The ESM and the Florence School of Banking and Finance organised a conference dedicated to the EU Savings and Investments Union (SIU). It gathered senior researchers and high-level representatives from the public and private sector to discuss the benefits of capital market integration for the EU economy and policy priorities for advancing integration.
The two-day event featured an academic part, followed by a high-level policy forum. The conference was also part of the initiatives of two CEPR Research Policy Networks: European Economic Policy and Financial Architecture.
The discussions particularly focused on the link of capital market integration with social welfare, and with the real economy while also considering the structure of the financial system to support SME financing.
The policy sessions examined obstacles to integration, along with potential remedies, as well as ways to increase retail participation in European capital markets, options for unlocking venture capital, and explored strategies to enhance complementarity between private and public financing efforts.
Some of the prominent speakers included: Verena Ross, Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA); Harald Waiglein, Chair of the EU Financial Services Committee; Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, former ECB Executive Board Member; and Claude Marx, Director General of CSSF (Luxembourg’s financial supervisory authority).
Below is the full list of papers and slides presented at the conference; they are available for download.