BIS Review 160/2009  1  When asked what type of external financing they would prefer to use in order to fund growth opportunities, 70% of SMEs replied that they would apply for a bank loan. Hence, the financing conditions of SMEs are closely linked to the situation of the banking sector, i.e. the lending rates and the availability of credit.
The internationalization of the activities of Greek banking groups, Greece’s entry into the eurozone, and the integration of European financial markets, although generating significant benefits, have also increased the exposure of the Greek financial system to contagion risks.