About
We contribute to keeping the banking system in Europe safe and sound
It’s important for European citizens to know that their money in the bank is safe and that banks are strong enough to withstand crises. We do that by supervising banks in a consistent and standardised way throughout the euro area.
We work to keep the banking system safe and sound, so that you can rest assured that your bank will always be in good shape and be able to grant loans to people and businesses.
European banking supervision explained
How does banking supervision work and what do we do?
Find out more in this two-minute video
Working together to oversee banks
We work with national supervisors to directly supervise larger, significant banks. We also collaborate closely with national supervisors in overseeing the smaller, less significant banks in each country. This all takes place within a structure called the Single Supervisory Mechanism.
Find out which banks we superviseThe banking union
European banking supervision is one of the three pillars of the banking union that was set up after the 2008 financial crisis with the aim to create a safer, more transparent and unified market for banks. Two pillars are in force: European banking supervision and the Single Resolution Mechanism.
Discover more about the banking unionWe are accountable to European citizens
Supervising banks is a huge responsibility. We need to be able to make decisions independently to accomplish this task. We are, however, fully accountable to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union and we regularly report on our decisions.
Learn more about accountability at the ECBHistory of European banking supervision
Since we started supervising Europe’s banks more than ten years ago, the number of non-performing loans has decreased, banks have become stable, and they are better equipped to handle the challenges of a changing risk environment.
Explore our supervisory milestonesOur organisation
The ECB’s supervisory and monetary policy tasks are distinct from each other and are carried out separately. Our Supervisory Board is responsible for taking decisions and steering topics related to our banking supervision work. However, like all ECB decisions, our Governing Council must approve them before they become final.
Read more about our structure and leadershipInterested in working for us?
Do you want to contribute to our mission of keeping Europe’s banks safe and sound? Are you eager to join an international and diverse team?
See more about working at the ECBContact us
Do you have any questions about European banking supervision and what we do? Find answers to the most popular questions or send us your own.