On 29 June 2026, the European Banking Industry Committee (EBIC) held its 56th Plenary Meeting at the premises of the European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB) in Brussels. Chaired by EACB CEO Nina Schindler, the meeting brought together representatives of the European banking industry to discuss key regulatory and policy developments affecting the sector.
The central topic of the meeting was the European Commission’s work regarding the competitiveness of the EU banking sector. EBIC members examined the contributions from the ECB, the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the Single Resolution Board (SRB) to this topic with. A central highlight in this context was the intervention by Ms. Cornelia Holthausen, Director General for Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability at the European Central Bank (ECB), who provided insights into the ECB’s perspectives on strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy and financial sector while preserving financial stability.
The exchange addressed critical questions in the current banking landscape. These include where meaningful simplification could be achieved without undermining the hard-won resilience of the system and how to better articulate the interactions between microprudential and macroprudential layers, as well as resolution requirements.
EBIC chair, Nina Schindler: “From our perspective the competitiveness discussion should not be framed as a trade-off between stability and growth, but rather as a question of calibration and design. A stable system is a prerequisite for competitiveness, but prudence should not be a goal in itself: the system as a whole should be suitable to adapt to new realities.”
The meeting also provided an opportunity to review ongoing work within the EBIC Working Groups. Progress reports were presented on activities relating to banking supervisory practices, anti-money laundering, consumer credit, mortgage credit and European integration, highlighting the continued engagement of EBIC members on a broad range of regulatory and policy issues. Members also considered possible future EBIC actions to support a competitive, resilient and well-functioning European banking sector.
EBIC remains committed to fostering dialogue within the European banking industry and public authorities, contributing to the development of policies that support both competitiveness and financial stability across the European Union.