The EBA Publishes Decision Harmonising Reporting of SEPA Data by National Authorities

WHY THIS MATTERS: The European Banking Authority’s decision to streamline regulatory reporting is a strategic enforcement measure disguised as administrative cleanup. While the immediate effect is reducing the burden on National Competent Authorities, the profound significance lies in its support of the mandatory shift toward instant payments. By funnelling data on transaction pricing and sanction rejections through a single, standardized EBA channel, Brussels is ensuring consistent, high-quality intelligence. This move eliminates excuses for inconsistent reporting and empowers the Commission to effectively monitor the key objective of the SEPA Regulation: that banks cannot price instant transfers higher than standard ones. For payment service providers, this signals an era of intensified scrutiny; the regulator now has a cleaner data pipeline to enforce pricing parity, making accurate regulatory compliance a critical operational priority. This transparency is crucial for unlocking the full consumer benefit of real-time transfers across the bloc.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) published a Decision harmonising how National Competent Authorities (NCAs) report under the SEPA Regulation. The Decision complements the existing European Commission’s Implementing Regulation which requires all Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to report data on charges for credit transfers and payment accounts, as well as the shares of transactions rejected due to EU sanctions. The Decision streamlines the second step of this reporting process – from the NCAs to the EBA and the European Commission.

By introducing a single reporting channel through the EBA, the Decision reduces the administrative burden on NCAs and ensures that both the EBA and the European Commission receive consistent, high-quality data. This supports the Commission in monitoring that consumers benefit from access to instant credit transfers across the EU, and that these are not more expensive than standard credit transfers.

The Decision stipulates that the NCAs will now report this information only to the EBA, and the EBA will then make it available to the European Commission. The Decision also clarifies that when NCAs already possess some of the required data, they are responsible for ensuring its accuracy and completeness without re-collecting it from PSPs.

Furthermore, the Decision amends the Annex to the EBA’s EUCLID Decision to incorporate this new reporting requirement.

The Decision takes effect immediately.

FF NEWS TAKE: This decisive step moves the needle by fortifying the EU’s oversight capabilities, ensuring the rapid, mandatory adoption of SEPA Instant Credit Transfer (SCT Inst) is not undermined by punitive pricing. The administrative simplification is a mechanism for tougher supervision. The key development to watch next is the first wave of consolidated EBA reports: if the harmonized data reveals systemic non-compliance or significant pricing outliers among PSPs, enforcement actions will likely follow, proving the real teeth behind this regulatory compliance overhaul.