The FIBEN Companies Database
The Banque de France manages a Companies Database denominated FIBEN for "Fichier Bancaire des Entreprises". The FIBEN Companies Database was set up to facilitate the implementation of monetary policy. This database, originally intended to verify the credit quality of issues of bills presented for rediscounting, evolved in line with changes in refinancing procedures. The FIBEN database is also used for the supervision of banks.
Since 1982, credit institutions and public economic bodies have had access to the FIBEN database. For such players, the information collected and processed, which makes up the database, is an important tool for analysing risk, making decisions and monitoring companies.
For the Banque de France, the FIBEN database is also an instrument for analysing the financial behaviour of firms. It is the main tool used for the assessments of local and regional economic structures carried out by its regional branches.
The central credit Register
The central credit Register is a part of the FIBEN information system. Its objectives are twofold:
to enable all banks to satisfy their customer's loan applications as fully as possible whit out incurring excessive risk
to provide monetary policy-makers and bank supervisors with all the credit- related information that could be useful to their decision making.
