Article 22 Pecuniary sanctions

For the purpose of carrying out the tasks conferred on it by this Regulation, the Authority may impose pecuniary sanctions where a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; breaches, whether intentionally or negligently, a requirement of Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 or Regulation (EU) 2024/1624, or does not comply with a binding decision referred to in Article 6(1) of this Regulation.

Where the Executive Board of the Authority finds that a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; has, intentionally or negligently, committed a serious, repeated or systematic breach of directly applicable requirements contained in Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 or Regulation (EU) 2024/1624, it shall adopt a decision imposing pecuniary sanctions, in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article. The pecuniary sanctions imposed for such breaches shall, depending on the circumstances of each individual case, be imposed in addition to, or instead of, the administrative measures referred to in Article 21(2).

1. for serious, repeated or systematic breaches of one or more requirements related to customer due diligence, group-wide policies, procedures and controls or reporting obligations that have been identified in two or more Member States where a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; operates, the amount shall be at least EUR 500 000and shall not exceed EUR 2 000 000or 1 % of the annual turnover, whichever is higher;

2. for serious, repeated or systematic breaches of one or more requirements related to customer due diligence, internal policies, procedures and controls or reporting obligations that have been identified in one Member State where a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; operates, the amount shall be at least EUR 100 000and shall not exceed EUR 1 000 000or0,5 % of the annual turnover, whichever is higher;

3. for serious, repeated or systematic breaches of all other requirements that have been identified in two or more Member States where a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; operates, the amount shall be at least EUR 100 000and shall not exceed EUR 2 000 000;

4. for serious, repeated or systematic breaches of all other requirements that have been identified in one Member State where a selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; operates, the amount shall be at least EUR 100 000and shall not exceed EUR 1 000 000;

5. for serious, repeated or systematic breaches of the decisions of the Authority referred to in Article 6(1), the amount shall be at least EUR 100 000and shall not exceed EUR 1 000 000.

The basic amounts defined within the limits set out in paragraph 3 shall be adjusted, where needed, by taking into account aggravating or mitigating factors in accordance with the relevant coefficients set out in Annex I. The relevant aggravating coefficients shall be applied one by one to the basic amount. If more than one aggravating coefficient is applicable, the difference between the basic amount and the amount resulting from the application of each individual aggravating coefficient shall be added to the basic amount. Where the benefit derived from the breach or the losses to third parties caused by the breach can be determined, they shall be added to the total amount of the sanction, after application of the coefficients.

The relevant mitigating coefficients shall be applied one by one to the basic amount. If more than one mitigating coefficient is applicable, the difference between the basic amount and the amount resulting from the application of each individual mitigating coefficient shall be subtracted from the basic amount.

The maximum amount of a sanction for the serious, repeated or systematic breaches referred to in paragraph 3, points (a) and (b), shall not exceed 10 % of the total annual turnover of the obliged entity in the preceding business year, after application of the coefficients referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5.

The maximum amount of a sanction for the serious, repeated or systematic breaches referred to in paragraph 3, points (c) and (d), shall not exceed EUR 10 000 000after application of the coefficients referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5.

Where the selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; is a parent undertakingmeans:for groups whose head office is located in the Union, an obliged entity that is a parent undertaking as defined in Article 2, point (9), of Directive 2013/34/EU that is not itself a subsidiary of another undertaking in the Union, provided that at least one subsidiary undertaking is an obliged entity;for groups whose head office is located outside of the Union, where at least two subsidiary undertakings are obliged entities established in the Union, an undertaking within that group established in the Union that:is an obliged entity;is an undertaking that is not a subsidiary of another undertaking that is an obliged entity established in the Union;has a sufficient prominence within the group and a sufficient understanding of the operations of the group that are subject to the requirements of this Regulation; andis given the responsibility of implementing group-wide requirements under Chapter II, Section 2 of this Regulation; or a subsidiary of a parent undertakingmeans:for groups whose head office is located in the Union, an obliged entity that is a parent undertaking as defined in Article 2, point (9), of Directive 2013/34/EU that is not itself a subsidiary of another undertaking in the Union, provided that at least one subsidiary undertaking is an obliged entity;for groups whose head office is located outside of the Union, where at least two subsidiary undertakings are obliged entities established in the Union, an undertaking within that group established in the Union that:is an obliged entity;is an undertaking that is not a subsidiary of another undertaking that is an obliged entity established in the Union;has a sufficient prominence within the group and a sufficient understanding of the operations of the group that are subject to the requirements of this Regulation; andis given the responsibility of implementing group-wide requirements under Chapter II, Section 2 of this Regulation; which is required to prepare consolidated financial statements in accordance with Article 22 of Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and the Council(³⁷)Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings, amending Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC (OJ L 182, 29.6.2013, p. 19)., the relevant total annual turnover shall be the total annual turnover or the corresponding type of income in accordance with applicable accounting standards according to the last available consolidated accounts approved by the management bodymeans an obliged entity’s body or bodies, which are appointed in accordance with national law, which are empowered to set the obliged entity’s strategy, objectives and overall direction, and which oversee and monitor management decision-making, and include the persons who effectively direct the business of the obliged entity; where no such body exists, the person who effectively directs the business of the obliged entity; of the ultimate parent undertakingmeans:for groups whose head office is located in the Union, an obliged entity that is a parent undertaking as defined in Article 2, point (9), of Directive 2013/34/EU that is not itself a subsidiary of another undertaking in the Union, provided that at least one subsidiary undertaking is an obliged entity;for groups whose head office is located outside of the Union, where at least two subsidiary undertakings are obliged entities established in the Union, an undertaking within that group established in the Union that:is an obliged entity;is an undertaking that is not a subsidiary of another undertaking that is an obliged entity established in the Union;has a sufficient prominence within the group and a sufficient understanding of the operations of the group that are subject to the requirements of this Regulation; andis given the responsibility of implementing group-wide requirements under Chapter II, Section 2 of this Regulation;.

In the cases not covered by paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority may, where necessary for the purpose of carrying out the tasks conferred on it by this Regulation, require financial supervisorsmeans the body entrusted with responsibilities aimed at ensuring compliance by obliged entities with the requirements of this Regulation, including AMLA when performing the tasks entrusted to it in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1620; to open proceedings with a view to taking action in order to ensure that appropriate pecuniary sanctions are imposed in accordance with the national law transposing Directive (EU) 2024/1640 and any relevant national legislation which confers specific powers which are currently not required by Union law. The pecuniary sanctions imposed shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

The first subparagraph shall be applicable to pecuniary sanctions to be imposed on selected obliged entitiesmeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; for breaches of national law transposing Directive (EU) 2024/1640 and to any pecuniary sanctions to be imposed on members of the management bodymeans an obliged entity’s body or bodies, which are appointed in accordance with national law, which are empowered to set the obliged entity’s strategy, objectives and overall direction, and which oversee and monitor management decision-making, and include the persons who effectively direct the business of the obliged entity; where no such body exists, the person who effectively directs the business of the obliged entity; of selected obliged entitiesmeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; who under national law are responsible for a breach by the selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13;.

The pecuniary sanctions imposed by the Authority shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

When determining the amount of the pecuniary sanction, the Authority shall take due consideration of the ability of the selected obliged entitymeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; to pay the pecuniary sanction and, where the pecuniary sanction might affect compliance with prudential regulation, consult the authorities competent for supervising compliance by the selected obliged entitiesmeans a credit institution, a financial institution, or a group of credit institutions or financial institutions at the highest level of consolidation in the Union in accordance with applicable accounting standards, which is under direct supervision by the Authority pursuant to Article 13; with applicable Union law.