Romania\u2019s central bank and leading business representatives have moved to defend commercial banks amid allegations by the competition authority that lenders colluded to fix the ROBOR benchmark, potentially exposing them to fines of up to EUR 1 billion, according to statements cited by local media.<\/p>\n
The Romanian Banking Association said its members comply with national legislation governing the calculation of ROBOR and adhere to competition rules, describing such compliance as a \u201cpermanent and priority concern\u201d for the sector, Bursa.ro<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n The dispute centres on accusations that 10 banks may have coordinated to influence the interbank rate, with the effect of increasing borrowing costs for mortgage clients.<\/p>\n National Bank of Romania Governor Mugur Is\u0103rescu intervened in the debate, warning that public discussion around ROBOR is often based on misunderstandings. He said confusion over the benchmark continues to \u201cdisturb public debate\u201d and stressed that the rate reflects actual interbank transactions and quotations.<\/p>\n Is\u0103rescu added that ROBOR plays a key role in transmitting monetary policy into the broader economy, suggesting that its movements are driven by market dynamics rather than coordinated actions by lenders.<\/p>\n Business organisation Concordia also cautioned against the tone of the accusations. Its president, Dan \u0218ucu, said public claims targeting banks risk undermining confidence in the financial system, according to Stirileprotv.ro<\/a>.<\/p>\n Such messaging \u201ccan quickly lead to higher credit prices and delayed investments,\u201d \u0218ucu warned, pointing to potential knock-on effects for the wider economy.<\/p>\n