The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have launched a consultation on updated guidelines and technical standards for suitability assessments of management and key function holders. Comments are due by 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.
The EBA is also 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 revised Guidelines incorporate new requirements from the revised Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), including ex‑ante application use, 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, providing guidance for identifying ML/TF risks.
The draft RTS specify the minimum content for suitability questionnaires, CVs, and internal assessments to ensure consistency and comparability across the EU. The package also introduces simplification measures to reduce administrative burden and enhance flexibility for institutions and supervisors.
Stakeholders are invited to submit comments via the “send your comments” button on the consultation page. Public hearings will be held on 15 April 2026, at 14:00–15:30 for the Guidelines and 15:30–16:30 for the RTS. All contributions will be published unless confidentiality is requested.
The Guidelines are developed under Articles 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).
More information is available on the official EBA website.
