Sant jappella biex il-Bord Uniku ta’ Riżoluzzjoni jibqa’ viġilanti u jgħasses il-pajsaġġ bankarju

Fl-intervent tiegħu waqt skambju ta’ fehmiet mal-president tal-Bord Uniku ta’ Riżoluzzjoni (SRB), Elke König, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant innota li l-SRB s’issa serva ta’ difiża li ma tantx kellha tinvolvi ruħha f’azzjonijiet serji. Idealment, wieħed jixtieq li s-sitwazzjoni tibqa’ hekk, iżda l-Bord għandu jibqa’ viġilanti u jgħasses il-pajsaġġ bankarju.

Il-Bord Uniku ta’ Riżoluzzjoni (SRB) huwa l-awtorità ċentrali ta’ riżoluzzjoni fi ħdan l-Unjoni Bankarja, li bħalissa tinkludi 19-il pajjiż taż-żona tal-euro, il-Bulgarija u l-Kroazja. Ir-Riżoluzzjoni hi proċess li bih bank li jkun qed jaffaċċja diffikultajiet finanzjarji kbar jingħata għajnuna biex jibqa’ fil-wiċċ, u biex jekk dan ma jkunx possibli, jinbiegħ jew jingħalaq, bil-għan aħħari li jkunu protettti kemm jista’ jkun l-interessi tad-depożitanti ġo fih u tal-investituturi żgħar tiegħu. Wara l-kriżi finanzjarja tas-snin 2008-2012, il-Bord Uniku ta’ Riżoluzzjoni inħoloq mill-Unjoni Ewropea biex imexxi l-proċess ta’ riżoluzzjoni mal-banek Ewropej kollha. L-SRB jaħdem mill-qrib mal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, il-Bank Ċentrali Ewropew, l-Awtorità Bankarja Ewropea u l-awtoritajiet nazzjonali. 

Il-MPE Laburista Sant saħaq li minkejja l-gwerra fl-Ukrajna kien żdied id-dewmien li laqat lill-proposta biex id-depożiti fil-banek Ewropej kollha jingħataw kollha garanzija Ewropea fil-qafas ta’ Unjoni Bankarja sħiħa bejn il-banek Ewropej. Sant staqsa jekk kienx hemm bidla minħabba fil-gwerra fil-qagħda tal-banek Ewropej. Fit-tweġiba tagħha, il-president tal-Bord Uniku ta’ Riżoluzzjoni (SRB), Elke König qablet li bil-gwerra, kienet seħħet bidla fil-pożizzjoni finanzjarja ta’ ċerti banek bħal fil-każ  ta’ bank Olandiż li waqaf jagħmel negozju mar-Russja u daħal fi proċedura ta’ riżoluzzjoni.

Sant staqsa jekk il-Bord ta’ Riżoluzzjoni Uniku hux qed ikun involut fl-eżerċizzju li jagħmel il-Bank Ċentrali Ewropew meta jkejjel kull bank kemm hu mħejji biex jilqa’ għad-diffikultajiet finanzjarji li jistgħu jinqalgħulu, l-hekk imsejjħa “stress test” mal-banek Ewropej kollha. Fit-tweġiba tagħha König argumentat li l-SRB jinżamm infurmat dwar it-testijiet tal-istress imwettqa mill-Bank Ċentrali Ewropew u l-Awtorità Bankarja Ewropea. “Qed nippruvaw nevalwaw l-impatt tal-gwerra fuq il-banek; qegħdin numru ta’ timijiet li qed nahdmu fuq din il-kwistjoni. Ningħataw informazzjoni diretta”, hija żiedet tgħid.

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Sant calls for the Single Resolution Board to remain vigilant and keep a watch over the banking landscape

In his intervention during an exchange of views with the chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), Elke König, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant noted that the SRB has up to now served like a firefighting squad which had little reason to involve herself. Ideally, one would like it to stay this way, but the board should remain vigilant and keep a watch over the banking landscape. 

The Single Resolution Board (SRB) is the central resolution authority within the Banking Union, which at present includes 19 eurozone countries, Bulgaria and Croatia. The resolution is a process by which a bank that is facing major financial difficulties is given help to keep it afloat, and if this is not possible, to be sold or closed, with the ultimate goal of protecting the interests as much as possible of its depositors and small investors. After the financial crisis of the years 2008-2012, the Single Resolution Board was created by the European Union to lead the resolution process with all European Banks. The SRB works closely with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the European Banking Authority and the national authorities. 

Sant argued that despite the war in Ukraine there was an increased delay that affected the proposal to give all deposits in European banks a European guarantee in the framework of a complete Banking Union between European banks. Sant asked if there had been a change because of the war in the situation of the European Banks. In her reply, the president of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), Elke König agreed that with the war, there had been a change in the financial position of certain banks as in the case of a Dutch bank that has stopped doing business with Russia and entered a resolution procedure.

Sant asked if the Single Resolution Board is being involved in the excercise carried out by the European Central Bank where surveys are carried out to check how every bank is equipped to counter financial difficulties that might occur, the so called “stress tests” and whether it was a good idea not to carry out a full-scale stress test exercise with all European banks this year? In her reply König argued that the SRB is kept informed on the stress tests conducted by the European Central Bank and the European Banking Authority. “We are trying to assess the impact of war on banks; there we are on a number of teams working on this issue. We are given first-hand information”, she added.