OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings says in a new report that the important policy roles of the 11 rated EU development banks mean that state sponsorship will continue and business opportunities will grow in most cases, particularly in backing commercial banks' financing of long-term asset and project financing and lending to small and medium-sized companies.

The development banks vary greatly in size and roles. Activities range from pure export financing to providing a wide range of funding for business development and long-term project financing.

Because of the banks' important policy roles, among other factors, we do not expect development banks to be affected by the Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) for banks in banking union countries or the EU Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD). While Bulgarian Development Bank and some German development banks are formally subject to EU banking directives including BRRD, we do not expect that resolution would be applied to these banks in practice in case of failure. This is also because development banks do not engage in businesses where they are competing with private sector banks and because of their guarantee structures, which have been reviewed by the European Commission.

The funding and capital benefits of continued state sponsorship present Europe's development banks with opportunities to expand long-term financing, while for commercial banks increased regulatory capital and liquidity requirements are making long-term lending less viable without the backing of development bank funds.

Most development banks' ratings are based on the explicit support of their sovereign or, in the case of the three rated German state development banks, federal state owners, which can take the form of statutory or contractual guarantees for liabilities or assets. The 11 EU development banks' ratings were last affirmed in May 2015.

Although profit maximisation is not their main goal given their policy roles, the rated development banks are generally profitable. Because of their link to the public sector, their ability to access liquidity in times of stress is high. Low risk-weightings on the bulk of assets result in high regulatory capital ratios based on risk-weighted assets.