In a contribution to Eurofi Magazine, Sharon Donnery, a member of the European Central Bank’s Supervisory Board, argued that national fragmentation is the root cause of regulatory complexity and a key constraint on European banks’ competitiveness. Although banks are better capitalized, more liquid and more profitable than in the past, divergent national rules and restrictions on moving capital and liquidity within banking groups prevent them from achieving greater European scale. Around 80% of bank loan portfolios remain national, while cross-border deposits account for only 2%.
2026-09-16European Central Bank - Banking Supervision
European Central Bank Banking Supervision's Sharon Donnery urges banking integration as Europe’s core simplification strategy
Sharon Donnery, a member of the European Central Bank’s Supervisory Board, called for deeper banking integration to reduce regulatory complexity and allow banks to operate at European scale. She proposed more directly applicable EU regulations, fewer restrictions on capital and liquidity within banking groups, completion of the banking union and a common reporting framework. Simplification should preserve prudential requirements rather than lower them.