21 December 2018

ECA´s report on Single Resolution Board’s, European Commission’s and Council’s contingent liabilities

The SRB and the Commission should continuously assess their financial risks and accounting thereof, arising from contingent liabilities related to bank-resolution lawsuits as from their 2018 accounts, according to a new report by the ECA.

The ECA reviewed the possible obligations of the SRB, EC and Council arising from pending litigation against their actions in resolving failing or likely-to-fail banks in the euro area. They call for improved management of financial risks deriving from these litigation since the number of court cases could increase further.

When a bank in the euro area fails, the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) aims to manage its resolution with no negative impact on the economy or the taxpayer. Under this mechanism, the SRB is the resolution authority for all the major banks in the euro area and smaller cross-border banking groups.

In June 2017, the SRB took its first decision, regarding the resolution of Banco Popular. By May 2018, 103 legal cases had been brought before the General Court of the EU against this decision, with 30 cases also being filed against the Commission and one against the Council. In accounting terms, any possible future payment that may be due because of these legal cases must be disclosed as a “contingent liability”, unless its probability is assessed as remote.

The auditors acknowledge that the SRB correctly disclosed information about the nature and timeframe of pending litigation. They note, however, that the SRB was not in a position to predict their possible consequences, as it was difficult to predict the outcome of these cases at this stage due to the complex, specific and unprecedented legal system created by the new resolution legal framework. They also warn that more litigation may arise over the next few years.

Full press release

Full report

© ECA PRESS