“Making the world of finance more ethical”

France Active attends FEBEA’s 25th anniversary

Venice, San Servolo, September 23–25. The European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks and Financial Institutions (FEBEA) celebrated its 25th General Assembly, hosted by the Italian Banca Etica on the Venetian island of San Servolo. Over the course of three days, more than 90 delegates representing 32 financial institutions from 17 European countries shared a common conviction: finance is not an end, but a means of supporting local communities.

This was an important event for France Active, a member of the federation since 2006. In 2026, our association will begin its third term on the FEBEA Board of Directors. This continuous presence underscores our commitment to this unique European platform.

A continent-wide federation

FEBEA is the only federation with a Europe-wide network in the field of ethical finance: 32 members—including both banking and non-banking financial institutions—spanning 17 countries. This broad representation—reflecting the diversity of both countries and types of financial institutions—enables the federation to champion the cause of ethical finance at the European level. Each member contributes to developing a narrative on finance grounded in social utility.

A renewed presidency

On September 26, the General Assembly elected the new Board of Directors and the new President. Panos Tournavitis, CEO of the Greek cooperative Bank of Karditsa, succeeds Pedro M. Sasia as President. Andrea Baranes, of Fondazione Finanza Etica, becomes Vice-Presiedent. Three new members have also joined the Board: Timo Hülsdünker (GLS Bank, Germany), Esther Luna Navarro (Colonya Caixa Pollença, Spain), and Mikulas Kresanek (Sociálni Inovatori, Slovakia). France Active welcomes the new members and congratulates the renewed Board. Our movement will continue to contribute wholeheartedly to FEBEA’s work in the coming years.

Pedro Sasia’s presidency will be remembered as that of a builder: over the course of his nine-year term, he helped forge a strong community and guided the federation’s evolution to where it stands today. This success was made possible by his ability to bring people together and his strong commitment to building a more ethical financial system.

Panos Tournavitis summed up the purpose of his term in office with a phrase that serves as a guiding principle: “Let us go home and keep building bridges in a world that is busy building walls.”

A new chapter for ethical finance at the European Level

In a world undergoing profound change, marked by overlapping ecological, social, and economic crises, the challenges ahead are numerous. Faced with these upheavals, Europe finds itself at a decisive moment in its history. To address them, it must place people, communities, and the environment at the heart of its vision. In this regard, ethical and solidarity-based finance is an essential driver of this transformation. By channelling savings toward activities that benefit society, it helps build a fairer, more resilient economy that serves the common good. This is the very essence of FEBEA’s commitment; for over thirty years, it has worked alongside its members to raise awareness of this model in Europe, convince decision-makers of its relevance, and contribute to its development across the continent.

“Caring and Preserving”

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, the Annual Conference, titled “Caring and Preserving: Ethical Finance Building Community,” sums up in two words what ethical finance is all about: caring and preserving. These two approaches are inseparable from the idea of building communities—local ecosystems without which there can be no sustainable development or territorial cohesion.