Regulatory Matters
CECA carries out continuous monitoring of the regulatory framework affecting its member credit institutions, aiming to provide them with updated information and effectively represent their interests before regulatory and supervisory authorities.
CECA covers all areas of banking regulation so that the member institutions can anticipate regulatory changes with the greatest impact on their business model.
To this end, it conducts a identification of regulatory projects, both at national and international levels, prepares sectoral positions, actively participates in public consultation processes, and provides rigorous and continuous monitoring of the processing of the files with the greatest impact for its institutions until their publication.
To defend the interests of the member institutions in European matters, CECA relies on the European Association of Savings and Retail Banks (ESBG).
News Highlighted Regulations
Supervision and solvency
The European Commission published a Communication, and its corresponding consultation, detailing the measures it plans to adopt to strengthen the banking union that revolve around three objectives: (i) remove barriers to cross-border banking activity and promote market integration, (ii) apply international standards, taking into account the particularities and proportionality of the EU, and (iii) simplify the regulatory framework for banks to reduce administrative burden. The consultation ends on September 17.
The EBA published the revised Guidelines on the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP), which broadly consolidates all relevant SREP provisions into a single comprehensive framework and incorporates new aspects such as ESG factors, operational resilience, branches of third countries, clarifications on the interaction between Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 requirements, and the treatment of the output floor.
AML/CTF
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry submitted the Draft Bill for public hearing, which establishes the following measures:
- Transposing and adapting Spanish legislation to the European anti-money laundering package, consisting of (i) Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 (AMLAR), (ii) Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AMLR), and (iii) Directive (EU) 2024/1640 (AMLD6).
- Incorporating the necessary reforms to comply with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and correct deficiencies detected in the application of the current framework.
- Reorganizing the national institutional architecture by creating the National Authority for Financial Integrity (ANIFI), which integrates the functions of financial intelligence unit and supervisor in this matter.
- Incorporating Directive (EU) 2024/1174 (Daisy Chain) into Spanish law, which simplifies the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) applicable to banking group structures.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry submitted for public hearing the Order establishing and regulating the National Council as a collegiate body, attached to the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses, which allows for the structured and permanent articulation and channeling of this public-private collaboration, with a specific regulatory framework that allows the correct exercise of its functions.
Digital
The Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 from the European Parliament and Council, dated July 8, 2026, which amends Regulations (EU) 2024/1689, (EU) 2018/1139, and (EU) 2023/1230 concerning the simplification of the application of harmonized rules in artificial intelligence, has been published in the OJ.
The European Commission published an action plan to prepare the EU for the impact of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of cybersecurity. The plan is structured into three blocks: (i) secure and accessible advanced AI for European cybersecurity, (ii) preparing a European ecosystem against AI-driven cyber threats, and (iii) scaling European AI capabilities applied to cybersecurity.
Accounting
The Bank of Spain submitted for public consultation the Draft Circular which modifies several accounting circulars in order to incorporate the latest published IFRS (especially IFRS 18).
Miscellaneous
The Royal Decree-law 21/2026, dated August 25, on transparency and integrity of the activities of interest groups has been published in the BOE, which aims to regulate the relationship between interest groups and individuals holding public positions susceptible to receiving influence. Broadly speaking, the main regulated aspects are as follows:
- The definition of the concepts of interest group, person and/or public position susceptible to receiving influence, and influence activity.
- The establishment of the Registry of interest groups of the General State Administration and its institutional public sector.
- The conduct rules applicable to interest groups in their relationships with public officials.
- The obligation to incorporate the “regulatory footprint report” in any process of regulatory elaboration.
- The specific sanctioning regime applicable to interest groups.
- The promotion of criteria that ensure the interconnection between existing registries, particularly with the EU Transparency Registry.
- The obligations regarding personal data protection included in the Registry of interest groups according to the current regulations.