussion of the policy issues affecting
financial services between MEPs and the industry sector. In
practice, 2 speakers briefly present the issue and Members
of Parliament (MEPs) subsequently ask questions and discuss
the presentations. A summary of these debates as well as the
background briefing which is drafted in preparation for the
lunches are made available on this website. |
| What is the Forum’s relationship
with the European Parliament? |
| The Forum is not an Intergroup.
It is a not for profit organisation under Belgian law which
is supported by a wide range of MEPs from most political groups
through a Steering Committee,
which has an advisory role. |
| What is the structure of the Forum?
|
| The Steering
Committee, currently composed of 15 MEPs from the EPP-ED,
Socialist, and ALDE Groups, gives direction to the activities
of the Forum. The Financial
Industry Members undertake the task of arranging and inviting
speakers, writing short briefing papers, working out a programme,
and managing the secretariat. Members elect an Administrative
Committee (AC) of no more than 9 members each year at the
Annual General Meeting. The AC has been given responsibility
for regular liaison with the Steering
Committee on the role of the Forum, the agenda of meetings
and the progress on meetings; for managing the business of
the Forum; for appointing outside consultants, if needed;
for deciding on applications for membership; and for convening
meetings. |
| What is the membership procedure?
|
| Organisations wishing to join
must send a letter of application to the Chairman of the Financial
Industry Members Administrative Committee (AC). If the conditions
of membership are fulfilled the organization is invited by
the AC to join. The Steering
Committee of MEPs is informed of all applications. The
Forum’s website contains extensive public information
about the activities of the Forum, its objectives
and how to join. |
| How has the membership of the
Forum developed since it was founded? |
| Since its foundation, the Forum
has been very successful in attracting new members. Today,
over 40 European financial service providers and associations
representing a large segment of the financial services industry
are active in the Forum. A detailed
list of members is available on the website. |
| What are the fees and how are
they decided? |
| The Forum is a not-for-profit
organisation. Members’ contributions cover the organisation
of the Forum’s activities, including the costs of lunch
and dinner events, secretariat fees, the website, as well
as printing brochures and other materials for publication.
The annual contributions of industry members are set by the
General Assembly. Contributions for 2006 are €6,000 per
member. |
| How is the programme decided?
|
| Following consultations with
MEPs and the Steering Committee
as well as industry members, a draft programme is prepared
by the secretariat. This is finalized after further discussion
by the Administrative Committee. The programme evolves flexibly
throughout the year as the original work plan is adapted to
events, MEP requests and availability of speakers. |
| How are the speakers for the meetings
decided? |
| The speakers are proposed by
members. Industry speakers are sought from the members and
other speakers include representatives from consumer organisations,
the European Commission, national and European regulators,
national ministries or academics. The policy has been generally
to have only two speakers at lunchtime, to leave enough time
for discussion. Over dinners there are sometimes more speakers.
The practical process of inviting speakers and managing the
process is conducted by the Chair of the Administrative Committee
with the assistance of the secretariat. |
| Who chairs the lunches? |
| The monthly lunches are chaired
by a Member of the European Parliament. The Chairman of the
Administrative Committee regularly informs MEPs about the
upcoming programme. MEPs that are interested in a subject
or who are active in the Forum generally volunteer to chair
a particular lunch. Efforts are made to involve all Members
of the Steering Committee as well as to ensure a broad political
balance over the year. |
| Who can attend Forum meetings?
|
| Meetings are open to all MEPs,
and if they are not able to come, to their assistants, the
relevant Parliament committee staff, secretariats of political
groups, as well as the relevant officials of the European
Commission. Every industry member is invited and entitled
to one place. The main constraint on attendance at meetings
is the number of people that can comfortably be accommodated
in the room where the event takes place. Priority is given
to invited guests, MEPs and industry members of the Forum
(one per member). Financial industry representatives who are
not members of the Forum may attend on a pay-per-meeting basis
subject to the availability of places and on a first come/first
served basis. |
| Who provides the Secretariat?
|
| In 2008, a full-time head of the Secretariat, Catherine Denis, was appointed as EPFSF Director. |
| Information
regarding the Forum? |
| The Forum has a website www.epfsf.org,
which contains full information about the EPFSF including
details of its objectives and
statutes; members,
and how to apply for membership;
meeting agendas, briefing
papers, minutes and finances. |
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