Euro area banks tightened lending standards for businesses and consumer credit in the third quarter of 2026, while demand for business and housing loans fell , as higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and weaker confidence weighed on borrowing, according to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) latest bank lending survey. The ECB’s October survey also found that banks faced worsening access to several funding sources, while the impact of digital assets on their business strategies was expected to become increasingly positive over the next 12 months.
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