World Savings and Retail Banking Institute’s ESBG hosts Someron Savings Bank delegation for exchanges on ESG regulation and the digital euro

The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute reported that ESBG welcomed a delegation from Finland’s Someron Savings Bank for a two-day visit focused on knowledge exchange and strengthening cooperation, with discussions spanning EU advocacy priorities, sustainable finance and ESG risks, and payments and digitalisation. ESBG Managing Director Peter Simon framed the discussions around savings banks’ core principles such as inclusion, social responsibility and community engagement, and outlined ESBG’s advocacy work at European and international level in light of the new European legislature and European Commission priorities. ESBG Head of Regulatory Affairs Ines Scacchi set out the department’s priorities for the first half of 2025, with a focus on sustainable finance and the evolving treatment of ESG risks and the implications for smaller savings banks. ESBG Head of Payments, Digital Finance and Innovation Diederik Bruggink covered recent payments developments, linking geopolitical considerations and the push for strategic autonomy to initiatives including the digital euro and instant payments, alongside open finance and cash.