EBA LAUNCHES 2020 EU-WIDE STRESS TEST EXERCISE

The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today (31/01/2020) the 2020 EU-wide stress test, the fifth exercise since its establishment, and released the macroeconomic scenarios. The adverse scenario follows for the first time a ‘lower for longer’ narrative, a recession coupled with low or negative interest rates for a prolonged period. The EU real GDP would decline by 4.3% cumulatively by 2022, resulting in the most severe scenario to date. The EBA expects to publish the results of the exercise by 31 July 2020.