Founded in 1946 and established in 11 European countries, ELEC is an “Intellectual and independent pressure group supporting the European project”. One of its primary purposes is to formulate proposals for submission to political and economic decision-makers. The League acts as an advisor to the Council of Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission.
Its members are individuals whose careers or personal commitments are connected with supporting the European project, and businesses that are keen to support this process.
Olivier Klein takes over from Philippe Jurgensen, General Inspector of Finances, whose previous roles include Head of the International Affairs Department at the French Treasury, Director of External Economic Relations and Chief Executive Officer of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Following his appointment, Olivier Klein said: “I’m delighted to be named President of the League in France. This is a key period in the European project, one in which taking decisive new steps is again becoming a possibility. For me, this role is a commitment and a means of participating in this process. I would like to praise the work that Philippe Jurgensen has achieved as President of the ELEC. He has shown a great deal of determination and talent in contributing to the European debate on behalf of the French section. He is now Honorary President and continues in his role as President of the Economic and Social Commission of the League, for which I’d like to thank him.”
About BRED
BRED is a member of the “Banque Populaire” group of cooperative banks. It has 180,000 members, €4.1 billion in equity capital and 5,500 employees (25% of whom are located outside France and in the French overseas collectivities) across Normandy, the Ile-de-France region, France’s overseas départements and collectivities, as well as internationally (Horn of Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia).
As a community bank with strong ties in local areas, it has a network of 350 branches in France, 16 business centres, 12 asset management centres and a wealth management centre.
BRED Banque Populaire, part of BPCE, is a diversified bank (retail banking, corporate banking, private banking, asset management, securities trading, insurance, international trading) that generated net banking income of €1.1150 billion in 2017.
About the European League for Economic Cooperation
The League is a network of European entrepreneurs of goodwill that aims to put targeted intellectual pressure on European decision-makers to further economic integration in Europe. It acts completely independently from national and private interests, public authorities and pressure groups.
Founded in 1946, the League was, in 1948, one of the founding members of the European Movement. Its mission includes mobilising its members in support of projects that embody European common interests by circulating information, organising debates and publishing papers on important European themes.
The League is structured as a federation of national committees present in a number of European countries. The members of its national committees are drawn largely from economic and financial circles, although it also has close relationships with national and European senior civil servants as well as representatives of academia and politics.
Press contacts
Antoine Boulay – antoine.boulay[@]bred.fr – +33 (0)1 40 04 73 23