On Thursday 26 February 2026, the Hellenic Competition Commission (‘HCC’) successfully concluded the teleconference / public consultation organised in the context of its Sector Inquiry into bank deposits, following the publication of its relevant Interim Report (available here, in Greek) in December 2025.

Upon publication of the Interim Report, the HCC invited all interested parties to share their views and comments in writing and/or by participating in the teleconference. The closing date for the submission of written comments is extended to 31 March 2026.

Stakeholders’ input will serve as a useful guide for the preparation of the HCC’s Final Report, which is expected to be published by the end of the year.

The entire discussion, which was livestreamed through the HCC’s website, is available here as well as on YouTube here (in Greek).

The panel leading the discussion, which brought together a large audience, consisted of the HCC’s officials Hara Nikolopoulou, Athanasia Gavala, Ioannis Apostolakis and Eleni Alikanioti, as well as representatives of the competent Supervisory Authority, the domestic banking sector, consumers’ and the academic community: Ioannis Tsikripis, Director General, Prudential Supervision and Resolution of the Bank of Greece, Markos Zachariadis, Professor, Chair of Financial Technology (FinTech) & Information Systems at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS), Charoula Apalagaki, Acting General Manager of the Hellenic Bank Association, Panayota Kalapotharakou, President of the Consumers’ Association “The Quality of Life” (EKPIZO), and Nikolaos Philippas, Chairman at the Hellenic Financial Literacy Institute.

In the context of the public consultation, the HCC presented the findings of the Interim Report of its sector inquiry into Bank Deposits as well as its conclusions and proposals, which are summarised as follows:

• the increase in deposits mainly concerns high-liquidity and low‑yield products;
• the pass‑through of ECB policy rate increases to deposit rates has been limited, delayed, and uneven;
• the opportunity cost of holding bank deposits remains high, encouraging a shift toward alternative investments;
• the structure and characteristics of the Greek banking market do not favor strong competition in deposit interest rates;
• the need for strengthening competition through new market entries and expansions (e.g., Attica/Credia Bank, cooperative banks, Viva Bank), with the aim of exerting pressure for better interest rates;
• the possibility of creating state‑backed savings accounts similar to the French Livret A/LEP model, with government‑set interest rates, as a complementary tool for financing the state budget and enhancing returns for small depositors, subject to assessment of feasibility and fiscal effectiveness;
• developing genuine savings products (e.g., fidelity premiums as in Belgium) that reward capital retention with preferential interest rates, offering a balance between return and flexibility compared to the current situation;
• increasing depositor mobility through better information and interest rate comparison tools (Bank of Greece publications, comparison websites), simplifying/promoting “provider switching,” potential extension to businesses, and long‑term exploration of account number portability at the European level.

The detailed teleconference/public consultation agenda is available here.

More information is available on the dedicated Sector Inquiry webpage here