This publication illustrates the need to seriously alter the way banks approach their asset management policy. The SOMO study into the investment policy of European banks reveals that the scope of the banks' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is characterized by severe limitations. A coherent application of CSR policies to all business activities is lacking and their level of transparency is still a far cry from reality.

Two main topics are addressed in the new SOMO study; first the existence, scope and application of CSR policies with regard to asset management, especially concerning mainstream investment portfolios, and secondly, the level of transparency of these CSR policies. The study focuses on five large European banks: ING Group, RBS Group, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas and Santander Group. In order to provide a broader picture of alternatives on the market, two other Dutch banks were included in the study, Triodos Bank and SNS REAAL.