Dutch bank ABN Amro, nationalised after the financial crisis, should start its return to market this year with the sale of up to 30% of its shares, the government there has decided, according to Dutch media.
Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said the first "real chance" of an IPO was in October or November, but it could be delayed until 2016, De Telegraaf reported.
The sale of the first tranche was likely to raise between €3bn-€4.5bn, which would be spent on paying down the national debt, the newspaper added.
The decision paves the way for one of the largest bank flotations in years - ABN Amro had a book value of €14.9bn at the end of 2014 - and marks a milestone in Europe's long recovery from the financial crisis of 2008.
