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Sweden’s Borg dismisses EU bank supervision plan

Sweden's finance minister Anders Borg rejected plans to place all eurozone lenders under the supervision of the ECB at a meeting of top EU officials on Saturday.

Sweden's Borg dismisses EU bank supervision plan
Anders Borg, right, talks prior to the ECOFIN meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Sweden is a member of the EU although not the eurozone, and Borg said that “long and tough” negotiations lie ahead with “a large number of countries that are not members of the eurozone” deeming the proposal “unacceptable.”

Borg said that EU treaty guarantees of independence for the Frankfurt-based ECB — which he said would mean it was not bound by EBA mediation in case of disputes — meant there was much work to be done “before we are anywhere close to any compromise”.

“We cannot accept that the money of Swedish taxpayers is used to bail out foreign banks,” he said.

“The whole idea that we would be under the supervision of an institution where we have no voting rights, where (spending decisions on) our taxpayers’ money could depend on decisions taken by an institution where we have no influence, is completely unacceptable.”

He said these were “red lines” for opponents.

The plan, which has been hailed as a cornerstone of future political union, appeared doomed after two days of talks in Cyprus, which drove a fresh wedge between the 17 eurozone partners and the other 10 European Union states.

The plan, unveiled by EU banking commissioner Michel Barnier, thus looks set to miss the deadline for implementation due to EU treaty restrictions as opposition grew.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said it became immediately clear

during a feisty debate that the target-date for adoption of January 1, 2013,

was no longer attainable.

“January 1st, that will not be possible,” Schaeuble said, adding that it was “not even worth having that discussion.”

The nub of the breakdown was what Barnier called a “juridical problem.”

“We are going to continue working to improve the relationship when it comes to voting on the supervisory council for non-eurozone countries who want to be covered by the mechanism,” Barnier pledged.

He underlined that non-euro countries could choose to opt in or out, although he stressed that regulations would be designed to function across the full European single market, which includes all 10 non-eurozone states.

In Barnier’s proposal as unveiled earlier in the week, the supervisory council was to be composed of ECB and eurozone figures only.

European Central Bank deputy head Victor Constancio said the ECB would decide alone whether and how to grant voting rights and influence to non-euro countries brought into the new supervisory regime, given EU treaty guarantees of independence.

Asked if a treaty change may be required, a spokesperson for the Cypriot EU presidency said: “There is a chance.”

The lengthening list of problems — so much so that Britain’s George Osborne did not even speak out publicly on London’s own reservations — leave Barnier with a mountain to climb to meet the goal set for him by EU leaders at a June summit of installing new European-level supervision by January 1st, 2013.

Barnier’s proposal requires unanimity among the 27 EU states, at least a sustained attempt over a lengthy period of listening under EU lawmaking rules.

Seen by leaders as the first step towards full economic and political union, the “banking union”, agreed to as the way out of structural problems highlighted by the debt crisis, is in turn designed to draw in non-euro countries — all but two of which are treaty-bound to move to the euro over time.

The plans already faced other obstacles including a German-expressed need to establish a related resolution fund for winding down broken banks, and the role of the London-based European Banking Authority (EBA) — itself created out of the financial crisis.

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Readers’ tips: How to find the best bank for foreigners in Sweden

The Local asked its readers to share their tips about which bank offers the best account for foreigners living in Sweden. Here's what they had to say.

Readers' tips: How to find the best bank for foreigners in Sweden

Which bank offers the best option for foreigners in Sweden?

More than 180 readers responded to The Local’s non-scientific survey, and we got a wide range of replies.

No bank received a majority of votes, but Handelsbanken generally seemed to be the most popular (it was the preferred option by just over a fifth of readers), followed by Nordea, SEB and Swedbank – in other words some of Sweden’s main banks.

However, these banks got a relatively equal number of votes, and they were also frequently mentioned when readers were asked which banks they would recommend against using, so all in all, the survey didn’t produce a conclusive result.

We got the strong impression from reading all the responses that it may matter more which branch you use than the bank itself, as people’s experiences varied greatly even with the same company.

