Crisis communication guidance sets April 2028 bank deadline
The Single Resolution Board has published operational guidance on banks' crisis communication and resolvability testing. Lenders across the Banking Union have until April 2028 to integrate the clarifications into their resolution planning.
Operational clarity without new mandates
The Single Resolution Board (SRB) released its Operational Guidance on Banks' Communication in Resolution together with a dedicated testing supplement.
The framework mirrors European Banking Authority (EBA) standards to ensure consistent implementation across the Banking Union.
It introduces no new legal obligations, focusing instead on clarifying the communication dimension within the existing Expectations for Banks framework under the Single Resolution Mechanism Regulation.
Institutions must reflect these operational considerations in their resolution planning by April 2028.
The final publication follows a public consultation that ran from October 17 to December 12, 2025.
Testing readiness before crisis hits
Under the SRM Vision 2028 strategy, resolution authorities require banks to demonstrate operational readiness during distress.
SRB Chair Dominique Laboureix emphasized internal accountability: “Banks remain responsible for communication with their own stakeholders in crisis.”
The testing supplement details how institutions must evaluate their messaging mechanisms, establish testing governance, and report outcomes to authorities to ensure timely and coordinated execution during an actual failure.
Long runway, clear duties
The 2028 deadline gives lenders plenty of time to refine crisis protocols, eliminating excuses for execution flaws.
Prioritizing capability testing over additional rules correctly targets the practical vulnerability of bank resolution.
Clear stakeholder communication remains vital to prevent panic when emergency tools are deployed.
Source: SRB clarifies guidance on Banks’ Communication
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