Invitation Round Table “Banking and the Local Economy” March 24th 2026 Brussels

• ? Date: Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
• ⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• ? Location: Room 1C47, European Parliament Building, Brussels
• ? Simultaneous translation ITA – ENG

Register at the following link: https://forms.gle/qUJv5KhkZPZJkBEc6
Or QR Code:

Click here to download the event’s brochure

Introduction

There is an idea of banking that corresponds neither to the “showcase” branch nor to the “faceless” app. It is the bank as a civic infrastructure, capable of reading the productive fabric of society, cultivating trust, building expertise, selecting projects and supporting families and businesses over the long term. An approach that recalls, in its rigour and vision, the visionary model of Raffaele Mattioli: relationship banking, a culture of risk awareness, patient investment, and accountability to the local community.

Today, that tradition must be updated to reflect the needs of local communities, starting with rural areas: open banking, AI, data, platforms, cyber risks, ESG, digital identity, hybrid advisory services – with people, families and entrepreneurs at the centre. The question is a concrete one: how do we rebuild proximity (including digital proximity) without sacrificing quality and empathy in the banking relationship, without losing sight of customer protection and the Constitutional promise of the public function of credit? And how do we prevent technology from reducing local communities to a mere score, at the expense of financial inclusion, SMEs,inland areas and widespread innovation? These are the questions we will discuss at this conference.

Programme
10:00 – 12:00 | Round table and open discussion

Welcome Remarks

Alessandro Caramiello, President of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup “Development of the South and Small Islands; Giovanni Barretta, President of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Italian Parliamentary Intergroup “Development of the South and Small Islands”.

Chair
Alfonso Scarano, Independent Financial Analyst, Chair of the Rural Areas Committee, Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for the Development of the South and Small Islands.

Speakers

• Pasquale Tridico, MEP, Reclaiming Banking as a Public Function: Restoring the Social Role of Credit
• Sergio Gatti, Federcasse (Italian Federation of Cooperative Credit Banks – Rural and Artisan Credit Unions)
• Eva Lluna Miller (TBC), EACB (European Association of Co-operative Banks)
• Rosita Cocozza, Full Professor of Banking and Finance | Analytical Skills, Financial Engineering Università Federico II – Napoli: “Too Big to Be Local, Too Local to Go Global?”
• Giuseppe Guglielmo Santorsola, Full Senior Professor of Banking&Finance – Adjunct Professor of Finance – Catholic University – Piacenza, “Banks Between Costs, Income, and Profits”
• Dino Crivellari, Lawyer and Vice-President of Cerste; “Scenarios for the Evolution of Local Banks”
• Carlo Dominici, Banking Subject-Matter Expert; “The Steering Role of Banks in Local Economic Growth”
• Mario Cuoco, General Manager BCC Campania Centro, Cassa Rurale ed Artigiana Soc. Coop.; “The Role of Local Banks: Proximity, Decision-Making and Territorial Cohesion
• Laura Mazza, President of Federformazione, Director of Department of Research on Education, Innovation, Diplomacy – CUIRIF, “Banking for Growth: Fostering Local Economies through Education and Training”
• Luigi Ugone, President of the Association “Noi che credevamo nelle banche venete”, “The experience of the Veneto region left without local banks.”

?Topics for discussion

• Relationship Banking 4.0: how to integrate physical presence and digital channels without losing the ability to listen and assess creditworthiness
• Lending to SMEs and Local Communities: patient capital, supply chains, industrial districts, micro-enterprises and professional firms
• Advisory Services and Customer Protection: quality of service, conflicts of interest, financial literacy “that actually works”
• Rural Areas and Financial Inclusion: access to credit, essential services, regional disparities and digital infrastructure
• Security and Trust: cyber risks, fraud, digital identity, business continuity
• The “steering role” of banks: the bank as a catalyst for local development, innovation and social cohesion
• Last but not least: what legal safeguards are currently in place or foreseeable?

? Invitees

• Members of the European Parliament
• European Commission – DG FISMA, DG ECFIN
• European Central Bank, Bank of Italy, Supervisory Authorities
• Savers’ associations, consumer organisations, trade unions
• Universities, foundations, research institutions
• Public finance and banking law experts

Promoted by:

• Italian Parliamentary Intergroup for the Development of the South and Small Islands

? In collaboration with independent organizations and European stakeholders

• Meeting point at 9:15 AM on 24 March 2026 in front of the main entrance of the European
  Parliament for badge distribution and coordinated access.
  date: Tuesday, March 24th, 2026​
  Time: 10:00 – 12:00​
  Venue: European Parliament, Brussels​
  Room: 1C47​
  Registration link, QR code (mandatory)

REGISTRATION (MANDATORY FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS)

Registration through the official online form is compulsory for:

• In-person participation
• Online participation

Access to the European Parliament is strictly subject to prior accreditation based on the submitted registration data.​
Entry without registration and confirmation is not permitted.

ONLINE PARTICIPATION

Participants attending remotely must:

1. Complete the official registration form.
2. Indicate remote participation.
3. Receive the connection link via email prior to the event.

Only registered participants will receive access credentials.

IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION – ACCREDITATION PROCEDURE

Step 1 – Mandatory Registration
Complete the registration form using a valid identification document.

Step 2 – Accreditation
Accreditation is processed on the basis of the data submitted through the form.​
Participants must bring:

• The same valid ID document used during registration
• Registration confirmation email

Access without prior accreditation is not possible.

MEETING POINT & COORDINATED ENTRY

Meeting Time
Participants must be present no later than 09:00.

Meeting Location
In front of the Spinelli main entrance of the European Parliament, Brussels.

Coordinated Access
At 09:00 sharp, an event representative will exit the Spinelli entrance.

The representative will identify himself/herself with a visible sign and/or by verbally calling the event name.

Registered participants will be gathered and escorted as a group through security and accompanied directly to Room 1C47.

Late arrivals may need to proceed independently through security procedures and may experience delays.

BADGE PRINTING PROCEDURE

Meeting Time
Participants must be present no later than 09:00.

Meeting Location
Participants must print their access badge before entering the meeting area.

If the badge has not been printed in advance:

1. Self-service badge printing totems are installed inside the European Parliament complex, located on the opposite side of the square facing the Spinelli entrance (former railway station side).
2. At the totem, scan or present the same identification document used during online registration.
3. The badge will be automatically printed.
4. On-site operators are available to provide assistance if needed.

The printed badge must be worn at all times inside the European Parliament premises.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

• Access to the European Parliament is subject to security screening.
• Without prior registration and accreditation confirmation, entry is not permitted.
• Participants are strongly advised to arrive early to complete badge printing and security checks.

Join our network

CERSTE – CENTRE EUROPÉEN DES RECHERCHES SOCIO-ÉCONOMIQUES, TECHNOLOGIQUES ET ENVIRONNEMENTALES