European Finance Association

46th Annual Meeting

Carcavelos, Portugal – 21-24 August 2019

Panel Sessions

The 46th EFA Annual Meeting will host two panel sessions held in collaboration with the Banco de Portugal and the European Commission.

Fintech: Challenges to Regulation and Financial Stability

Thursday, August 22, 2019. 13:30-15:00

The panel session is organized in collaboration with Banco de Portugal.

Fintechs are challenging and changing the financial system landscape. Technology provides new entrants better ways to offer customers targeted, faster and cheaper financial services, turning the financial system more diverse and competitive. An increased offer of financial services to a wider customer base at a lower cost should result in gains for the economy. But Fintech is also likely to lead to the emergence of new risks and challenges to financial stability, in particular regarding potential reputational and contagious risk.

The panel will discuss the several dimensions of the impact of Fintechs on the financial system and to the economy, with a particular focus on how to promote innovation without undermining the stability of the financial system in terms of regulation.

Speakers
  • Maria José Campos (Millennium BCP)
  • Afonso Eça (Nova SBE)
  • Leonardo Gambacorta (Bank for International Settlements)
  • Xavier Vives (IESE)
Moderator

Pedro Santa-Clara (Nova SBE)

The EC Sustainable Finance Action Plan: the potential of regulation to tackle climate change

Friday, August 23rd, 2019, 13:30-15:00

The panel session is organized in collaboration with the European Commission – Joint Research Centre.

The EU is examining how to integrate sustainability considerations into its financial policy framework in order to mobilize finance for sustainable growth. This also encompasses increasing awareness of and transparency on the risks which may have an impact on the sustainability of the financial system, and the need for financial and corporate actors to mitigate those risks through appropriate governance. In this context, the European Commission Action Plan on Sustainable Finance sets out a comprehensive strategy to connect finance with sustainability.

The panel will introduce the audience to various developing legislative activities and then discuss their implications for academic research, with a particular focus on newly emerging research questions in the field of sustainable finance in general and climate finance in specific.

Speakers
Moderator

Lucia Alessi (European Commission – Joint Research Centre)