Press releases

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its updated questionnaires used for the assessment of regulatory and supervisory frameworks of third countries, to reflect certain provisions recently introduced by the revised prudential regulation in the EU.

​​​​​​​The European Banking Authority (EBA), in agreement with the European Commission, is adjusting the Single Rulebook Q&A process to ensure that questions are answered efficiently and within a reasonable time. In addition to these adjustments, other measures are taken to overcome a backlog of older questions received through the Q&A tool prior to 1 January 2020 when the Q&A process was updated as part of the last ESAs Review.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today an Opinion on the amendments proposed by the European Commission as regards the EBA final draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) specifying the methodology for calculating the fixed overheads requirements for investment firms in the context of the implementation of the Investment Firms Regulation (IFR). Despite having  identified a substantive change in the Commission’s version of the RTS, the EBA considers the amendments continue to strike a good balance between the flexibility and risk sensitivity required for the calculation of the fixed overheads requirement and the need for a harmonised regulatory framework.

The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA) published today a joint report in response to the European Commission’s February 2021 Call for Advice on Digital Finance. The proposals that were put forward aim at maintaining a high level of consumer protection and addressing risks arising from the transformation of value chains, platformisation and the emergence of new ‘mixed-activity groups’ i.e. groups combining financial and non-financial activities.

The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) – EBA, EIOPA and ESMA, held their first joint high-level conference on financial education and literacy on 1 and 2 February 2022. The conference gathered high-level government representatives as well as experts from public authorities, academia, NGOs, consumer associations and the industry to raise awareness of this important topic. It also offered a forum to share ideas and best practices and to gather input from all the stakeholders on how to tackle future challenges.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its final draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on the list of countries with an advanced economy for calculating the equity risk under the alternative standardised approach (FRTB-SA). These RTS are part of the phase 3 deliverables of the EBA roadmap for the new market and counterparty credit risk approaches.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has selected Marilin Pikaro to become the Director of its Innovation, Conduct and Consumers Department. Ms Pikaro, an Estonian national, comes with a wealth of experience in both the public and private sector. She will take up her new role on 1 March 2022, and will be responsible for the EBA’s thematic and policy work on digital finance and information and communication technology (ICT) and security risks, consumer protection, and Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT). This appointment is part of the EBA’s changes to its internal organisation, which entered into force as of 1 June 2021, with the aim of fostering synergies, increasing focus, and developing staff.

​​​​​​​The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today its central database for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT). This European reporting System for material CFT/AML weaknesses, EuReCA, will be central to coordinating efforts by competent authorities and the EBA to prevent and counter money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks in the Union.

The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, ESMA and EIOPA) published today a Joint ESAs thematic repository on financial education and digitalisation initiatives of National Competent Authorities (NCAs), with a specific focus on cybersecurity, scams and fraud. The repository contains 127 national initiatives that provide consumers with helpful information on how to improve their financial literacy. In addition, the EBA also published the second edition of its general repository of national education initiatives in the banking sector, which contains another 200 initiatives.

​​​​​​​The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – ESAs) published today a statement welcoming the European Systemic Risk Board’s (ESRB) Recommendation on systemic cyber risk, which calls on the ESAs to prepare for the gradual development of a Pan-European systemic cyber incident coordination framework (EU-SCICF). This will support an effective and coordinated response at EU-level in the event of a major cross-border cyber incident that could have a systemic impact on the Union’s financial sector.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its final Report on amendments to its Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) on currencies with constraints on the availability of liquid assets in the context of the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR). The proposed amendments remove the Norwegian Krone (NOK) from the list. As a result, no currency will be recognised as having constraints on the availability of liquid assets.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its final draft implementing technical standards (ITS) on Pillar 3 disclosures on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks. The final draft ITS put forward comparable disclosures to show how climate change may exacerbate other risks within institutions’ balance sheets, how institutions are mitigating those risks, and their ratios, including the GAR, on exposures financing taxonomy-aligned activities, such as those consistent with the Paris agreement goals.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a consultation to update its Guidelines on the remuneration benchmarking exercise under the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), which was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2014. The review integrates additional requirements introduced by CRD V regarding the application of derogations to the requirement to pay out a part of variable remuneration in instruments and under deferral arrangements and the benchmarking of the gender pay gap. In addition, the review also includes guidance on how to harmonise the benchmarking of approvals granted by shareholders to use higher ratios than 100% between the variable and fixed remuneration. A separate and specific set of Guidelines is provided for investment firms under Investment Firms Directive (IFD). The consultation runs until 21 March 2022.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a consultation on updates to its Guidelines on the data collection exercise on high earners, which were originally published in 2012 and revised in 2014. The review of the data collection exercises reflect the amended remuneration framework laid down in the Capital Requirements Directive (CRDV), including the introduction of derogations to pay out a part of the variable remuneration in instruments and under deferral arrangements. In addition, the need to update these Guidelines stems from the specific remuneration regime that has been introduced for investment firms and is laid down in the Investment Firms Directive (IFD) and Investment Firms Regulation (IFR). The consultation runs until 21 March 2022.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today a Discussion Paper on its preliminary observations on selected payment fraud data under the Payment Services Directive (PSD2), as reported by the industry for the years 2019 and 2020. This Paper presents the main findings related to three payment instruments: credit transfers, card-based payments and cash withdrawals and also outlines other patterns that appear to be inconclusive and that would benefit from comments and views from market stakeholders. The responses to the questions raised in the Discussion Paper will support the EBA, the European Central Bank (ECB) and national authorities in interpreting the fraud data that will be reported in future years.