Decisions on resolution plans for 2026

Press release 19 December 2025

Effective crisis management of banks requires thorough planning. The Swedish National Debt Office has made this year’s decisions on resolution plans for eight systemically important banks, including updated Minimum Requirements for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL).

The Debt Office manages systemically important banks and certain other institutions that have failed, or are at risk of failing, through a special procedure called resolution. The aim of resolution is to preserve critical functions of the financial system and real economy, as well as to mitigate adverse contagion effects so that financial stability can be maintained.

To be able to implement resolution in an effective manner, the Debt Office decides on specific requirements for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) for the eight systemically important banks. MREL is designed so that the banks’ shareholders and creditors – not taxpayers – are to ensure that the bank has sufficient financial resources to continue operating.

In order to fully evaluate the banks’ capacity and capability to support a resolution procedure, we need to transition to testing specific components of the banks.

In 2025, the Debt Office has assessed whether the systemically important banks have the capacity and capability to support a resolution procedure. The assessments have been based on the banks’ own evaluations of their capacity. The banks must also conduct these self-evaluations in accordance with the guidelines on resolvability from the European Banking Authority (EBA).

In the coming years, the Debt Office will transition to testing the banks’ operational capabilities on the basis of the EBA’s guidelines. The tests may, for instance, include determining whether the capability exists to provide information that enables a valuation of the bank, the bank has a suitable communications plan, or whether the services needed for the bank’s operations will continue to function during resolution.

“The systemically important banks’ work to become resolvable continues to be a focus area for the Debt Office. We see progress being made, but further measures are needed. In order to fully evaluate the banks’ capacity and capability to support a resolution procedure, we need to transition to testing specific components of the banks’ resolvability,” says Debt Office Director General Karolina Ekholm.

Banks are to comply with EBA guidelines

The EBA’s guidelines for improving resolvability for institutions and resolution authorities (EBA/GL/2022/01) entered into force on 1 January 2024. These guidelines are a key tool in the Debt Office’s assessment of the banks’ resolvability. Insufficient compliance with the guidelines can be grounds for the Debt Office to determine that there are substantive impediments to resolution.

In 2025, the Debt Office has continued to evaluate the banks’ compliance with these guidelines. Although we have not identified any substantive impediments to resolution, there are nevertheless a number of areas in which further measures are needed in order to strengthen resolvability.