The Microfinance and Self-employment Environment for the Socially Excluded: Country Report Spain

This country report for Spain on "The microfinance and self-employment environment for the socially excluded" presents the following findings:

• Unemployment is the biggest category under people at risk;
• Social exclusion is a gender problem;
• There are large regional differences in Spain in relation to poverty;
• Immigration into the country is a new phenomenon for Spain;
• There are an increasing number of young people under the homeless category.

The report examines the following aspects of microfinance in Spain:

• The entrepreneurial context;
• Policy for micro-enterprises;
• The "welfare bridge";
• Legal framework for microfinance providers;
• Financial bridge for the socially excluded;
• Funding for microcredit providers.

The report states that the environment in Spain for microfinance and self-employment has improved in terms of culture, policy, organizations and institutions. It concludes by presenting the following lessons that other European countries can learn from Spain:

• Bridging the social, employment and financial systems in such a way that there is a "one-stop-shop" for those wanting to be self-employed.
• An integrated approach to self employment and microfinance for the socially excluded in terms of the policy and legal framework.