13 February, Bucharest. In 2024, banks agreed to enter into 1,077 negotiations with consumers following requests submitted to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center for Banking (CSALB). Compared to the first year of negotiations between consumers and banks (2016), last year saw a 23-fold increase in banks’ willingness to find a solution together with CSALB conciliators to resolve financial service-related issues raised by consumers.

Between 2016 and 2024, approximately 4,300 negotiations between consumers and banks concluded with a mutual agreement. In 2024, banks accepted 1,077 negotiations, while non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) turned only one request into a conciliation case. Last year, 989 negotiations resulted in an agreement, while in 65 cases, the parties could not reach a settlement. The conciliation success rate reached 94%, the highest in CSALB’s history.

While the number of negotiations at CSALB has increased, the number of direct resolutions has steadily declined over the past three years. Last year, 301 requests sent to CSALB were resolved without the intervention of a conciliator, compared to 555 in 2023 and 592 in 2022. These cases were settled directly by financial institutions after being reported to CSALB. The decline in direct resolutions may be attributed to increasing case complexity, requiring a conciliator’s intervention, as well as greater openness from banks to negotiate through a third party.

Between 2016 and 2024, 18,300 requests were submitted to CSALB by consumers facing difficulties in repaying loans or having disputes with banks and NBFIs. These cases involved loan non-repayment issues, financial hardships caused by social and family problems, ongoing lawsuits with banks, etc.

For the first time, the number of requests exceeded 3,500 per year. Compared to 2016, the number of requests in 2024 was 15 times higher. Of the 3,568 requests, 2,644 were directed to banks, and 924 to NBFIs. Additionally, six legal entities submitted requests to banks, resulting in five conciliation cases.

What the parties achieved: a short problem-solving timeframe, with an average of 15 days, and an average negotiation outcome of 3,000 euros.

What the parties achieved: a short problem-solving timeframe, with an average of 15 days, and an average negotiation outcome of 3,000 euros.

By law, a negotiation between a consumer and a bank should last around 90 days, but in 2024, the average resolution time dropped to 15 days, benefiting both parties. Camelia Popa had the fastest resolution time among CSALB conciliators, with an average of 10 days from the bank’s acceptance of the case to the agreement on the proposed solution.

Top Conciliators in 2024:

• Camelia Popa – 88 cases
• Roxana Mustățea – 83 cases
• Alexandru Ambrozie – 81 cases
• Septimiu Stoica – 80 cases
• Mircea Stroe – 80 cases

Some of the fastest agreements were finalized in just one day (85 cases) or two days (113 cases), while 23 complex negotiations lasted more than 90 days.

The total amount obtained by consumers in negotiations with banks between 2016 and 2024 reached €14.3 million. The average settlement amount in 2024 was just over €3,000, down from €5,000 in 2023, aligning with 2020 levels (€3,320).

• 61% of negotiations resulted in settlements between €1,000 and €10,000.
• The share of small settlements (€1 to €1,000) increased to 35% after four years of decline.
• Large settlements (over €10,000) accounted for 4% of cases, continuing a downward trend.

Alexandru Păunescu, representative of the National Bank of Romania in CSALB’s Coordination Board, stated:

“In 2024, CSALB recorded its best performance since its inception. For the first time, over 1,000 negotiations were conducted in a year, and the number of consumer requests exceeded 3,000. Among these, six requests came from legal entities, seeking resolutions for payment-related issues with banks.

Since 2020, CSALB has had the authority to resolve disputes related to payments and e-money issuance for businesses. In early 2025, 450 consumer requests were submitted, 100 more than in the same period last year, leading to 60 ongoing negotiation cases.

From March 1, CSALB will enter its 10th year of operation. The most significant achievement in this decade is that amicable dispute resolution has become a recognized model in Romanian society. Before CSALB, consumers lacked a professional, fast, and free alternative to court litigation.

The Conciliators’ Body has played a crucial role in balancing consumer-bank relations. Since negotiation outcomes are proposed by financial experts, trust in the conciliation process has grown, helping maintain contractual relationships to the benefit of both parties.

Alternative resolution also applies to cases already in court. At the end of 2024, 167 ongoing lawsuits were resolved amicably through CSALB, bringing the total number of court cases settled via conciliation to 670 between 2021-2024.

The role of banks and judges is vital in court cases that ultimately settle out of court. Therefore, we urge banks and judges to prioritize alternative resolution, which takes about one month, compared to several years in litigation.

Despite the decrease in average settlement amounts, 94% of negotiations ended with an agreement, showing that consumers are more willing to resolve disputes through conciliation rather than focusing on obtaining large financial compensations. Consequently, cases with benefits over €10,000 have dropped to 4%, while mid-range settlements (€1,000-€10,000) now account for over 60% of total negotiations.”

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About CSALB: CSALB was established following a European Directive and offers free mediation for consumers in less than three months to negotiate with banks or NBFIs on ongoing contracts. Consumers from any county in Romania can submit requests to CSALB by filling out an online form at www.csalb.ro.

If a bank accepts conciliation, a conciliator is assigned. CSALB works with 16 expert conciliators, all top legal and financial specialists. The amicable agreement reached has the same legal force as a court ruling.