# EBA Work Programme 2026: EBA Work Programme 2026 — AI Act implementation and digital-finance priorities

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-work-programme-2026
Last updated: Aug 26, 2026

The EBA Work Programme 2026, published in October 2025 as part of the Single Programming Document 2026–2028, makes artificial intelligence and machine learning one of three digital-finance thematic priorities for 2026 alongside crypto-assets/DLT and value-chain evolution. On AI it commits the EBA to supporting AI Act implementation in banking and payments through 2026–27 by promoting common supervisory approaches and cooperation between national competent authorities and market surveillance authorities, providing input to the EU AI Office, and participating in the AI Board Subgroup on Financial Services.

## At a glance

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Authority | [EBA](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/eba) |
| Type | Framework |
| Status | In force |
| Published | Oct 1, 2025 |
| Effective | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Applies to | EBA and national competent authorities (planning document); sets what EU banks can expect from supervisors on AI in 2026 |
| Official text | https://www.eba.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-10/b9fe2713-117b-440f-aae0-bdcb8832c3e0/EBA%20Work%20programme%202026.pdf |

## Key points

- Published in October 2025; republished in January 2026 to align with the final Single Programming Document 2026–2028.
- 2026 priority: enhance technological capacity of stakeholders with particular focus on AI and ML, crypto-asset markets, DLT use cases and value-chain evolution.
- AI Act workstream: promote common supervisory approaches and cooperation between financial-sector supervisors and market surveillance authorities.
- Input to the European AI Office and participation in the AI Board Subgroup on Financial Services (EBA as observer).
- Continued monitoring of financial innovation, including AI adoption and use cases, to identify where regulatory or supervisory response is needed.
- Runs alongside DORA oversight of critical ICT third-party providers, where AI-related risk is being embedded.

## What changed for banks

The work programme confirms the EBA chose convergence over new rules for the first year of the AI Act's high-risk regime: no AI guidelines are scheduled, but national supervisors will be steered toward a common approach to banks' high-risk credit-scoring systems. For banks, that means expectations arriving through supervisory dialogue and Commission guidelines rather than an EBA rulebook.

## Use cases it governs

- [AI governance (general)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/by-use-case#governance-general)
- [Credit scoring & underwriting](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/by-use-case#credit-underwriting)
- [Third-party & vendor AI](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/by-use-case#third-party-vendors)

## FAQ

### What is the EBA doing on the AI Act in 2026?

Per its 2026 work programme and November 2025 factsheet, the EBA is promoting a common supervisory approach and cooperation among national competent authorities and market surveillance authorities, feeding the EU AI Office, and taking part in the AI Board Subgroup on Financial Services. No new EBA AI guidelines are scheduled.

### Is AI an EBA priority for 2026?

Yes. AI and machine learning are one of the EBA's three digital-finance thematic priorities for 2026, alongside crypto-assets/DLT and value-chain evolution.

## Related documents

- [ESA Statement on ICT risks from frontier AI models (JC 2026 25)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/esas-jc-2026-25-frontier-ai-statement) — ESA Statement: Toward a consistent and risk-based approach for ICT risks from frontier AI models (Jul 31, 2026)
- [EBA factsheet: AI Act implications for the EU banking and payments sector](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-ai-act-factsheet-2025) — AI Act: implications for the EU banking and payments sector (Nov 21, 2025)
- [EBA Chair letter to the Commission on the AI Act mapping exercise (EBA/2025/D/5384)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-2025-d-5384-ai-act-mapping-letter) — Outcome of EBA's AI Act mapping exercise — letter to DG FISMA and DG CNECT (Nov 21, 2025)
- [EBA report: Rising application of AI in EU banking and payments (Sep 2025)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-ai-adoption-report-2025) — Rising application of AI in EU banking and payments sector (Sep 25, 2025)
- [EBA follow-up report on machine learning for IRB models (EBA/REP/2023/28)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-rep-2023-28-ml-irb-follow-up) — Machine Learning for IRB Models — Follow-up report from the consultation on the Discussion paper on machine learning for IRB models (Aug 4, 2023)
- [EBA/GL/2022/15 (remote customer onboarding)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-gl-2022-15-remote-customer-onboarding) — EBA/GL/2022/15 Guidelines on the use of Remote Customer Onboarding Solutions under Article 13(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 (Nov 22, 2022)
- [EBA discussion paper on machine learning for IRB models](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-ml-irb-discussion-paper-2021) — Discussion Paper on machine learning for IRB models (Nov 11, 2021)
- [EBA Guidelines on loan origination and monitoring (EBA/GL/2020/06)](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/ai-regulation/documents/eba-gl-2020-06-loan-origination-monitoring) — Guidelines on loan origination and monitoring (May 29, 2020)

Last reviewed Aug 26, 2026. Cite the official text (https://www.eba.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-10/b9fe2713-117b-440f-aae0-bdcb8832c3e0/EBA%20Work%20programme%202026.pdf) for the rule and this page for the summary and dates.

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