PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY OF THE EUROPEAN BANKING FEDERATION

The European Banking Federation (EBF) represents National Banking Associations from 31 countries 4.500 banks with 2.5 million employees: Verband Osterreichischer Banken und Bankiers (Austria); Belgian Bankers’ & Stockbroking Firms’ (FEBELFIN) (Belgium); Association of Banks in Bulgaria (ABB) (Bulgaria); Croatian Banking Association (Croatia); Association of Cyprus Commercial Banks (Cyprus); Czeck Banking Association (Czech Republic); Finansrådet (Denmark);  Estonian Banking Association (Estonia); Federation of Finnish Financial Services (Finland); Association Française des Banques (France);  Bundesveband deutscher Banken (BdB) (Germany); Hellenic Bank Association (Greece); Hungarian Banking Association (Hungary);  Samtök Fjármálafyrirtœkja (Iceland); Irish Banking Federation (Ireland); Associazione Bancaria Italiana (Italy); Latvian Association of Commercial Banks (ALCB) (Latvia); Liechtenstein Bankers' Association (Liechtenstein); Association of Lithuanian Banks (Lithuania); Association des Banques et Banquiers du Luxembourg (Luxembourg); Malta Bankers' Association (Malta); Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken (Netherlands); Finance Norway (FNO) (Norway) ; Polish Bank Association (Poland); Portuguese Banking Association (Portugal); Romanian Banking Association(RBA) (Romania); Slovak Banking Association (Slovakia); Zdruzenje Bank Slovenije Ljubljana (Slovenia); Spanish Bankers Association (Spain); Swedish Bankers Association (Sweden); Swiss Bankers’ Association (Switzerland); British Bankers’ Association (United Kingdom).

Associate Members include Albanian Association of Banks (AAB) (Albania); Associaciò de Bancs Andorrans (Androrra); Union of Banks of Armenia (Armenia); Azerbaijan Banks Association (Azerbaijan); Banks Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Banking Association (within the Economic Chamber) of the Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia (Macedonia); Moldovan Banks Association (Moldova); Association Monégasque des Activités Financières (Monaco) ; Association of Montenegrian Banks (Montenegro); Association of Russian Banks (Russia); Udruženje banaka Srbije (Serbia); The Banks Association of Turkey (Turkey); and Association of Ukrainian Banks (Ukraine)
 

The big European  banks such as HSBC, BNP-Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Crédit Agricole are influential within the federation. Many of EBF’s prominent members are also members of the “Shadow ECB Council”. The ECB Shawdow Council which is an unofficial, independent of the ECB/EuroSystem comprises 15 prominent European economists from academia, financial institutions, consultancies, companies and research institutes who watch economic developments and monetary policy in the euro region and issue recommendations each month to the ECB. The Shadow Council members say what they think the central bank should do rather than what they expect it to do.

The European Banking Federation is the united voice of banks established in Europe. It is a forum where best practices are exchanged, legislative proposals and initiatives are debated and common positions adopted in areas such as:

• Banking regulation and supervision
• Financial markets and securities
• Financial reporting and taxation
• Retail financial services and payments
• Corporate governance and financial crime
• The economy, business and trade
• Social affairs
• Corporate social responsibility

The EBF represents, defends and promotes the interests of its members, promotes the development of the industry, provides value-adding information and efficient and professional services to its member Associations and assists new members in their accession procedures, be it to the EU itself or to the Euro.

The EBF is a partner of choice for the European institutions in laying out their legislative initiatives. Its aim is to ensure that the experience and the views of banks are taken into consideration in the shaping of relevant policies. The EBF also actively promotes the positions of the European financial services, and in particular the banking industry in international fora.