ECB stress tests tougher this year (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, July 26 - The European Central Bank (ECB) said Tuesday its latest stress tests on 51 European banks inlcuding a number of Italian ones were tougher than in the past, evoking hard recession scenarios. "The methodology we used was stricter than in previous stress tests, and the adverse scenario posited a serious economic decline," said ECB Director General for Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability Sergio Nicoletti Altimari. The results will be published late on Friday.
    The stress tests are "not an exercise with some passing and others failing and don't automatically imply a request for more capital," said ECB banking oversight official Korbinian Ibel.