Balancing Resilience, Innovation and Competitiveness : EBA’s view on priorities for an efficient European banking sector

Since its establishment in 2011, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has shaped a regulatory framework designed to bolster financial stability while supporting real-economy financing. Over the past seven years, under the leadership  of its second chair, José Manuel Campa, the EBA has operated in a period marked by unprecedented crises: the pandemic, geopolitical fragmentation, accelerating climate change, and the surge in cyber threats. José-Manuel Campa has shaped European regulatory approach, grounded naturally in prudential supervision and the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, but also in the management of new challenges and risks. Against the recent backdrop of deregulatory trends elsewhere, particularly in the United States, his mandate has also focused on two key priorities: safeguarding resilience and the integrity of post-crisis reforms, Basel III being its cornerstone, and advancing smart regulatory simplification. A Simplification that does not mean deregulation.

As the EBA approaches its 15th anniversary, a critical question arises: Is the European banking sector now better equipped to fulfill its mission than it was at the Authority’s inception? This concerns not only prudential resilience and competitiveness but also persistent challenges, such as the consolidation of the European interbank market and the adaptation to technological innovations. Yet, new opportunities, and so new risks, are emerging. The digital era and green transition are reshaping priorities, introducing challenges like AI, crypto-assets, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), as well as the integration of ESG criteria into prudential frameworks.

At the same time, the rise of non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs) and the entry of Big Tech into finance demand strategic reflection on the interplay between infrastructure and superstructure. In other words: How can we reconcile innovation, European sovereignty, and consumer protection while ensuring equitable—yet selective—access to financing?

These are crucial issues that will determine the future of the European banking sector.  We will have the privilege of hearing the ideas and convictions of the EBA Chair as he takes stock of his work, as he will be stepping down in January 2026 after seven years at the helm of an institution that has played a decisive role in defining the objectives and implementing the supervision of the European banking sector. You will then have the opportunity to engage in a free exchange with him during a 40-minute question-and-answer session.

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