Conference “Between a rock and a hard place: The future of traditional banking”

Programme:

12.45 Event opens

13.15 Introduction from Christophe Nijdam, Secretary General of Finance Watch (download speech)

13.30 Keynote speech: The reform programme as a precondition for competition and innovation by Sir Paul Tucker, Chair of the Systemic Risk Council, Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England (download speech)

14.00 Panel discussion: Bank diversity and the rise of FinTech. 

Traditional banking in Europe is under severe pressure from two sides: new post-crisis rules aimed at stabilising the banking sector and controlling “too big to fail” institutions; and the challenge from disruptive new entrants (FinTechs) in an increasing number of banks’ businesses. What is the likely impact of these trends on the viability, diversity and resilience of EU banking models, and the services provided to individuals and companies?

More importantly, will the rise of FinTech bring us closer or take us further away from the objective of making finance serve society?

Panellists:

• Jakob von Weizsäcker MEP (S&D, Germany)
• Olivier Salles, Head of Unit Retail Financial Services and Payments, European Commission DG FISMA
• Marieke van Berkel, Head of Department Retail Banking, Payments, Financial Markets, European Association of Cooperative Banks
• Bruce Davis, Founder and Joint Managing Director at Abundance Investment

Moderator: Aline Fares, Head of Membership, Outreach and Expertise coordination at Finance Watch

15.15 Coffee break

15.45 Keynote speech: Mutually assured destruction: will we ever dare to use bail-in? by Avinash D. Persaud, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute, Professor Emeritus of Gresham College, Non-Executive Chairman of Elara Capital Plc. (download article)

16.15 Panel discussion: Europe’s new resolution regime: how can it be made to work?

Bail-in has been heralded by some as a “silver bullet” to let systemic banks fail without triggering contagion and/or dipping into taxpayers’ pockets. But there is another narrative, too, which views bail-in as a stopgap with potentially dangerous consequences.

Early instances of bail-in have proven controversial. Is the current framework adequate? Are member states committed? What is needed to make it work? Are there alternatives?

Panellists:

• Georg Ringe, Professor of International Commercial Law at Copenhagen Business School
• Gaëtan Viallard, Head of Resolution Unit B.1, Single Resolution Board
• Tim Skeet, Member of the Board, International Capital Market Association
• Christian M. Stiefmüller, Senior Policy Analyst at Finance Watch

Moderator: Detlef Fechtner, EU correspondent at Börsen-Zeitung

17.30-19.00 Cocktails