The Single Supervisory Mechanism is putting the 25 largest corporate borrowers of the Greek banking system under intensive on-site inspection, according to Greek outlet sbctv.gr. The SSM supervises the four systemic banks.
Concentration in the Greek loan book
Supervisors asked Greek banks for full data on their 25 largest corporate clients, sbctv.gr reported. These clients hold over €32bn of loans out of a total of €94bn.
The 25 borrowers account for about 34% of the business credit portfolio, which sbctv.gr described as a core concentration risk in the event of a European economic crisis.
The SSM is not relying on data submissions alone. It is checking loan contracts, bond loans, guarantees and collateral on site to map the risk profile of each systemic bank, the outlet said.
GEK Terna case and capital buffers
The trigger was the GEK TERNA case, which highlighted the risk of over-leverage at large groups, according to sbctv.gr. Banking circles describe the company as over-leveraged, but it rejects the label, citing its cash reserves.
The supervisory framework caps corporate loans at 20% of tangible equity and requires 60% of the €33bn of tangible capital to be kept free of such risk, sbctv.gr said. The SSM finds Greek banks remain strong on capital and liquidity even in an adverse scenario, but stresses deferred tax of €8bn out of €33bn of tangible capital.
According to the European Central Bank, it will directly supervise 112 significant institutions as of 1 January 2026.