Supervisory practices
We ensure that banks can perform their vital role
We work with national supervisors to make the banking system in Europe safe and sound. In this section you can find out more about our practices, which banks we supervise and what measures we have at our disposal.
The Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process
As supervisors, we assess the risks faced by banks and check that banks are equipped to properly manage those risks. This is called the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process, or SREP. Its purpose is to assess banks’ risk profiles consistently and take decisions about what supervisory measures are needed.
Find out more about the SREPSupervisory priorities
The supervisory priorities set out our focus areas for the year ahead. They are defined annually but can be reviewed at any time if this is justified by risk developments. The supervisory priorities are based on our assessment of the key risks and vulnerabilities faced by supervised institutions.
Find out more about our supervisory prioritiesList of supervised banks
We directly supervise the largest banks in the participating countries, in close cooperation with the national supervisors. They also supervise the smaller banks in their countries.
Find out more about which banks we superviseStress tests
We use stress tests to assess how well banks can cope with financial and economic shocks. They help to identify banks’ vulnerabilities and to address them early on in our supervisory dialogue with banks.
Find out more about stress testsSupervisory data
Reliable and comparable data are the basis of our work. They inform our subsequent decisions and actions. To ensure transparency we also regularly publish our aggregated supervisory banking statistics.
Supervisory dataJoint Supervisory Teams
European and national supervisors work together when they directly supervise significant banks. One of the main forms of cooperation are Joint Supervisory Teams (JSTs). They carry out the daily supervisory work and foster a common supervisory culture and consistent supervision.
Find out more about Joint Supervisory TeamsCovid-19
Our response to the pandemic
Find out more about how to share information with us
Banking supervision portal
The portal is the gateway for banks to our online services on the topic of banking supervision. You can submit information and communicate with supervisors via the portal.
Banking supervision portalWhistleblowing
Use our whistleblowing platform to report a suspected breach of EU banking supervision law by a supervised bank, a national supervisory authority or the ECB.
Find out more about whistleblowing