European Association of Co-operative Banks

🔹 Simplification & EU Competitiveness: Time to Revisit FiDA 🔹   The EU’s simplification and competitiveness agenda are duly noted. As are the omnibus packages being released. But should we not also look at legislation developed under the previous legislature?. The EACB would see at least the FIDA proposal as being in need of revision as it lacks clear customer demand, has an overly broad scope, lacks operational feasibility, presents an unrealistic timeline for the rollout of the schemes, and relies excessively on Level 2 measures. To align with the EU’s agenda, FiDA must: ✔ Focus on two targeted, evidence-based use cases ✔ Limit FiDA’s application to natural persons and SMEs in the EU ✔ Exclude gatekeepers ✔ Allow a market-led rollout over 5+ years ✔ Address operational concerns regarding the permission dashboard ✔ Avoid excessive reliance on RTSs and Guidelines   Without key adjustments, FiDA risks harming consumers and Europe’s banking sector—EACB would advocate for its withdrawal if these concerns are not addressed. Find our full recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/debc97ZT   #EU #FinancialRegulation #Competitiveness #DataAccess #DigitalFinance #EACB

🚨 New: "Less is More Report" – Simplifying the EU Financial Regulatory Landscape 🚨 The EU financial regulatory framework is facing significant challenges, from rising complexity and fragmentation to a growing disconnect between citizens and the regulations that govern them. The "Less is More" report explores these issues and offers actionable solutions for simplifying and stabilizing the regulatory environment. The report urges policymakers to act swiftly to reform the EU’s regulatory framework. By simplifying and stabilizing the system, the EU can boost the competitiveness of the financial sector, foster innovation, and better serve citizens. 📥 Read the full report and explore the proposed solutions here: https://lnkd.in/eNQ3zqXi #EURegulations #FinancialSector #EUReform #Banking #BetterRegulation #FinancialServices #Innovation #SustainableFinance #DigitalFinance #LessIsMore

Take a look at the latest newsletter edition taking up crucial aspects relevant to ensure the European banking sector to stay competitive in the global landscape! The #EuropeanCommission certainly is in the drivers' seat expected to take bold decisions to simplify the EU legislative framework so that it can deliver on Europe's economic, environment and social ambitions. In this vein, we look to the announced #OmnibusPackage with high expectation, counting on it representing a clear step toward simplifying and streamlining of the CSRD, the CSDDD and the taxonomy regulation. Europe's cooperative banks will remain solid anchors of financial stability, uniquely positioned to have the #EUcitizens, their clients and members across all regions, at heart while staying committed to remaining innovative and flexible to adapt. Yet this evolution can only happen if regulations are simple, agile and designed with the sector’s diversity in mind. European Association of Co-operative Banks Priscille Szeradzki Crédit Mutuel #coopbanking #competitiveness #simplification #omnibus

🌀 Cooperative banks are ready to play a key role in accompanying efforts to relaunch #EUcompetitiveness. A balanced regulatory framework is crucial to a diverse banking sector that can drive #sustainablegrowth and fund Europe's green, digital and social objectives.   In this edition of the EACB newsletter, we hear from key leaders shaping the future of banking in Europe.   ➡ Priscille Szeradzki, EACB President and Deputy CEO at Confédération Nationale du Crédit Mutuel (CNCM), emphasises the importance of regulatory #simplification to help #coopbanks leverage their democratic governance and #proximity to clients in addressing today's challenges, from #digitalisation to financial inclusion.   ➡ Alexandra Jour-Schroeder, Deputy Director-General at DG FISMA, European Commission, breaks down the EU Competitiveness Compass and key elements of the Commission #simplification agenda aimed at spurring #innovation, #growth, and #investment.     The road ahead demands a united vision and collective resolve. Together, we must shape a financial system that is modern, resilient, and human-centred.   👉 Read the full newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dRmexDDB

Amid today's volatility, the EACB Board members and cooperative bank executives engaged in meaningful reflections with Members of the European Parliament on how cooperative banks can help tackle key challenges ahead - from strengthening European sovereignty and competitiveness to simplifying the EU legislative framework. In this context, EACB President, Priscille Szeradzki, underlined the unique value cooperative banks bring to a diverse banking market, with their focus on European citizens. #IYC2025 #coopsyear   It was also a good occasion to exchange on difficulties in European rulemaking in financial services and pathways for improvement. Discover proposed solutions for a less is more approach in the latest publication: https://lnkd.in/eagzpHMb Thank you to our co-host Österreichischer Raiffeisenverband, namely Johannes Rehulka. 

