A total of 2,060 requests were filed, marking the highest six-month figure in the organization’s activity of more than ten years. The second quarter of 2026 also became the first quarter in which more than 1,000 eligible requests were registered, with 1,092 submissions.
The 40% increase compared with the first half of 2025 (1,464 requests) reflects the challenging economic environment both in Romania and internationally, as consumers seek solutions to ease financial pressures caused by the rising cost of living.
In the first six months of 2026, Romanian banks agreed to participate in approximately 400 negotiation procedures, while non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) declined every negotiation request, despite receiving more than 600 applications.
A total of 332 negotiations ended in amicable settlements, representing 91% of all negotiations conducted. The total financial benefits obtained through these settlements approached EUR1 million, with consumers receiving an average benefit of approximately EUR2,700 per successfully resolved dispute.
In addition, 59 court cases were settled after judges or one of the parties recommended resolving the dispute through CSALB. These negotiations, which are free of charge for consumers, typically take around two weeks and are conducted with the assistance of a financial and banking conciliator. Since 2021, more than 880 court disputes have been resolved amicably through CSALB.
Of the requests submitted by the end of the first half of 2026, 1,458 concerned banks, compared with 1,095 during the same period last year. Another 602 requests involved NBFIs, more than 369 in the first half of 2025.
Requests involving NBFIs increased by 63% year-on-year, with their share of total complaints rising from 25% to 29%.
Meanwhile, 202 complaints were resolved directly between consumers and financial institutions following CSALB’s involvement. Banks settled 166 cases directly, while NBFIs resolved 36 cases, compared with 91 and 32 respectively during the same period in 2025.
The number of disputes settled directly by banks has nearly doubled compared with last year, showing that many simpler complaints can be resolved without requiring formal conciliation.
Around 90% of all requests concern loan agreements and include:
– Refunds of fees or interest;
– Reduction of outstanding loan balances;
– Lower monthly installments;
– Cancellation of overdue debts;
– Loan restructuring, refinancing, rescheduling or renegotiation;
– Rebalancing contracts due to unforeseen circumstances;
– Switching from the ROBOR benchmark to IRCC;
– Currency conversion of loans;
– Interest recalculations;
– Removal of certain contractual clauses;
– Credit Bureau record corrections;
– Returning borrowers to repayment schedules after enforcement proceedings;
– Requests to switch to fixed interest rates;
– Issues arising from banking fraud.
The quality of consumer applications has also improved.
Negotiable requests accounted for 84% of all submissions in the first half of 2026, compared with 78% a year earlier and 65% in 2024.
The improvement is largely due to a decline in requests concerning the removal of Credit Bureau records, which cannot be handled through CSALB’s conciliation process and must instead be resolved directly between consumers and financial institutions.
By the end of June, 395 negotiation cases had been opened, compared with 415 during the same period last year. Out of 1,240 negotiable requests submitted to banks, 395 became formal negotiation cases, while none of the 480 negotiable requests addressed to NBFIs were accepted for mediation.
Alexandru Paunescu, representative of the National Bank of Romania on CSALB’s Coordination Board, said the difficult domestic and international economic climate is placing significant financial pressure on Romanian borrowers, adding that rising prices, macroeconomic imbalances, and ongoing international conflicts have prompted more consumers to seek solutions before their financial situation deteriorates further.
According to Paunescu, since 2016, CSALB has facilitated more than 6,400 negotiations, most involving banks, while another 3,000 consumer complaints have been resolved directly by financial institutions after being referred through the center.
Paunescu also criticized NBFIs for their limited willingness to negotiate, noting that they have accepted fewer than 60 mediation requests over the past eight years, although they have shown greater openness to resolving simpler issues directly.
Paunescu pointed out that Romanian banks have significantly improved their approach to customer relations over the past decade, becoming more flexible and willing to negotiate personalized solutions. He added that mediation offers consumers a much faster alternative to lengthy court proceedings, typically resolving disputes within two weeks at no cost, compared with years of litigation.