Overview
Finance Watch is an independent European non-profit association dedicated to reforming finance in the interest of citizens. The organization stands for a financial system where the purpose of finance is to serve the real economy and society, addressing issues of size, reach, and democratic accountability to ensure a fair and sustainable future.
Mission and focus areas
The organization focuses on four key pillars for financial reform: Stabilise, Democratise, Redirect, and Prepare. Its policy work is divided into five main areas: Sustainable finance, which aims to enable a safe transition towards a sustainable economy; Retail & inclusion, which addresses financial exclusion and over-indebtedness; Stability & supervision, which safeguards financial stability; Public finance, which modernises EU public finance rules; and Digital finance, which protects the public interest in the age of digitalisation.
Structure and governance
Finance Watch is a non-profit association that operates as an independent voice to counter the influence of the financial lobby.
Programs and offerings
Finance Watch develops a public interest vision for financial reform and interacts with lawmakers to bring about change. Its offerings include the Policy Portal, which contains over 330 reports and publications sorted by legislative files, and a blog that explores how the financial system impacts society. The organization provides educational emails via its newsletter, organizes events, and advocates for specific policy measures such as the separation of banking activities, mandatory ESG impact assessments, and the introduction of an EU-wide Financial Transaction Tax.
Our mission
Finance Watch’s mission is to strengthen the voice of society in the reform of financial regulation by conducting advocacy and presenting public interest arguments to lawmakers and the public.
