De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)

Mission, strategy and tasks

DNB is committed to a stable financial system: stable prices, solid financial institutions and properly functioning payment transfers. In the fulfilment of all its tasks, DNB puts into practice its mission: working on trust.

Our mission Working on trust

DNB seeks to safeguard financial stability and thus contributes to sustainable prosperity in the Netherlands.

As an independent central bank, supervisory authority and resolution authority, DNB works in tandem with its European partners to achieve:

• price stability and a balanced macroeconomic development in Europe;
• a shock-resilient financial system and a secure, reliable and efficient payment system; and
• strong and sound financial institutions that meet their obligations and commitments.

By issuing independent economic advice, DNB strengthens policies aimed at its primary targets.

Our tasks

Financial stability

DNB is committed to a stable financial system: a system that is resilient and contributes to sustainable economic growth. DNB warns for risks that may harm the financial system as a whole. We also improve the financial system's resilience by demanding that financial institutions reinforce their buffers.

Read more about DNB's commitment to financial stability. 

Monetary stability

The aim of monetary policy is to achieve price stability: an inflation of below, but close to 2%. Price stability provides consumers and investors certainty and that contributes towards sustainable prosperity. The interest rate is the most important instrument to influence price stability. The ECB's Governing Council decides on the interest rate. Chairman Christine Lagarde,  the other members of the ECB's Executive Board and the central bank governors of the euro area, including DNB's Klaas Knot. 

• Read more about DNB, its monetary policy and the policy instruments.
• Read more about the ECB's monetary policy. 
• ECB and the Eurosystem explained in 3 min. 

Payment systems

DNB actively promotes a safe and reliable payment system – in the Netherlands and Europe. We are responsible for putting euro banknotes into circulation and checking them for authenticity, damage and soiling. Improving the accessibility and availability of payment services is also important. DNB is also committed to properly operating payment and securities transactions systems, such as TARGET2.

Read more about DNB and the world of payments.  

Supervision

DNB is committed to a reliable financial system. That is why it supervises banks, pension funds, insurers and other financial institutions. We pay specific attention to the financial position and the quality of the management board. It is important that institutions stick to the agreements with their customers.Supervision reduces the chance that an institution ends up in difficulties, but it is no guarantee.

Read more about DNB's supervision.

Resolution

DNB works together with its European partners on planning and the resolution of banks: the carefully controlled manner of resolving a bank in trouble. DNB is a member of the Single Resolution Board in Brussels, which has a leading role in the resolution of European banks directly under the supervision of the ECB and banks operating in more than one country.

Read more about DNB'scommitmentto the proper resolution of failing banks.  

Other tasks

• Statistics: DNB collects statistical information and compiles statistics in close cooperation with partners such as Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Research: DNB makes economic forecasts and carries out research in the field of its operations.
• Economic advice: DNB gives independent economic advice to the government and is represented on the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) and the Central Economic Commission (CEC).

Our vision and strategy

As the foregoing makes clear, we are committed to financial stability, thus contributing to sustainable prosperity.The speed with which our world is changing means we occasionally have to ask ourselves if we need to explore other avenues to achieve that aim. We therefore formulated a new medium-term strategy in 2019. The strategy consists of six ambitions which we will endeavour to achieve for 2025. For example: by then we intend to have integrated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in all aspects of our activities, and our efforts will have made a recognised contribution to public trust in financial institutions in the Netherlands. Our strategy focuses on change: it does not mention the performance of our regular tasks, which naturally remain as important as ever. Read DNB2025 – DNB Vision and strategy.