Banking sector overview | Banking today and tomorrow | July 2025

1 July 2025 | Banking today and tomorrow, Knowledge, News

Polish government and European Commission defend WIBOR

At the hearing before the CJEU, the European Commission and the Polish government took a clear stance:

WIBOR is not subject to verification of compliance with the Consumer Directive (93/13), and consumers were not misled at any stage.
The bank fulfilled its obligation to inform customers, as required by EU regulations. There are no grounds for disclosing the technical method used to provide the benchmark.
The WIBOR benchmark complies with EU and national legislation. It is a critical benchmark subject to enhanced regulatory oversight, in line with the BMR Regulation.
The borrower’s attorney explicitly stated that the client did not question the compliance of WIBOR with national and EU law, did not allege that the methodology for determining its value was flawed, and did not, in principle, question its use in variable-rate agreements.

A new tax has been proposed. The ZBP President says it’s pure populism

The banking sector is under attack on two fronts: the finance minister wants to tax interest on reserve balances, and the Polska 2050 coalition party is proposing a levy on ‘excess profits’. Tadeusz Białek, President of the Polish Bank Association (ZBP) has warned that such measures are populist and could destroy trust in the financial market.

Source: Money.pl

Banks are focusing on ‘green’ entrepreneurs. Are they more willing to finance such investments?

The sustainable finance market is growing. Banks are developing green financial instruments for entrepreneurs and other institutions to use for financing investments in various ESG areas. These include green bonds and loans linked to specific climate targets. One area that companies want to finance in the context of ESG is the circular economy, which involves closing the product cycle loop in accordance with the reduce, reuse and recycle principles.

Source: Bankier.pl

Banking law: ESG requirements mandatory in internal strategies

The Ministry of Finance has prepared an amendment to the Banking Law and certain other acts. The purpose of the amendment is to align national legislation with EU regulations on capital requirements for financial institutions — the so-called CRD VI/CRR III package. The Government Legislation Centre has published the text of the amendment.

Source: Prawo.pl

New accessibility rules for banks. “This will be a process, but all customers will benefit.”

Polish companies must ensure their services are accessible and functional, and engage the senses of hearing and sight. These requirements will come into force on 28 June. They will largely affect banks and payment institutions. Although the changes are primarily aimed at improving things for people with special needs — not just those with disabilities — experts argue that, given their scope, they will benefit all customers.

Source: Business Insider

Banks under pressure from compensation law firms

The dispute over CHF mortgage loans has been ongoing for 10 years, with new issues continuing to arise. Now the question is increasingly being asked whether other areas of the retail credit market, which are also being challenged by compensation law firms, could generate risks comparable to those relating to CHF mortgage borrowers.

Source: Bank.pl

CJEU hearing on WIBOR scheduled for 11 June, ruling still pending

The banking sector and the Polish government are defending the WIBOR benchmark in connection with the upcoming case before the Court of Justice of the European Union (case C-471/24). No judgment will be handed down at the hearing on 11 June; it will only be a hearing of the parties involved. We may have to wait up to a year for a decision.

Source: Interia

5th Ranking of financial institutions promoting professional and social equality for LGBT+ people

This is the fifth edition of the Ranking of financial institutions promoting professional and social equality for LGBT+ people, which is part of the Cashless for Equality project. Every year, we send surveys to banks, insurers, payment organisations, terminal operators and others in the financial industry, asking about the measures they take to support LGBT+ employees, their partners and the wider community in Poland. Each good practice is rewarded with points. If an institution meets all the criteria, it can receive a total of 100 points. Points are only awarded for measures that concern companies’ and corporations’ local organisational structures.

Source: Cashless.pl

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Banking sector overview | Banking today and tomorrow | October 2025

According to estimates by the Polish Bank Association (ZBP), the last four months of 2025 may bring banks operating in Poland another PLN 10 billion in profits. This would set a new record, probably marking the last such good year. Forecasts for 2026 suggest that bank profits will decline to PLN 35 billion.

The Polish energy sector. It’s time to build an ecosystem, not put out fires

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