Abstract

This article aims at giving a contribution to the issue of protecting bank accounts and deposits by national deposit guarantee schemes through financial assistance interventions of an optional and voluntary nature, instead of the reimbursement of only legally protected deposits in case of bankruptcy of the depository bank. Firstly, we investigate the EU framework for bank crisis resolutions. Specifically, we briefly analyze the EU rules on both prevention and resolution of banking crises pointing out the economic rationale behind the “bail-in” principle, and then identify the characteristics of the third “pillar” of the Banking Union, the EU Deposit Guarantee Schemes. Subsequently, we examine the operating procedures of the Italian Guarantee Scheme (FITD) focusing on the non-required by law interventions carried out by the latter to protect bank accounts and deposits and at the same time prevent or resolve the crises of Italian banks. Finally, some conclusions on the topic at stake will be drawn.

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