On 10 July 2017, the Commission

announced the public consultation on the development of secondary markets for

non-performing loans (NPLs) and distressed assets. Following the commencement

of this public consultation, the Council introduced its Action Plan for NPLs.

As of the end of 2016, the outstanding volume of NPLs in the EU was

EUR 1 trillion. The Council considers a solution for NPLs paramount

to boost bank profitability, remove a lock-up of capital and reduce the risks

for the viability of banks with high NPL ratios. While the Council considers it

the responsibility of each bank to manage its NPL portfolio, certain actions

need to be taken to provide banks with a functioning framework to resolve their

NPL issues. read more...