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Cyprus Central Bank To Raise Countercyclical Buffer Rate To 1.5% Amid Rising Systemic Risks

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 15, 2025

The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) has announced plans to raise the countercyclical buffer rate (CCyB) from 1% to 1.5%, with the change set to take effect on 14 January 2026. The decision, disclosed on 10 January 2025, aims to strengthen the resilience of the banking sector in light of growing systemic risks.

The CCyB is a regulatory tool that requires banks to maintain additional capital during periods of heightened economic risk. This buffer helps absorb potential losses, ensuring financial stability and the continuous flow of credit to the economy during times of stress.

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Rising Risks Prompt Policy Action

The CBC’s quarterly assessment identified an uptick in systemic risks, driven by geopolitical developments, economic turbulence, and potential tail events in the global economy. Factors contributing to this heightened risk include:

Escalation of the Middle East conflict.
Continued globalization of the war in Ukraine.
Growing protectionist measures led to new trade restrictions.

These risks, according to the CBC, threaten the domestic macroeconomic environment and, by extension, the stability of the banking sector.

Broader Concerns At The EU Level

The CBC’s decision aligns with concerns raised by European institutions.

The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) highlighted in its December 2024 press release the need for enhanced resilience across the EU financial system amid heightened political uncertainty and geopolitical tensions.
The European Central Bank (ECB), in its Financial Stability Review, stressed the importance of ensuring banks maintain sufficient capacity to absorb losses during periods of economic stress.

Enhancing Resilience Through Increased Buffers

By raising the CCyB rate to 1.5%, the CBC aims to channel a portion of bank profits towards creating a larger buffer of loss-absorbing capital. This measure is intended to:

Strengthen the ability of banks to withstand potential crises.
Ensure the uninterrupted flow of credit to the real economy, even in times of economic stress.

The CBC emphasized that the previous rate of 1% was insufficient given the prevailing risk landscape and that the increased buffer will enhance the banking sector’s capacity to navigate future challenges.

This proactive adjustment reflects a broader commitment to safeguarding financial stability in Cyprus while aligning with EU-wide efforts to reinforce the financial system’s resilience.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.