The European Central Bank has published an updated benchmarking report on the time non-executive directors dedicate to their roles at banks under its direct supervision, finding a broad-based increase in declared time commitment compared with 2019, partly linked to stricter suitability checks. The update is positioned as a governance tool to help banks assess whether board members have sufficient capacity and to identify potential overstretch from multiple mandates. Based on “fit and proper” applications submitted between the first quarters of 2022 and 2025, non-executive directors reported an average of 28 days per year (22 in 2019), while chairs reported 64 days (42 in 2019). Reported commitments vary widely, ranging from 10 to 60 days for non-executive directors and 15 to 200 days for chairs. The report links higher time commitments to larger institutions and committee work, with non-executive directors at banks above EUR 100 billion in total assets reporting 53 days versus 30 days at banks below EUR 2 billion, and chairs reporting 104 days versus 39 days; it also flags pockets of directors committing too little time and cases of too many external positions that may impair preparation and decision-making. The ECB intends to continue addressing identified issues through its “fit and proper” assessments, where time commitment remains a key focus.
European Central Bank - Banking Supervision 2026-02-11
European Central Bank updates benchmarking report as non-executive directors’ annual time commitment rises to 28 days and chairs to 64
The European Central Bank (ECB) released a report showing increased time commitments by non-executive directors at supervised banks, with averages rising to 28 days per year from 22 in 2019, and chairs to 64 days from 42. The report links higher figures to larger institutions and committee work, and flags concerns over directors with insufficient time or excessive external positions. The ECB will continue to focus on time commitment in its "fit and proper" assessments.