meta_id 3068045

On December 23, 2025, the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo approved a regulation amending and supplementing the Regulation on Licensing of Banks and Branches of Foreign Banks, which was originally adopted on April 30, 2020. The amendment modifies Article 6 of the base regulation to address situations where a bank or proposed bank does not have a major shareholder. Under the new provision, where no primary shareholder exists, the requirements previously applicable to major shareholders will instead apply to the bank's 20 largest shareholders. This change clarifies the regulatory framework for shareholding structures in banking institutions that lack a single dominant shareholder. The regulation was adopted pursuant to Articles 35 and 65 of Law No. 03/L-209 on the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, as amended by Law No. 05/L-150, and in accordance with Articles 7, 8, and 9, as well as Article 85 of Law No. 04/L-093 on Banks, Microfinance Institutions, and Non-Bank Financial Institutions. The regulation enters into force 15 days from the date of its approval, meaning it became effective on January 7, 2026. All other provisions of the base regulation remain in effect unless specifically amended or supplemented by this regulation, which forms an integral part of the original licensing framework.