🌱 Pathway to a Net-Zero Food Chain: How Cooperative Banks Can Support Agriculture's Sustainability Journey 🌱   Nina Schindler, CEO of the European Association of Co-operative Banks, participated in the "Pathway to a Net-Zero Food Chain" panel at the #FoodDrinkDialogues: cooperative banks, together with policymakers and industry leaders, can partner to support green transition in the agri-food sector and drive its competitiveness. With their long-standing partnership in the agri-food sector, coop banks are uniquely positioned to help farmers adopt sustainable practices while managing ESG risks and ensuring long-term profitability.   The EU can boost #coopbanks’ enabling role, by providing: ➡️ A consistent, stable policy framework with the right incentives. ➡️ Simple frameworks with reduced red tape, methods to measure transition, practicable for both farmers and bankers. ➡️ Blended finance and stronger public-private collaboration to scale up investment.   The EACB looks forward to continued cooperation with regulators and stakeholders to ensure EU policies support the green transition in agriculture.   👏 A special thank you to the esteemed panellists who contributed to the discussion: Gijs Schilthuis (Director of Sustainability, DG AGRI, European Commission), Robbert de Vreede (General Manager Foods Europe, Unilever), Roig, Ismael (President EMEA, ADM), Richard Zaltzman (CEO, EIT Food) and to the team of the Financial Times | FT Live Susannah Savage & Magdalena Miecznicka. Read our media release 👉 https://lnkd.in/e54JMk6W #CooperativeBanks #Sustainability #NetZero#Agriculture #GreenTransition #ESG #AgriFood #FinanceForSustainability#EUClimateGoals

📢 EACB Comments on the EBA Guidelines on proportionate retail diversification methods under Article 123(1) of the CRR3. The EACB welcomes the opportunity to comment on the EBA Guidelines on proportionate retail diversification methods under Article 123(1) of the CRR3. We agree on the importance to define proportionate retail diversification methods for the application of a preferential risk wight of 75% and implement the discretion embedded in the Basel III reforms to determine appropriate methodologies, beyond the 0.2% aggregate portfolio threshold. However, we invite the EBA to a more thorough analysis of the diversification test in light of several shortcomings, among which: 🔹 Diversification test: a two-step approach appears burdensome, not in line with the principle of proportionality and ineffective, considering the limited benefits in terms of financial stability and the large expected impact on regulatory capital.   🔹 Operational challenges: the proposed methodology would have unreasonable costs for those institutions which apply a consistent and comprehensive approach to segmentation of exposures, where segmentation is regarded as one system determining not only the respective category in regulatory reporting, but also holistic risk management throughout the whole lifecycle of the exposure. 🔹 Portfolio structure: smaller banks may often have a relatively higher number of connected clients on the total portfolio. This represents an additional disadvantage, as it results in lower granularity of exposures compared to larger banks. 🔹 Effects on real economy: it will reduce the ability of small banks to finance the real economy For example, a bank that only has a retail portfolio of EUR 100 million would be able to grant retail loans of up to EUR 200.000 granularly. This leads to strong distortions of competition to the disadvantage of small banks and, thus, contrasting the level playing field concept and the principle of proportionality. More details are available in our position paper ➡️ https://lnkd.in/euMNzJ24 #BankingRegulation #SMEs #CooperativeBanks #Proportionality #CRR3 #EBA 

📢 EACB Comments on SRB operational guidance for banks on resolvability self-assessment The EACB welcomes the SRB initiative to enhance transparency in supervisory policies through its operational guidance for banks on resolvability self-assessment. While we appreciate the effort to create a structured and harmonized framework, we have identified several key concerns that require further clarification: 🔹 Ambiguities in definitions – Terms like “significant concentration” and “material liabilities” regarding MREL eligible criteria have not been clearly identified in the operational guidance. 🔹 New Burdens for Banks – The proposed Excel-based template should be improved to allow banks the submission of meaningful input. 🔹 Impact on MREL Policy – The guidance introduces a series of new far-reaching expectations that appear to hint to the MREL policy as part of this consultation. Most of the proposed changes raise serious methodological questions and have far reaching consequences for the industry. 🔹 Proportionality & Usability – The granularity of assessments should better reflect diverse banking models, and the self-assessment template should be more user-friendly. More details are available in our position paper ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eTUhNmFQ #Banking #Finance #CooperativeBanks #Resolvability #EACB #MREL #Regulation

🎓 Inspiring the Future: EACB Hosts International MBA Delegation from IAE Sorbonne 🎓 We were pleased to host a group of more than 30 students from the International MBA program at IAE Paris - Sorbonne Business School at our premises in Brussels. This diverse group, composed of experienced business professionals, represents 23 different nationalities! 🌍 It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with these future leaders, share the mission and objectives of the EACB, and highlight the impact of our work at the European level on all our lives. #EACB #IAESorbonne #MBA #CooperativeBanking #EuropeanImpact #Innovation #Leadership #Finance #FutureLeaders - Pierre-Yves Lagroue - Volker Heegemann

🚨 New Leadership: Nina Schindler Appointed Chair of the European Banking Industry Committee 🚨   Nina Schindler, CEO of the European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB), was appointed Chair of the European Banking Industry Committee (EBIC) during its 54th plenary meeting. She is succeeding Peter Simon from WSBI-ESBG, 🏦   Nina steps into this leadership role at a pivotal time. With the EU Commission preparing its workplan for the next five years, key issues such as simplification, competitiveness, and strengthening the Single Market will be at the forefront. Together with leaders of the other EBIC members, Nina will guide the EBIC in shaping positions on critical topics such as: 🔹 Prudential regulation 🔹 Retail banking and consumer credit 🔹 Implementation of Basel IV 🔹 and the AML package.   As Nina shared, "My aim is to contribute to the creation of a legislative framework that fosters a strong, diverse, and competitive banking sector—one that is well-positioned to deliver the products and services needed by the European economy and its consumers." 🌍💡   For more info, read our media release :   #EBIC #Banking #EuropeanBanking #Leadership #FinancialServices #EU #Innovation #Regulation