Joint visit to the Bank of Greece by the Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) at the ECB and the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB)
24/03/2026 - Press Releases
The Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) at the ECB, Claudia Buch, and the Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), Dominique Laboureix, visited the Bank of Greece.
The heads of the two European institutions met with Governor Yannis Stournaras, Deputy Governor and member of the ECB Supervisory Board Christina Papaconstantinou, Deputy Governor Theodore Pelagidis, Director General for Prudential Supervision and Resolution Ioannis Tsikripis and Bank of Greece senior officials.
This was followed by a meeting and discussion with staff of the Bank’s directorates responsible for banking supervision, whom they thanked for their commitment and excellent cooperation with the two European institutions.
In the context of their visit to the Bank of Greece, the heads of the two European supervisory authorities also met with the senior management of Greek banks and the Hellenic Bank Association.
The topics discussed included the current situation and prospects of Greek banks, as well as issues pertaining to banking supervision and cooperation between the two European institutions and the Bank of Greece.
The visit concluded with a meeting between the heads of the two institutions and the leadership of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Ms Christina Papaconstantinou, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece and member of the ECB Supervisory Board, also attended.
At the end of the visit, Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras made the following statement: “ We had the pleasure of hosting for another year Ms. Claudia Buch, Chair of the Supervisory Board (SB) of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), Mr. Dominique Laboureix, Chair of the Single Resolution Board (SRB), and their teams, on the occasion of their visit to Greece. We had the opportunity to review all the issues concerning strategic priorities, policy, and regulatory developments in the banking sector, as well as institutional and macroeconomic developments.
The Greek banking sector is now in a much stronger position to support economic growth and absorb potential shocks. The clean-up of banks’ balance sheets, their high capital adequacy, sustainable profitability, improved asset quality, robust liquidity and regained market confidence create a resilient financial framework capable of supporting the economy at a time of heightened international uncertainty.
The war in the Middle East is creating a new, severe supply-side shock, originating from energy prices, while also significantly affecting the prices of many other goods and services, with serious consequences for the global economy, capital and money markets, as well as the banking sector. For banks, vigilance is required so as to minimise credit risk and the impact on their ability to continue to finance the economy smoothly. This new crisis reminds Europe, which is even more affected as a net energy importer, that it must complete as soon as possible the Banking Union and the Savings and Investments Union, as well as reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels, notably through the green transition”.
Deputy Governor Christina Papaconstantinou noted that “The regular visits of the Chairs of the SSM and the Single Resolution Board reinforce the steady dialogue between European and national authorities. These substantive discussions promote cooperation, coordination, and mutual trust, shaping a shared supervisory culture. The more we operate as one unified team, the more clearly the value of this approach emerges for effectively addressing current challenges, especially during periods of turbulence. Together, and in full coordination with the European authorities, we remain vigilant, monitoring developments and having at our disposal all the necessary tools to safeguard financial stability”.
On her part, the Chair of the ECB Supervisory Board, Claudia Buch, made the following statement: “My visit to the Bank of Greece provided an excellent opportunity for an open and substantive exchange. In an environment marked by heightened geopolitical risks and uncertainty, safeguarding the resilience of the European banking system remains key. Strong collaboration among European banking supervisors is essential, it makes us more effective in identifying and addressing risks”.
The Chair of the Single Resolution Board, Dominique Laboureix, noted that: “The SRB maintains excellent cooperation with the Bank of Greece as part of our regular dialogue with all Banking Union authorities. Greek banks are much stronger today, having made steady progress on resolvability. We remain committed to vigilance and we maintain close coordination with all national authorities, in order to continue to promote financial stability and protect the taxpayer in Greece and right across Europe”.
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Photos of the visit on the Bank’s official Flickr page.