Europe’s banking system is weighed down by high levels of non-performing loans (NPLs), which are holding down credit growth and economic activity. This discussion note uses a new survey of European country authorities and banks to examine the structural obstacles that discourage banks from addressing their problem loans. A three pillared strategy is advocated to remedy the situation, comprising: (i) tightened supervisory policies, (ii) insolvency reforms, and (iii) the development of distressed debt markets.

High and persistent levels of nonperforming loans (NPLs) have featured prominently in recent financial crises. This book traces NPL trends during and after crises, examines the economic impact of high NPLs, and compares the effectiveness of NPL resolution strategies across economies in Asia and Europe. The book distills important lessons from the experiences of economies using case studies and empirical investigation of ways to resolve NPLs. These findings can be invaluable in charting a course through the financial and economic fallout of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to recovery and sustained financial stability in Asia, Europe, and beyond.

Addressing the buildup of nonperforming loans (NPLs) in Italy since the global financial crisis will remain a challenge for some time and be important for supporting a sustained, robust economic recovery. The buildup reflects both the prolonged recession as well as structural factors that have held back NPL write-offs by banks. The paper discusses the impediments to NPL resolution in Italy and a strategy for fostering a market for restructuring distressed assets that could support corporate and financial restructuring.

This book explores the issue of private sector over-indebtedness following the recent financial crisis. It addresses the various challenges for policymakers, investors and economic agents affected by applied remedial policies as the private non-financial sector in Europe continues to face increased challenges in servicing its debt, with the problem mainly concentrated in several countries in the EU periphery and Eastern Europe. Chapters from expert contributors address reduced investment as firms concentrate on deleveraging and repairing their balance sheets, curtailed consumer spending, depressed collateral values and weak credit creation. They examine effective policies to facilitate private sector debt restructuring which may involve significant upfront costs in terms of time to implement and committed budgetary resources, as well as necessary reforms required to improve the broader institutional framework and judicial capacity. The book also explores the issue of over indebtedness in the household sector, contributing to the literature in establishing best practice principles for household debt.

The high level of nonperforming loans (NPLs) in the Caribbean has been, in large part, a legacy of the global financial crisis, but their persistence owes much to the weak economic recovery in the region, as well as to structural obstacles to their resolution. A comprehensive strategy is needed to address these impediments to sever the adverse feedback loops between weak economic activity and weak asset quality. This paper finds that NPLs are a drag on Caribbean growth and macro-financial links are strong: a deterioration in asset quality hinders bank lending and dampens economic activity, undermining, in turn, efforts to resolve problem loans. A multifaceted approach is needed, involving a combination of macro- economic policies to support growth and employment; strong supervisory frameworks to ensure macro-financial stability and create incentives for resolution; efforts to address informational gaps and deficiencies in insolvency and debt-enforcement frameworks; and development of markets for distressed loans. The institutional capacity constraints require coordination of reforms within the region and support from international organizations through capacity-building.

Sub-Saharan African countries are facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis that is likely to severely hurt credit quality and raise non-performing loans from already high levels. Banks have a critical role to play not only during the crisis by providing temporarily relief to businesses and households, but also during the recovery by supporting economic activity and facilitating the structural transformations engaged by the pandemic.

Corporate credit growth in China has been excessive in recent years. This credit boom is related to the large increase in investment after the Global Financial Crisis. Investment efficiency has fallen and the financial performance of corporates has deteriorated steadily, affecting asset quality in financial institutions. The corporate debt problem should be addressed urgently with a comprehensive strategy. Key elements should include identifying companies in financial difficulties, proactively recognizing losses in the financial system, burden sharing, corporate restructuring and governance reform, hardening budget constraints, and facilitating market entry. A proactive strategy would trade off short-term economic pain for larger longer-term gain.

Financial Soundness Indicators (FSIs) are measures that indicate the current financial health and soundness of a country's financial institutions, and their corporate and household counterparts. FSIs include both aggregated individual institution data and indicators that are representative of the markets in which the financial institutions operate. FSIs are calculated and disseminated for the purpose of supporting macroprudential analysis--the assessment and surveillance of the strengths and vulnerabilities of financial systems--with a view to strengthening financial stability and limiting the likelihood of financial crises. Financial Soundness Indicators: Compilation Guide is intended to give guidance on the concepts, sources, and compilation and dissemination techniques underlying FSIs; to encourage the use and cross-country comparison of these data; and, thereby, to support national and international surveillance of financial systems.

With 2000+ pages of guidance, this important new textbook provides an extensive and in-depth guide to the current labyrinthine regulatory regime relating to consumer and SME credit (by way of cash loans) and protection generally, including the Consumer Protection Code, the Consumer Credit Act (housing loans and non-housing loans), the EU Consumer Credit Regulations, the EU Mortgage Credit Regulations and the Central Bank Housing Loan Regulations. Other lending-related conduct of business requirements are also covered in detail, including the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears, the Lending to SME Regulations, the Code on Related Parties Lending and the Credit Reporting Act, together with applicable EBA/ECB Guidelines dealing with loan origination, product oversight and governance, non-performing exposures/loans and arrears. The regulated activities triggering authorisation as a retail credit firm or credit servicing firm are also addressed in detail. The book additionally extends beyond lending to have application to the wider business of regulated firms in the financial services arena, dealing in detail with issues including the general principles and requirements of the Consumer Protection Code,the fitness and probity regime including the area of minimum competency, distance marketing requirements and other background to the regulatory regime in Ireland including the increased regulatory focus on the culture of regulated firms and product oversight and governance. The available redress/recourse mechanisms are also covered, including the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, the Credit Review Office, the regulatory and other consequences of breach of applicable requirements and the significant risk management area for regulated firms of their customers' statutory right to redress on breach of financial services legislation. In addition, the book has relevance to professionals dealing with consumers in any contractual context including extensive treatment of how the concept of 'consumer' has developed under common law, the unfair commercial practices regime and the increasingly topical area of unfair contract terms legislation. Relevant case law of the Irish courts and other common law jurisdictions, together with an expanding corpus of decisions from the CJEU, are addressed in detail. This book's practical style is designed to assist bankers, other regulated firms, lawyers, compliance professionals and regulators in the application of a complex area. Rather than simply setting out the separate requirements, the book seeks to navigate the at times contradictory legislative and regulatory strands to give (in so far as is possible) a coherent sense of how they integrate. Much of the content is unique and cannot be found in any other publication. An essential addition to the library of every lender, practitioner and compliance and regulatory risk professional, particularly in the areas of consumer and SME credit.

This handbook analyses the European Banking Union legal framework focusing on legislative acts (regulations and directives), case law and the resolution procedures. In addition, it will pay attention to the division of responsibilities between the ECB and the national authorities, with special attention to the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) and the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM). To give a more complete picture, the book will also cover the implementation of European Deposit Insurance Scheme (so called third pillar) still under construction, and appeal to academics, researchers and students of banking and financial law.