10 March 2021

The EBA consults on guidance on how to grant authorisation as credit institution

 The draft Guidelines are addressed to all competent authorities across the EU in charge of granting authorisation as a credit institution, and cover the authorisation requirements set out in the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD). The draft Guidelines complement the Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on authorization of credit institutions and contribute to the convergence of supervisory practices around market access for credit institutions across the single market. The consultation runs until 10 June 2021.

The draft Guidelines advocate for a risk-based approach and insist on the importance of consistency with the supervisory approaches applied in going concern situations. In addition, they consider the proportionality principle for all relevant assessment criteria and apply to both traditional and innovative business models and/or delivery mechanisms, as they are technology neutral.

In the context of the assessment of the application for granting an authorisation, the draft Guidelines also include guidance on money laundering or terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks and highlight the importance of cooperation with the anti-money laundering (AML) supervisor and other public bodies, in accordance the CRD.

Consultation process

Responses to this consultation can be sent to the EBA by clicking on the "send your comments" button on the consultation page. All contributions received will be published after the consultation closes, unless requested otherwise. The deadline for the submission of comments is 10 June 2021.

A public hearing will be held on 22 April 2021 from 10:00 to 12:00 CET via conference call.

Legal basis

The draft Guidelines have been drafted in accordance with Article 8(5) CRD, which mandates the Authority to specify a common assessment methodology for granting authorisations in accordance with the CRD.

© EBA