Total annual fees

The ECB levies an annual supervisory fee on all supervised banks to cover its costs in relation to banking supervision.

The total annual fees are based on the actual costs incurred, which are known following the closure of the ECB's financial accounts for the year concerned. This means that the total amount of annual supervisory fees and the related ECB Decision will be published in March of the following year, at the same time as the ECB's Annual Report on supervisory activities.

2023 ECB Decision on total annual supervisory fees

The fee for 2023 was levied in the second quarter of 2024.

Chapter 6 of the ECB's Annual Report on supervisory activities provides explanatory information on the actual expenditure and staffing for ECB supervisory tasks and describes the supervisory fees framework for that reporting period. It also gives the estimated amount of the annual costs for the next fee period.

ECB Annual Report on supervisory activities

What does the fee cover?

The total amount of annual supervisory fees covers the ECB’s expenditure in relation to its supervisory tasks for January to December of the relevant fee period. The total amount of annual supervisory fees consists of:

• the total annual expenditure for the respective fee period
• any amounts received or refunded under Article 7 of the ECB Regulation on supervisory fees relating to changes, such as authorisations of new supervised banks, withdrawals of authorisations, and changes in status from significant to less significant or vice versa
• any fees related to previous fee periods that were not collectible
• any interest payments received for late payment by the fee debtor

ECB Regulation on supervisory fees Change in situation

Total annual expenditure

The ECB’s annual expenditure for banking supervision consists primarily of costs directly related to its supervisory tasks:

• directly supervising significant banks or banking groups: mainly costs associated with Joint Supervisory Teams and on-site inspections
• overseeing the supervision of less significant banks or banking groups: costs associated with oversight activities
• performing horizontal tasks and specialised services: costs associated with activities such as the work of the Secretariat to the Supervisory Board, macroprudential tasks, statistical services and dedicated legal services

Each category of tasks also includes costs indirectly related to the ECB’s supervisory tasks, such as shared services provided by the ECB’s support business areas, including premises, human resources management and information technology (IT) services.

Organigram Annual accounts of the ECB

Adjustments to total annual expenditure

Each supervised bank or banking group must pay a fee for the year, or part of the year, in respect of which it is supervised. When changes in a bank’s or banking group’s situation occur after the ECB has finalised the individual supervisory fee notice, the related adjustment will be reflected in the total amount of annual supervisory fees for the next fee period. Changes in situation include authorisations of new supervised banks, withdrawals of authorisations, and changes in status from significant to less significant or vice versa.

Change in situation

The ECB takes all the necessary steps to collect supervisory fees from supervised banks and banking groups. Interest on late payments received and any amounts that were not collectible will be taken into account in determining the total amount of annual supervisory fees for the following year.

For 2023, an overall net adjustment of €220,129 has been made to the total annual expenditure. This is composed of €402,266 relating to recalculations for previous fee periods and -€182,137 of late payment interest received.

Total annual supervisory fee for the 2023 fee period

For the 2023 fee period, the total annual supervisory fee levied is €653.7 million (see the table below). This is an increase of €60.0 million on the total annual supervisory fee levied in 2022, which amounted to €593.7 million.

The increase in expenditure in 2023 relates to an increase in actual annual expenditure due to the rise in staff-related costs, as well as the first full year of normal banking supervision activity following the pandemic, leading to increased expenditure in most cost categories. Moreover, it reflects the introduction of new IT services related to supervisory technology (suptech) and the effects of inflation and high energy prices. Further details on the 2023 supervisory fees, as well as the outlook for 2024, can be found in Chapter 6 of the ECB Annual Report on supervisory activities 2023. 

How much does each category of bank pay?

The amount that is recovered through annual supervisory fees depends on whether the supervised entity or banking group is significant (significant institution, SI) or less significant (less significant institution, LSI) and, therefore, the extent to which it is scrutinised by the ECB.