The European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum facilitates and strengthens the exchange of information on financial services and Europe’s financial markets between the financial industry and Members of the European Parliament.
The European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum (EPFSF) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Chair of the Steering Committee and a new Chair and Vice Chair of the Administrative Committee.
We would like to warmly welcome and offer word of special thanks to the new Chair of the Steering Committee, Mr. Othmar Karas MEP who is taking over from Mr. Burkhard Balz, MEP, who left the European Parliament in August 2018.
The EPFSF welcomes the new Chair of the Administrative Committee (AC), Mr. Wim Mijs, CEO of the European Banking Federation who has succeeded the former Chair of the AC since 2014, Mr. Peter De Proft, Director General of EFAMA. Commenting on his incoming election as Chair, Mr. Mijs said “I’m greatly honoured by the trust placed in me and look forward to the new role. Replacing Peter is a great privilege and responsibility. He steered the EPFSF through times of profound regulatory changes for the European Financial Services Industry, and brought about many improvements to the EPFSF”.
We would also like to welcome the new Vice-Chair of the AC, Mr. Rainer Riess, Director General of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges, and the Treasurer, Mr. Javier Arias, Head of European Affairs at BBVA serving a second term.
The new EPFSF leadership will be working together with the EPFSF members to prepare the EPFSF agenda for the upcoming year. To this end, the new Chair of the Steering Committee, Mr. Othmar Karas MEP, said “As newly appointed Chair of the EPFSF Steering Committee together with Mr. Wim Mijs and the Administrative Committee I am looking forward to a fruitful continuation of the constructive dialogue between the European Institutions and representatives of financial services organisations.”
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the outgoing Chairs of the EPFSF, Mr. Burkhard Balz MEP and Mr. Peter De Proft, for their hard work and excellent stewardship of the Forum, and to congratulate the newly-appointed members, and wish them success in their new roles.
Othmar Karas, MEP, Chair

“When the financial crisis hit Europe our Union faced an enormous challenge. Today, the Euro is stronger than before 2008. The over 40 measures that we have adopted together during and after the crisis have contributed to stabilise markets and restore confidence. However, we are not finished with drawing the lessons from the crisis and we need to continue to strengthen our Economic and Monetary Union. To effectively address the various challenges in financial markets legislation a constructive exchange of views with all stakeholders is indispensable. Practice-oriented legislation needs dialogue! As Chairman of the EPFSF I am looking forward to a fruitful and successful continuation of the exchange and debate between the EU Institutions and the various representatives of the financial sector via the well-established and recognised EPFSF.”
Wim Mijs, Chair

“I’m greatly honoured by the trust placed in me and look forward to taking over from Peter, who steered the EPFSF through times of profound regulatory changes for the European Financial Services Industry. As Europe remains faced with major challenges ahead, promoting a solid and competitive European Financial sector – able to finance growth in the context of increasing defiance against Europe and the Single Market – will feature high on the EPFSF agenda and events going forward. To this end, the EPFSF will strive to re-invent itself in view of the new EU Parliament, and foster the key relationship the EPFSF and its members built with the parliamentarians.”
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