Luxembourg/Brussels, 23/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - At Germany's request, the Ecofin Council of Friday 20 June discussed the criteria for deciding how much banks should contribute to national bank resolution funds and the eurozone's bank resolution fund, the SRF.
The German delegation argued that contributions have to be proportionate and banks that are not at risk or not very risky should pay less or nothing at all. Berlin and Madrid both say that the banks' contributions should be calculated for each bank in each country separately rather than on the consolidated group basis which they feel would unfairly benefit the “too-big-to-fails”.
Spain says that only taking weighted risks into account in the calculations, as demanded by France, would mean that some risks slip through the net, such as cash flow and systemic risks.
Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier said that his department was taking a three-pronged approach: - the calculation method and the link between a set fee and contributions determined in line with the risk profile for each bank; - proportionality; - indicators to determine the risk profile. He said that the aim was to have a risk-profile adjustment system that was simple, transparent and credible, and asked 9 member states for information in this connection. In a letter to the Greek Presidency, Barnier said that the implementation measures currently being prepared would be unveiled in September.
On Friday, the Commission launched a public consultation exercise on this subject that will run until 14 July. (MB)