ANFIR Hosts Expert Panel with EAPB Participation on Synergizing Public and Private Financing to Support Business Amid Crisis
20 June 2024ANFIR brought institutions, ABI, EAPB, and other leading experts together to analyze how public and private financing can synergistically support the business fabric during a time of crisis and new fragilities. After institutional greetings from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Massimo Garavaglia, Michele Vietti, president of ANFIR, introduced the conference, "Public and Private Finance in the Management of European Funds," expressing concern about "the economic and financial situation at the national and European levels becoming critical" with "the stability pact starting to tighten again, potentially creating difficulties not only for public accounts but also for the pre-productive system."
Vietti emphasized that "it is important to create a system among all actors who can manage the funding, regardless of its public or private nature, to produce a leverage effect to revitalize the productive and entrepreneurial system in our territory." Carlo Cottarelli, PESES Director at Catholic University and former senator, shared these concerns, noting that "the state of the Italian economy shows growth that is not particularly strong. Our problem is that if there is turmoil in the financial markets, we are considered vulnerable, and in case of a big shock, we will still need help from European institutions, with whom we should continue to have a constructive dialogue because we depend on them." Marcel Roy, EAPB Secretary General, contributed to the discussion by "offering an overview of how public banks in different member states implement structural funds to finance small and medium-sized enterprises in the regions."
Pierfrancesco Gaggi, ABI Deputy Director General, emphasized that "collaboration with ANFIR is extremely important because it is paramount for the banking sector that the funds made available by Europe, which must flow into the economy, are provided through instruments that are as standardized and homogeneous as possible, benefiting the end users themselves."