The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have initiated a consultation on updated guidelines and technical standards for suitability assessments of management and key function holders, open until 25 May 2026.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have launched a consultation on the revised joint Guidelines on the assessment of the suitability of members of the management body and key function holders. The consultation runs until 25 May 2026.
Simultaneously, the EBA is consulting on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) that specify the documentation and information large institutions must submit to competent authorities. These elements form the Suitability Package, aimed at harmonizing suitability assessments and promoting supervisory convergence across the EU.
The draft revised EBA-ESMA Guidelines incorporate new requirements from the revised Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), including ex‑ante applications, mandatory suitability assessments for key roles, and guidance on third‑country branches. They also reinforce links with anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT) frameworks by providing guidance on identifying money laundering or terrorist financing risks.
The draft RTS set out the documentation and information institutions must submit, harmonizing the minimum content of suitability questionnaires, CVs, and internal assessments for consistency across the EU. The revised package also introduces simplification measures to reduce administrative burdens and increase flexibility.
Stakeholders are invited to submit comments via the consultation page using the “send your comments” button. The deadline is 25 May 2026. Public hearings will be held on 15 April 2026: from 14:00 to 15:30 for the Guidelines, and from 15:30 to 16:30 for the RTS. Contributions will be published unless confidentiality is requested.
The Guidelines are developed under Article 91 (11) and 91a(8) of Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD) and Article 9 of Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II). They will replace the 2021 Guidelines once adopted. The RTS are based on Article 91 (10) of Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD).
