The discussions at the conference will be divided into four sessions: 1) Does a European model exist for SMEs? 2) SMEs and credit risk analysis. 3) Banks and financing of SMEs. 4) SMEs and regulatory issues.

Asset management has become more prominent in recent years as manifested by at least four trends. First, the amounts involved have increased strongly as private sector assets have continued to grow and governments and central banks have more assets under management (sovereign wealth funds and...