LAST 9 and 10 June, the Spanish Savings Banks’ Confederation (CECA) organised in Madrid the sector’s strategic forum, under the motto “Savings banks: precursors of corporate social responsibility”. Our Group was invited to the event, as well as the Spanish Federation. I was there myself on behalf of our Group, and Mr.Julio Barrera attended the forum as Secretary of the Spanish Federation. Executive directors, audit boards and boards of directors from Spanish savings banks attended the meeting in order to analyse from several perspectives a key issue for their institutions: social responsibility, their main characteristic since their creation, 170 years ago, and a feature that has always been present during their evolution. The opening of the forum was done by Spanish’s government President, Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. It was a nice surprise to hear him ask the savings banks to provide help to dependent people, since they have already been working for a long time in aid of disadvantaged groups. He announced for the last quarter of this year the passing of the Law on dependency, fourth pillar of social welfare, and he also congratulated the savings banks for their past and present role in society. Mr. Jaime Caruana Lacorte, President of the Spanish Central Bank, also took part in the forum. The opening speech before work sessions was made by International Monetary Fund’s managing director, Mr. Rodrigo Rato Figaredo. During the works sessions, the following subjects were discussed:

• Corporate social responsibility: an international perspective. • Savings banks and the corporate social responsibility. • Saving banks: social changes and main goals. • Saving banks’ social dividend and the autonomy of its management. • Saving banks and the democratisation of culture. • Social responsibility of saving banks and its employees. • Corporate social responsibility in an ever-changing situation: Spain in the 21st century. • Trends in social cohesion and exclusion: social assistance. • Changes in Spanish society. • Research, spread of technology and economic model. • Saving banks and sustainable development. • Sensible management. • Social approach of financial activities. • Social responsibility of saving banks and regional development. • Ethical funds. • Tackling the new social challenges.

• Fighting exclusion: social credit. • Saving banks as a model of social commitment. • Social responsibility of saving banks at international level. • Dependency and its related problems. • Promotion of labour. • Do it right, do the right thing and do it different.   Some important figures took part in the closing ceremony: Mr. Juan Ramón Quintás Seoane, Chairman of the Spanish Confederation of Saving Banks; Mr. David Vegara Figueras, Secretary of State of Economy; Mr. Jesús Caldera Sánchez-Capitán, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and Their Highness Prince Felipe of Asturias and Princess Letizia. These two days of hard work and interesting discussions on social subjects made clearthatsaving banks have promoted social responsibility since their very creation, and they still promote it today. We must feel proud of having contributed, during our active life, to the improvement of quality of life in the areas we have worked at.

JR.L.