ECB seeks bigger say on banks' capital requirements

April 14, 2026 5:05 AM EDT

European Union flags flutter outside the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch

FRANKFURT, April 14 (Reuters) - ‌The European ​Central ​Bank urged European lawmakers on Tuesday to give it a bigger say on banks' ‌overall capital requirements, including those set by national ⁠authorities, in a bid to identify overlaps and blind ‌spots.

The recommendation was one of ‌17 submitted by the euro zone's central bank to the European Commission as part of a ​consultation aimed at helping EU banks compete more effectively with rivals in the U.S. and ⁠elsewhere.

The central bank argued its policymakers should take a view on ​the total level of capital demands facing EU banks, including those set by ECB supervisors ​and others that are the ‌purview of national authorities.

"It is proposed to make the ECB Governing Council responsible ⁠for taking a holistic view of the overall level of capital demand within and across the banking union ⁠to fulfil the need for increased coordination," the ECB said ​in its recommendation.

The central bank said the assessment should be carried out by ECB policymakers and top supervisors together but ‌left open how their findings should be implemented.

The ECB repeated other recommendations, such ‌as whittling down macroprudential buffers to just two, ⁠clarifying the status of ‌convertible bonds and ​expanding a favourable regulatory regime for small banks.

(Reporting by Francesco Canepa; Editing by Kate ‌Mayberry)



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