In November 2009, EIF issued a working paper on the European microfinance market (see Kraemer-Eis and Conforti, 2009). In this study, we found that there are wide spectra of final beneficiaries and intermediaries and concluded that there is no common microfinance business model in Europe. While our findings suggested that the microfinance market is immature and fragmented, they also pointed to its growing importance as a market segment with a potential to counter poverty and unemployment while fostering financial and social inclusion. .
