Memo: Asset Management and Private Credit

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The Netherlands and Europe face major financial challenges. Energy transition, defense, digitalization and housing construction require investments on a scale that cannot be borne solely by banks or public funds. The Dutch asset management sector - with €2,119 billion in assets under management number 3 in the EU - plays an essential role in mobilizing the capital needed for this.

In this memorandum, we discuss how asset managers contribute to the financing of the real economy, with a particular focus on private credit. We describe the growth and functioning of private credit as a financing instrument, the risks and how the European regulatory framework - the AIFMD and the ELTIF framework - structurally addresses them, and the specific opportunities and bottlenecks for the Netherlands in light of the pension transition and the European investment agenda.

Our central message: private credit is not a fringe phenomenon, but an important and necessary addition to existing financing channels. The European framework provides a robust foundation for this, and the Netherlands is in a position to actively benefit from it provided the national framework supports this growth.

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