French bank Natixis has unveiled plans to establish a new business unit specialising in the financing of European commercial real estate transactions through the issue of Pfandbriefe, or covered bonds.

Paris-based Natixis said it has applied to the German regulator BaFin for a licence for its fully-owned arm, Natixis Pfandbriefbank, to be able to issue German Pfandbriefe. The company will focus primarily on the German and French property markets and will count senior executives Henning Rasche and Ralf Wittenbrink among its board members.

Rasche is a former executive of Eurohypo and long-time president of the German Association of Pfandbrief banks while Wittenbrink previously held the position of Executive Manager in charge of Treasury at HSH Nordbank.