Annual list of 112 significant banks under ECB supervision
The European Central Bank (ECB) has published its annual list of directly supervised significant entities, totaling 112 banks. The list details entities across various euro area countries, with a cut-off date of 1 January 2026.
Key players in European banking supervision
The European Central Bank (ECB) directly supervises 112 significant banking groups and standalone banks as of the 1 January 2026 cut-off date.
These entities are identified based on criteria such as total asset size, national economic importance, or if they are among the three largest credit institutions in a Member State.
For instance, banks like Deutsche Bank AG (Germany) and Banco Santander, S.A. (Spain) are listed due to their substantial asset sizes exceeding EUR 1,000 billion.
Other examples include KBC Group NV (Belgium) and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (Germany) with assets between EUR 300-500 billion.
The list provides granular detail including Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs) and specific grounds for their classification as significant, ensuring transparency in the supervisory framework.
Beyond asset size
Significance is not solely determined by asset size, although this is a primary factor, ranging from EUR 30-50 billion up to over EUR 1,000 billion.
Other crucial criteria include a bank's national economic importance, as seen with AS SEB Pank (Estonia), or its position among the largest credit institutions in a Member State, such as DSK Bank AD (Bulgaria).
The annual publication of this list by the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) aims to provide clarity on the scope of direct ECB supervision, fostering transparency and accountability within the European banking sector.
This detailed overview supports market participants and the public in understanding the supervisory landscape.