European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) members are standing in solidarity with people in need in Ukraine by waiving fees on bank transfers to the country already or taking steps towards doing it in the near future.
“Social responsibility is in our members’ DNA. This is why I’ve asked our members to bring financial resources at no cost to people in Ukraine during these difficult times”, said ESBG president Dominique Goursolle-Nouhaud.
The ESBG president has communicated about this topic with all 23 members, who represent over 850 banks in 18 European countries serving more than 160 million customers.
“It is a clear signal of solidarity that many ESBG members have been already waiving fees on bank transfers to Ukraine and others are taking steps towards doing it. Our thoughts are first and foremost with the Ukrainian people and these members are willing to leave profits aside to help”, said Goursolle-Nouhaud.
This meets the intention of a recent call by the European Central Bank (ECB). On 18 March, Andrea Enria, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the ECB, addressed a letter to ESBG and other main EU banking associations asking to suspend or reduce, on a voluntary basis, transaction costs for bank transfers to Ukraine and Moldova. The latter is considered the country for which the intake of refugees is most challenging. The letter followed a recommendation by Members of the European Parliament.
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About ESBG
The European Savings Banking Group has 23 members in 18 countries. As some of its members are national organisations, ESBG represents the interests of over 850 banks working responsibly and closely with their communities and SMEs. Together, ESBG members manage assets worth €5,700 billion, serve 162 million Europeans and employ nearly 660,000 people. ESBG is headquartered in Brussels.
