Banking and financial supervision

Supervision: what it is and how it works

Banca d'Italia supervises banks and non-banking intermediaries entered in specific registers. Since November 2014 this supervision has been conducted within the framework of the Single Supervisory Mechanism.

Supervisory activities are carried out by the Directorate General for Financial Supervision and Regulation at Banca d'Italia's Head Office in Rome and by its branch network.

In addition to on- and off-site inspections to verify compliance with the requirements for engaging in banking and financial activities, Banca d'Italia's supervisory activities include the adoption of administrative measures. The most important measures involving financial intermediaries are authorizations (with regard to licensing as well as to specific operations governed by industry regulations), sanctions, and those relating to the management of problematic situations.

As national supervisor, Banca d'Italia also provides a number of services directly to the public. It receives requests for information and analyses reports on irregularities involving supervised intermediaries, and publishes information on individuals or companies not authorized to carry out banking or financial activities in Italy and other more general notices and communications. It also conducts analyses on the banking and financial system.

Banca d'Italia performs supervisory tasks also for the purpose of protecting customers of intermediaries.

Banca d'Italia reports on its supervisory procedures and informs the public of the most important banking and financial issues through a variety of forums and channels, including the Annual Report and the Activity and Sustainability Report.

Banca d'Italia's supervisory powers have their legal basis in a regulatory framework that encompasses international, European Union and national laws.

Highlights

Relevant issues

Sezione di approfondimento

Related Topics

  • Financial stability

    Under Italian legislation, Banca d'Italia is responsible for safeguarding the stability of the national financial system.

  • Resolution and crisis management

    In implementing the European framework on bank crisis management, Banca d'Italia has been appointed National Resolution Authority (NRA) for Italy.

  • Submitting complaints

    By submitting a complaint to Banca d'Italia, customers can report behaviours on the part of banks and financial intermediaries which they deem to be irregular or wrong, or report irregularities in the information held in the CR or in the CAI.

  • Principal measures concerning entities subject to supervision

    This section contains the principal measures concerning entities subject to supervision.