Press Release
- 24 November 2023
Highlights from the EBF board
European Banks call for developing a shared vision for the financial sector to preserve Europe’s competitiveness
- 3 November 2023
The Hellenic Bank Association, following its Press Release published on 10 October 2023 regarding the common interbank questionnaires for the reception of the ESG criteria by the Greek companies, would like to clarify the following
1. In the context of their transactional relationship with companies/clients, HBA member banks, which participate in this specific interbank initiative (ESGr / Common Interbank ESG Questionnaire Initiative), may have already sent, on an individual basis, their own questionnaires through the ESGr platform, as part of their end-to-end technical assessments/tests.
2. It should be noted, however, that the completion of such questionnaires does not replace the need to complete the commonly accepted interbank ESG questionnaire, which has resulted from the interbank initiative mentioned above and it is sent by a special link.
3. In addition, for the needs of completing the common interbank ESG questionnaire, companies are requested to create specific credentials for the interbank initiative, which are related to the process of completing this, whilst noting that the initial credentials obtained in the context of technical assessments/tests have been deleted.
4. Finally, we would like to assure you that the completion of the common interbank ESG questionnaire will be required to be done only once a year and your answers will be sent through the ESGr platform to all the banks you are in business with.
- 10 October 2023
Common Interbank questionnaires for the reception of the ESG criteria by the Greek companies
Sustainable development and the addressing of climate change’s risks constitute currently two of the most important challenges, both for business activities and society in general, and require the definition of long-term goals, as well as a systematic and multilateral, at national, European and international level, cooperation in order to be addressed.
The environmental and climate change crisis and the need for transparent corporate processes are raising the companies’ awareness to integrate ESG criteria (environment, society, governance) in their internal business processes.
The ESG criteria assess the footprint of companies on the environment and on society as well their response to the corporate governance principles. Their adoption and integration helps companies’ profitability and financial performance on multiple levels, enhancing their attractiveness towards investors, whilst at the same time protecting them against related risks.
- 22 March 2023
European Money Week 2023 – Sixth Hellenic Competition on Money EMQ 2023 – Greece
The Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) participates for a ninth consecutive year with relevant activities in the "European Money Week" of the European Banking Federation and "Global Money Week" of OECD.
In this context, the sixth National Competition of the European Money Quiz was successfully completed on March 21th. The competition was conducted online among 173 classes from 34 Gymnasiums and 34 High Schools in Greece, coming from Achaia, Aitoloakarnanía, Arcadia, Attica, Chania Crete, Cyclades, Fokida, Heraklion Crete, Ilia, Kavala, Kozani, Larissa, Lasithi Crete, Lesvos, Magnesia, Pella, Phthiotida, Rhodope, Thessaloniki and Voiotia.
- 25 May 2022
Highlights from the EBF board
Stepping up to challenges, building a resilient Europe
The EU has faced two black swan events in the past years: the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. During the Covid crisis, banks helped families and businesses navigate the unexpected and proved to be solid and reliable partners for Europe’s regulators and authorities. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now triggered a devastating humanitarian crisis and ushered in a new economic and geopolitical reality. The aftershocks of Russia’s attack continue to reverberate across Europe and the world, including the banking community.
Looking to the future, the situation will remain challenging. According to the latest forecast by the European Commission, growth in the EU economy will be lower, and inflation higher. Now more than ever, our focus must be on building a resilient economy that serves all businesses and people. To help finance this, banks need a future-focused regulatory framework and rules based on a clear, long-term vision that serves the needs of European citizens and economy.