Report
New Finance Watch report provides evidence for the need to increase borrower protection and to improve proposed legislation on companies that deal with non-performing loans.
Brussels, 23 January 2020 – Finance Watch released today a report on debtor dignity that sheds light on the need for common EU rules to ensure that borrowers are properly protected. Its findings show that many European citizens are at risk of being driven into poverty by debt collection and face a serious and widespread problem of debt collector malpractice.
- Download the full report “Is the human dignity of individual debtors at risk?” (44 pages; 84 pages annexes)
- Download executive summary and recommendations (2 pages)
To address the problem of debt collection malpractice, Finance Watch makes the following recommendations, amongst others:
- A minimum level of common EU standards for debt collection when dealing with consumers and a common EU list of prohibited activities;
- An obligation to provide a standardised debt notification document to ensure borrowers are properly informed, before any debt collection can officially take place.
A significant survey was undertaken as part of the report, which gathered information on debt collection practices and protection of minimum income with experts, practitioners and national authorities across 23 countries in Europe.
- Choose and download country sheets (23 sheets available)
For more information on the legislative agenda, please see our press release.
