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Finance Access of SMEs: What Role for the ECB?

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  • Ansgar Belke

Abstract

Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) of southern euro-area economies (e.g. Italy, Spain) pay significantly higher borrowing rates than their peers of the core (e.g. Germany, France) and this divergence is widening. It is argued that severe market failures prevent SMEs in southern euro area countries from access to key inputs, in particular access to finance. This paper makes an assessment of feasible options to improve finance access of SMEs, available to EU institutions as well as to the ECB in the context of its price stability mandate. Because of non-negligible moral hazard issues, the paper is sceptical about a stronger involvement of the ECB in the (indirect) financing of SMEs through the securitisation of banks`loans or their use as collateral for monetary policy operations. The paper concludes with some proposals for extending finance access of SMEs, including through mutual guarantee institutions along the lines recently pursued by the European Investment Bank.

Suggested Citation

  • Ansgar Belke, 2013. "Finance Access of SMEs: What Role for the ECB?," ROME Working Papers 201310, ROME Network.
    • Handle: RePEc:rmn:wpaper:201310
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    1. Columba, Francesco & Gambacorta, Leonardo & Mistrulli, Paolo Emilio, 2010. "Mutual guarantee institutions and small business finance," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 45-54, April.
    2. Ansgar Belke & Rainer Fehn & Neil Foster, 2001. "Venture Capital Investment and Labor Market Performance: A Panel Data Analysis," Diskussionspapiere aus dem Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Hohenheim 197/2001, Department of Economics, University of Hohenheim, Germany.
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    4. Bartoli, Francesca & Ferri, Giovanni & Murro, Pierluigi & Rotondi, Zeno, 2013. "Bank–firm relations and the role of Mutual Guarantee Institutions at the peak of the crisis," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 90-104.
    5. Edward I. Altman & Gabriele Sabato, 2013. "MODELING CREDIT RISK FOR SMEs: EVIDENCE FROM THE US MARKET," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Oliviero Roggi & Edward I Altman (ed.), Managing and Measuring Risk Emerging Global Standards and Regulations After the Financial Crisis, chapter 9, pages 251-279, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Belke, Ansgar & Gros, Daniel, 2002. "Monetary integration in the Southern Cone," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 323-349, December.
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    8. Cardone Riportella, Clara & Briozzo, Anahí & Trujillo Ponce, Antonio, 2011. "What do Basel Capital Accords mean for SMEs?," DEE - Working Papers. Business Economics. WB wb111004, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
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    3. Gabriele Tondl, 2016. "Interest rates, corporate lending and growth in the Euro Area," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp227, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    4. Bradut-Vasile BOLOS & Hesham MAGD, 2013. "Supporting Sme'S Through Islamic Finance Inspired Operations," STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS PETRU MAIOR SERIES OECONOMICA, Petru Maior University, Faculty of Economics Law and Administrative Sciences, vol. 1, pages 1-12, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ECB; financial crisis; bank-firm relationships; credit guarantee schemes; monetary policy transmission; small business finance yields;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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