How do bank mergers and acquisitions work?
When banks join together, they usually do so in one of two ways: through either a merger or an acquisition.
What is the ECB’s role?
We are the main supervisor for the biggest banks in the euro area. We do not tell banks to merge or to buy other banks. But if they decide to do so, we check that their plan is safe and that they are following the rules. We make sure the new or bigger bank is well run and has enough money and a sustainable business plan.
If a merger involves significant banks, we look at the plan and need to say yes before it can go ahead. Local teams check mergers involving smaller banks, but we still play a role if a new banking licence is needed or if someone buys a qualifying holding.
What are the risks when the newly formed bank is very big?
Larger groups usually create economies of scale, which benefits the banking sector. For this reason, we support consolidation in banking, as long as the resulting groups remain safe and easy to manage if problems arise. Big international banks must keep extra money in case they get into difficulty, for example in case they are declared failing or likely to fail. Every bank must be “resolvable” – in other words, there should be a clear plan for closing down a bank if needed, without causing bigger problems.
The Single Resolution Board sets the rules for how much money banks must keep aside for such scenarios. This helps protect the system if something goes wrong.
What should you remember?
In short, our job is to make sure banks stay safe when there are mergers or acquisitions. Whether two banks merge or one bank buys another, we do careful checks before we agree. Our goal is to ensure the banking system is strong, stable and following the rules.