Eurofi

{{Short description |European trade association and lobby group for the European financial industry }} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2026}} {{infobox organization | name = Eurofi | logo = | logo_size = | image = G-20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Paris, 02-18-2011 (5456127757).jpg | caption = Jacques de Larosière at a Eurofi meeting in 2011 | abbreviation = | formation = {{start date and age |2000 }} | type = Trade association and Think tank | status = Trade association for financial services | purpose = To lobby the EU policy makers on behalf of its members | location = Paris, France | region_served = Europe | membership = 100+ financial companies | language = | leader_title = Secretary General | leader_name = Didier Cahen | main_organ = | affiliations = | num_staff = | funding = Membership fees | website = {{website |https://www.eurofi.net/ }} }}

'''Eurofi''' is a Paris-based nonprofit trade association that organizes non-public gatherings on European economic and financial policy. Eurofi meetings have become a regular venue for exchange between EU economic and financial policymakers and senior financial sector executives.

It has been described by its founding co-chairman Jacques de Larosière as "the go-to forum for dialogue between regulators and financial institutions."{{R|JdL|p=123}} In a 2019 feature article, the ''Financial Times'' called it "the think tank at the heart of the EU" while adding: "Although it describes itself as a think-tank, Eurofi defies categorisation."<ref name=FT>{{cite web|website=Financial Times |title=Eurofi: inside the think-tank at the heart of the EU |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a331b002-7bb2-11e9-81d2-f785092ab560 |author1=Jim Brunsden |author2=Alex Barker |date=9 September 2019}}</ref>

==History and activity==

Eurofi was created in 2000, following a suggestion from French finance minister Laurent Fabius.<ref name=JdL>{{citation |author=Ivo Maes and Sabine Péters |year=2021 |title=Interview of Jacques de Larosière: In search of a better world financial order |journal=History of Economic Thought and Policy |issue=2-2021 }}</ref>{{rp|123}} It was led from the start by French consultant Didier Cahen. It was initially co-chaired by {{ill|Daniel Lebègue|fr}} and Jacques de Larosière. Lebègue left in 2011, and in 2016 David Wright, former head of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Internal Market (now DG FISMA), succeeded Larosière as Eurofi chair.<ref name=FT/>

The main meetings organized by Eurofi are held twice a year, on the side of the informal ECOFIN meeting under the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union: the "high-level seminar" in March or April, and the "financial forum" in September.

The meetings are not public. Public officials who speak at Eurofi often publish the text of their speech on their own institution's website.<ref>{{cite web|website=Commodities Futures Exchange Commission |url=https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opagiancarlo68 |title=Remarks of Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo at the Eurofi Financial Forum, Bucharest, Romania |date=4 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Eesti Pank |title=Governor Madis Müller speaks about monetary policy at the Eurofi webinar |date=11 September 2020 |url=https://www.eestipank.ee/en/calendar/governor-madis-muller-speaks-about-monetary-policy-eurofi-webinar-08092020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|website=Bank for International Settlements |url=https://www.bis.org/review/r200914c.htm |date=11 September 2020 |title=Address by Mr Mário Centeno, Governor of the Bank of Portugal, at the Eurofi Financial Forum 2020, Berlin|last1=Centeno |first1=Mário }}</ref> Eurofi itself publishes curated summaries of the discussions, as well as articles by featured speakers assembled in twice-yearly volumes branded ''Views Magazine''.<ref>{{cite web|website=Eurofi |title=Publications |url=https://www.eurofi.net/publications/}}</ref>

Eurofi is mainly financed by yearly subscriptions from its member organizations, most of which are financial firms. It had 66 members in 2019 and a budget above €3 million.<ref name=FT/> It lists all member firms on its website.<ref>{{cite web|website=Eurofi |url=https://www.eurofi.net/about-eurofi/ |title=About Eurofi}}</ref>

==Controversy== A full-page investigative article published by the ''Financial Times'' in September 2019 raised questions about the nature and role of Eurofi. It criticized Eurofi for lack of transparency, as its events have been closed to journalists since 2013; for letting its agenda be dominated by the special interests of the financial industry, particularly since 2010; for maintaining ambiguity about its official status, e.g. by using the logo of the six-month presidency of the Council; and for the high level of compensation of its consultant staff. It also observed that "Many EU officials contacted by the FT see going to Eurofi as part of their job."<ref name=FT/>

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

Category:European integration think tanks Category:Political and economic think tanks based in France Category:Think tanks based in Europe Category:Lobbying organizations in Europe