history

The ECDN is an association working to improve the availability and quality of debt counseling services across Europe. We work to prevent and fight over-indebtedness, and improve financial literacy among European citizens. We provide different platforms for knowledge sharing regarding legal, economic and social matters within the field of consumer debt and financial resilience. The ECDN has 41 members, both organisations and individuals, across Europe. Our members comprise a broad range of actors in the fight against and prevention of over-indebtedness, and the promotion of financial inclusion. Our members are active in: 1). debt advice/debt regulation, 2). financial literacy programs and projects, 3). development and provision of adequate financial services for excluded people, and 4). research on over-indebtedness and financial inclusion.

The Founders of ECDN

The European Consumer Debt Network (ECDN) was founded in 2007 as a European civil society network by the following organisations:

We thank you all for your pioneer work on the debt area – and looking forward we hope to still work together on many projects, and of course to use your expertise and knowledge on the area to secure a more social and financially inclusive Europe!

History of the ECDN

In the 90’s the idea to develop a network of debt advisors and researchers to fight the increasing amount of debts in Europe was born. It was called ‘Consumer Debt Network’ (CDN), and organized conferences across Europe, and published ‘Money Matters’. The CDN was financially supported by the European Commission, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Swedish Consumer Agency. When the European Commission stopped the funding the network unfortunately became a “sleeping beauty”.   

A chance opened for the loose network to revitalize in 2005 when the European Commission made a call for tender concerning a project on financial access and financial education. Some of the former CDN-members joined together with a new partner from Poland and developed a project design. The proposal “Financial Education and Better Access to Adequate Financial Services” was accepted and the so-called FES-project started in September 2005 – and in 2007 ECDN was a reality. Read more about the history of the ECDN here