Commission announces chair and members for the new mandate of the Platform on Sustainable Finance

The European Commission published today the list of members for the new mandate of the Platform on Sustainable Finance. The Platform will advise the Commission on the EU Taxonomy and the EU sustainable finance framework more broadly, with a reinforced focus on usability.

It will also monitor the capital flows to sustainable investments. In response to the call for applications published in October 2022, the Commission selected 28 members and five observers from the private sector on the basis of their environmental and sustainable finance expertise. The seven permanent members among EU agencies and bodies have been re-appointed directly. In addition, nine EU institutions and international organisations have been invited as observers. The Commission has also appointed Helena Viñes Fiestas as Chair of the Platform. Viñes Fiestas is inter alia Commissioner of the Spanish Financial Markets Authority and a member of the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero Pledges.

Mairead McGuinness, Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, said: “With this new mandate, the Platform will focus on usability to improve the implementation of our ambitious sustainable finance agenda. The Platform will also continue developing and updating the Taxonomy criteria in line with the latest technological developments. The goal is to make sure the Taxonomy and the whole sustainable finance framework work effectively in order to help the real economy in the transition. I congratulate Helena Viñes Fiestas on her appointment as Chair and I wish her and the Platform success over the next two years.” 

The Platform will reach out to a wide range of stakeholders e.g. on which new activities could be included in the EU Taxonomy or on possible amendments to the technical screening criteria of existing activities. In this context, the Commission will establish a Stakeholder Request Mechanism, to be published on the dedicated webpage, together with the deliverables and the progress of the Platform’s work. The full list of members and further information can be found on the Platform’s webpage.