CSES

CSES has been commissioned to conduct a study to assess the costs and benefits of a range of policy actions to address the issue of access to a basic bank account.

As part of the wider financial inclusion agenda, access to a basic bank account is nowadays seen as a universal need in most developed countries, which are increasingly cashless societies, and this trend is expected to become pervasive across all EU regions soon. Research shows that lack of access or use of this financial service can have negative effects in terms of social inclusion affecting primarily the unemployed, those with lower levels of educational attainment , ethnic minorities and migrants. Available data from Eurostat also suggest wide variations in the level of access to a basic bank account among EU countries.

The European Commission is currently considering the alternative options to ensure that by a certain date nobody will be denied access to a basic bank account. A stakeholder consultation took place at the beginning of 2009 setting out different policy options. The study undertaken by CSES is expected to analyse these options and to assess their impact so as to inform future  policy actions in this area.

Further information can be obtained from Intermal Market and Services DG website