What makes a bank good for foreigners in Sweden?

It depends on what stage of the “moving to Sweden” process you’re at. If you’ve just arrived, you may be looking for a bank that’s happy to set up an account for you without a personnummer, the Swedish personal identity number which gives you access to a range of services.

If you’re buying an apartment, a bank that’s willing to give a mortgage to people without permanent residency or who don’t require a long Swedish credit history may be the best option for you.

If you’ve lived in Sweden for many years, those things may not matter as much any more and things like customer service, ease of online banking and interest rates may be more important.

Features that generally made readers like their bank included good customer service, convenient international money transfers, online services fully available in English and staff being willing to speak English to customers, cheap rates and, more than anything, being able to set up a bank account without having a Swedish personal identity number.

Conversely, many readers were put off by things such as invasive questions, perceived rudeness or discrimination due to not speaking Swedish, difficulties getting an account despite being eligible, long waiting times for an appointment, and a lack of any of the above services.

What are the need-to-know tips about banking in Sweden?

Although in theory you have the right to set up at least a debit account without a personnummer, it still tends to be the main stumbling block for newcomers. To spare yourself the hassle of negotiating with bank staff who may not be used to dealing with foreigners, several readers suggested waiting until you have one, if you can.

“Be prepared for a world of complications if you don’t have a personnummer yet. If you moved for work, ask your work HR person to help get you a coordination number, which can be used to open a bank account (even though sometimes the banks themselves are unfamiliar with this concept if they don’t work with many foreigners),” said Abigail, an American PhD student in Stockholm.

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Lowering your expectations and starting with a basic account without requesting a credit card or a mortgage right away, may help you get a foot through the door.

“All banks in Sweden are in for business. Contact the bank’s helpline and fix an appointment and walk in. There’s a misconception about banks in Sweden that you cannot get a bank account if you don’t have a job. Banks are very cooperative with opening accounts. There could be arguments when getting credit cards or loans, but for daily transactions they’re very cooperative,” said an Indian reader, now a permanent resident, who set up his SEB account without a personnummer.

Many readers also said knowing your rights and being prepared before walking in helps – and if possible, try to get an appointment to meet someone face to face rather than calling or emailing.

“Have every possible piece of documentation before you enter the service branch and maybe a printout of your rights entitling you to a bank account. I’m a non-EU citizen, I think this record abundance was crucial to my quick success,” said a US citizen in Malmö who was able to get his account and BankID on the same day as walking into one of Nordea’s service branches.

“Always be extremely clear and direct about your intentions with the bank. If you’re failing to make progress over the phones or via email, drop in to a physical location. I’ve discovered employees at many smaller or more rural branches are much more willing to help if I’ve been ignored at their central downtown branches or can’t resolve issues over the phone,” said Theodore Squires, a PhD student who said Nordea was unwilling to set up an account before he had his personnummer, but on the other hand gave him a mortgage despite limited tax history and a complex salary set-up.

Don’t be afraid to shop around, and there’s always the option of changing banks further down the road – perhaps start with one that is liberal with offering accounts to foreigners without a personnummer and, once you’re in the system, change to one that better suits your long-term needs.

“Nordea was a disorganised mess while I awaited my personal number and ID. It introduced me to the low quality bar for customer service in general in Sverige. I switched to SEB after I got my ID and staff were much more willing to help me get started in the country,” said Jeremiah from the US.

Some readers recommended online-only neobanks such as Revolut, as good options for a first account, as it’s often easy to set up an account with them and transfer money internationally.

But bureaucratic nightmares and long waits for an appointment notwithstanding, many readers urged fellow newcomers to Sweden to play the long game if your plans are to stay in the country.

“I could never get a credit card until my first year’s tax return was complete. Advice, if possible try wait for a year before trying to get credit. If rejected it just brings your credit score down and no one tells you it’s because they cannot see your income until after your first tax return is complete,” said Clifford, an IT consultant from South Africa.

“Be patient and endure. Like with many other aspects of life in Sweden,” said Dusan, a university lecturer.

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