meta_id 3398594

On August 2026, the European Central Bank (ECB) published the updated Volume III of its Legal Framework for Banking Supervision, a comprehensive digital compilation of Union legal acts governing banking supervision within the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). This publication, produced by the ECB's Banking Supervision division, consolidates regulatory instruments adopted since the SSM's establishment in 2014. Volume III addresses the internal organisation of the ECB's supervisory function and covers three primary areas: internal bodies and procedural rules, ethics frameworks, and public access to documents. The compilation includes the Rules of Procedure of the European Central Bank and the Supervisory Board, establishing governance structures for decision-making bodies. It incorporates ethics guidelines applicable to the SSM, including frameworks for staff conduct, conflict of interest management, and professional secrecy obligations. Additionally, the volume specifies conditions for public access to ECB documents while protecting confidential supervisory information. The publication complements Volumes I and II, which address SSM fundamentals and supervisory tasks respectively. Volume I covers the foundational regulations establishing the SSM, while Volume II addresses accountability, options and discretions, cooperation arrangements, reporting requirements, delegation of powers, supervisory fees, and sanctions procedures. Together, these three volumes provide a consolidated reference for supervisors, legal practitioners, and members of the public seeking to understand the legal framework governing prudential supervision of credit institutions within the European Union. The ECB emphasises that this digital compilation serves as documentation and does not constitute legal authority. Authentic versions of all legal acts remain those published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The publication acknowledges that acts may have been amended, recast, or repealed since publication.