Press release

The European Covered Bond Council (ECBC) is pleased to announce that its 34^th Plenary Meeting and related events will take place in Reykjavík, Iceland between 14-17 May 2024.

These events are being organised with the kind support of the Icelandic covered bond community, Arion banki , Íslandsbanki hf, Landsbankinn hf and in collaboration with Euromoney Conferences.

Recognising the interconnectedness of global financial markets, ECBC Plenaries are the Aula Magna for fostering dialogue and collaboration among jurisdictions, key elements to drive a resilient and well-functioning financial system.

The ECBC has long striven to support the global expansion of covered bond markets through the promotion of market best practices, an objective given renewed impetus by the transposition of the EU Covered Bond Directive over recent months, which will, among other elements, define a pathway for third country equivalence. In this context, the first meeting of the international covered bond community in Reykjavík next May will broaden the dialogue between global issuers and investors and open up further cross-border and sustainability-oriented investment opportunities.

Tradition goes together with continuous innovation, in the spirit of maximising the synergies between issuers, investors and SMEs to deliver the best digital innovation and market solutions. To this end, the 3^rd Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative (EEMI) Sustainability & Digitalisation Pavilion will be organised in parallel to the 34^th ECBC Plenary Meeting. The Pavilions represent a concrete action towards building a new EEMI Ecosystem bringing together start-ups, lending institutions, issuers, investors and public authorities from across Europe and beyond to showcase and brainstorm on smart digital and sustainable solutions focused on scaling-up the financing of the climate transition.

The Provisional Programme of Events and the Draft Agenda for the 34^th Plenary Meeting will be published via the ECBC website shortly.

Registrations for the 34^th Plenary Meeting are now open and can be accessed here.

Commenting on this development, Luca Bertalot, EMF-ECBC Secretary General said:

“The ECBC is honoured to be leading the covered bond community to Reykjavík. Geographically and figuratively, Iceland represents a meeting point for the most traditional European covered bond markets and the newer global ones. The 34^th Plenary Meeting will look to both reinforce the existing links between these markets and encourage others to join the community and open a new cycle in the covered bond space.”

Commenting on this, Ólafur Höskuldsson, CFO of Arion banki hf, Jón Ómarsson, CFO of Íslandsbanki hf and Hreiðar Bjarnason, CFO of Landsbankinn hf stated:

“We are delighted to welcome delegates to the ECBC 2024 Plenary meeting in Reykjavík next May. We hope that you will find Iceland to be an inspiring backdrop for the community to discuss the latest issues surrounding this vital market. The fact that this meeting is taking place in Iceland for the first time is a recognition of the country´s arrival in the broader European covered bond market – the three principal mortgage-lending banks in the country have debuted Euro-denominated covered bonds over the past two years. We trust that your time in Reykjavík will engage you and we look forward to meeting you in May.”