BETTER FINANCE

BETTER FINANCE is the European federation representing the interests of individual investors and financial services users. Founded in 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis, we work to ensure that Europe’s financial system serves the real economy, delivers value for money to citizens, and supports a transparent and sustainable long-term investment landscape. 

We are an independent, public-interest organisation whose legitimacy is grounded in a pan-European membership: 37 member organisations across 25 countries, collectively representing around 4 million financial users. Based in Brussels, our team contributes user-side expertise to EU policymaking through sustained participation in expert and advisory processes — in 2024 alone, 44 BETTER FINANCE experts took part in EU advisory groups. 

BETTER FINANCE combines research, policy analysis, and citizen/end-user engagement. We produce evidence that can be directly mobilised in EU projects and policy pathways: in 2024, we delivered 7 research reports, published 4 policy position papers, and submitted 19 responses to EU consultations. We also convene stakeholders and translate technical findings into public debate, with 7 events and conferences, 23 press releases, and regular policy briefings, including 6 EU Financial Policy Insights newsletters. 

This capacity is underpinned by direct experience in EU-funded research projects. BETTER FINANCE was a consortium partner in LEVEL-EEI (Horizon 2020), a €2.1 million project (2020–2023) addressing financing barriers for energy efficiency and sustainable energy investments. Within the consortium, BETTER FINANCE led stakeholder engagement and dissemination, established and chaired the Advisory Committee, organised high-level expert forums, and supported policy uptake on sustainable finance, greenwashing, and EU Ecolabel criteria. 

What we contribute to Horizon Europe consortia 

In Horizon Europe projects — particularly governance hubs and policy-oriented initiatives — BETTER FINANCE acts as a partner that brings a finance lens and end-user reality check to climate and sustainability ambitions. We support consortia through: 

• Evidence-based analysis and recommendations on long-term finance, governance, and incentives (e.g. pensions, retail investment, ESG and transition finance, market transparency and supervision) 

• Stakeholder and citizen engagement across Member States via our pan-European member network, including surveys and consultations with end-users 

• Policy relevance and exploitation, translating research outputs into actionable policy options and targeted dissemination towards EU institutions and national stakeholders 

• Communication and outreach capacity, with proven ability to amplify project results in EU-level policy debates and media ecosystems 

We are particularly interested in partnering on Horizon Europe projects where finance is embedded as a core cross-cutting theme — for example, initiatives supporting climate adaptation and resilience that require investable pathways, trustworthy sustainable finance tools, or governance frameworks ensuring that benefits effectively reach citizens and communities.