"We need a stabler financial architecture, and we need one worldwide because a global crisis on international markets calls for the same rules for all market participants everywhere," said Andreas Schmitz, President of the Association of German Banks, at the press conference following the meeting of the Association's Board of Directors. more ...

“America and Europe should set a good example when it comes to reforming financial market regulation,” said Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks, on the occasion of today’s meeting between the European Commission and the US government in the Transatlantic Economic Council. “It is especially important for the rules governing the major financial markets to be coordinated with one another.” more ...

More than 2,600 European banks will be in at the launch of the European direct debit on 2 November 2009. "In Germany, almost all the private banks which offer their clients payment services will take part," Hans-Joachim Massenberg, Deputy General Manager of the Association of German Banks, announced in Berlin. In one year's time at the latest, when legislation takes effect, they will have been joined by all the banks. more ...
SEPA Booklet

"Young people want to know how the economy works," said Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks, when presenting the 2009 Youth Survey - Economic Literacy and Financial Culture. The Association's survey showed that three-quarters of the teenagers and young adults interviewed were interested in economic matters and around 80 % would like to see economics taught at school as a subject in its own right. "This is a remarkable result. It shows us that young people see an economic education as a basic skill they need for their future," Mr Weber told journalists. more ...
Statement - Youth Survey 2009 [PDF - 91 KB]
Economics for the classroom [PDF]

“The Association of German Banks is fully committed to Basel II, even if a few points need to be adjusted. There is no alternative to a risk-sensitive capital adequacy framework. We therefore firmly reject calling into question or suspending Basel II,” Hans-Joachim Massenberg, Deputy General Manager of the Association of German Banks, told journalists in Frankfurt. more ...

“The European Commission’s latest changes to the Capital Requirements Directive are to be supported in principle, but the exact timing of the new rules needs to be considered very carefully,” said Hans-Joachim Massenberg, Deputy General Manager of the Association of German Banks. more ...

“In the coming months the Swedish government faces the task of successfully carrying on numerous measures to fight the economic and financial crisis at EU level,” Prof. Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks, said today as Sweden took over the EU Presidency. more ...

"The reorganisation of financial supervision sought by the European Commission is a major step forward towards a European supervisory architecture," said Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks. more ...

“Investor confidence in the banking system has been damaged by the financial crisis. Past mistakes must now be corrected,” stated Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks. The association's guidelines on enhancing investor confidence, released today, set standards for retail investment banking and aimed at helping to win back consumer trust. more ...

The Association of German Banks welcomes the European Parliament's adoption of the revised Capital Requirements Directive (CRD). “The EU's swift response is a major step towards strengthening the European financial system,” Hans-Joachim Massenberg, Deputy Chief Executive of the Association, said. The amended CRD helped to make banks more resistant to future crises. more ...

"The European direct debit is coming. From November, consumers and businesses throughout Europe will have at their disposal the same convenient means of payment as those we know in Germany", Hans-Joachim Massenberg, Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks, said in Berlin. more ...

“The German private banks welcome the call for closer cooperation between EU supervisors and for stronger links between macroeconomic analysis and financial market regulation,” said Manfred Weber, Chief Executive of the Association of German Banks, on the occasion of today's release of the report by a working group headed by Jacques de Larosière. “But this should not be the end of the story. We would have liked to see the high-level group advocate a transfer of competences between supervisors when it comes to supervising banks operating across the EU.” This would do much to improve supervision at group level and ease the burden on companies, in the association's view. more ...