The EBA streamlines its Guidelines on connected clients to align with new EU legislation

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has decided to partially delete sections of its Guidelines on connected clients, following the entry into force of new, directly applicable EU legislation. The changes ensure continued clarity, consistency and alignment in the framework used by credit institutions to identify groups of connected clients.

The decision reflects the application of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1728, which introduces binding regulatory technical standards, developed by the EBA, setting out the circumstances in which institutions must identify groups of connected clients. As these rules now apply directly across the EU, certain provisions of the EBA Guidelines are no longer necessary to ensure a common and consistent application of Union law and have therefore been removed.

The Decision together with a consolidated version of the Guidelines on connected clients, reflecting these partial deletions, is published on the EBA's website.

Background and legal basis

The EBA Guidelines on connected clients (EBA/GL/2017/15) were adopted in 2017 to support the identification of groups of connected clients, including situations involving control relationships, economic dependency, and combined control and economic dependency.

The Decision is adopted pursuant to Articles 16(2a) and 29(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 (the EBA Regulation), Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (the CRR), and Articles 1, 2 and 3 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1728.