Central Bank launches consultation on evolving regulation
The Central Bank of Ireland has today launched a public consultation seeking views on its approach to Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) and on its approach to consultation with stakeholders. The consultation forms part of the Central Bank’s ongoing work to deliver a more effective and efficient regulatory framework…
The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) has launched a public consultation (closing 30 September 2026) on its **Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) framework** and on how it consults with stakeholders, as part of its wider programme to make Irish financial regulation more effective, efficient, and proportionate. For compliance teams, this is a key opportunity and a warning: the way the CBI designs, justifies, consults on, and reviews future rules will be formalised and made more evidence‑based, which will directly affect the cost, complexity, and predictability of future regulatory change across all sectors.
Key dates
- 10 December 2025
- – CBI publishes its roadmap “Regulating & Supervising Well – a more effective and efficient framework”, committing to a public consultation on a new Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Framework in H1 2026 and outlining a multi‑year programme of regulatory and supervisory reforms from H1 2026 to H1 2028
- 22 June 2026
- – CBI launches the public consultation on its approach to RIA and stakeholder consultation, alongside references to its new supervisory approach and roadmap of regulatory initiatives
- H1 2026
- – Target window identified in the roadmap for the public consultation on the new RIA Framework; this is now operationalised by the consultation launched on 22 June 2026
- TBD (post‑30 September 2026)
- – CBI will consider all submissions and publish a feedback statement setting out its finalised approach to RIA and consultation, which will then guide the design of future regulatory initiatives
- H2 2026
- – Roadmap foresees drafting of revised Corporate Governance Codes for consultation, which are likely to be shaped by, and potentially used to pilot, the new RIA framework and consultation approach once finalised
Suggested considerations
- Conduct an internal review of your firm’s experience with recent CBI consultations (e.g. Consumer Protection Code, governance, outsourcing, AML, reporting) and document challenges, costs, and data gaps that could be addressed through a more robust RIA and consultation framework.
- Prepare and submit a response to the CBI consultation by 30 September 2026, either directly or via relevant industry associations, setting out detailed expectations on how RIA should address compliance costs, operational impacts, proportionality for smaller firms, and implementation lead times.
- Update your regulatory affairs or public policy strategy to explicitly incorporate the emerging CBI RIA framework, including criteria for when to engage, escalation thresholds for high‑impact proposals, and internal approval processes for consultation submissions.
- For Irish‑authorised groups operating cross‑border, align your approach to CBI RIA engagement with EU‑level impact assessment practices (e.g. European Commission and ESAs) to ensure consistency in messaging and evidence on cumulative regulatory burden and competitiveness.
- Monitor subsequent CBI publications (including the forthcoming feedback statement, revised Corporate Governance Codes, and sectoral plans) to identify where the new RIA framework is being applied and to anticipate where the CBI may seek additional data or structured feedback from firms.
What changed
- - The CBI has opened a public consultation on its approach to Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), seeking views on how it should weigh evidence, assess costs and impacts, and structure its analysis...
- The consultation also covers the CBI’s approach to stakeholder consultation, including how it engages with industry, civil society, consumer representatives, the public, policymakers, and peer...
- The initiative sits within the CBI’s broader “more effective and efficient regulatory framework” programme, which includes a new supervisory approach and a roadmap of regulatory initiatives,...
- The CBI aims to make regulation clear, coherent and proportionate, explicitly linking rule‑making to protections for consumers, investors, and financial stability, and to the resilience of the...
- The CBI is moving towards a more structured, transparent, and evidence‑based policymaking process, where the rationale for regulatory interventions, the analysis of options, and the assessment of...
Compliance impact
In the short term, the consultation does not impose new binding obligations but shapes the procedural framework for all future CBI rule‑making, making early engagement strategically important for managing long‑term compliance cost and regulatory uncertainty. Over the medium term, once the RIA and consultation frameworks are finalised, firms that fail to engage effectively in consultations may find themselves facing more onerous or misaligned requirements with limited scope for later challenge or adjustment.
References
- [1] maples.com/regulatory-round-up/central-bank-of-ireland-up... third-party
- [2] centralbank.ie/regulation/transforming-regulation-and-sup... third-party
- [3] williamfry.com/knowledge/central-bank-2026-regulatory-and... third-party
- [4] centralbank.ie/docs/default-source/regulation/transformin... third-party
- [5] arthurcox.com/insights/regulating-and-supervising-well-a-... third-party
- [6] centralbank.ie/news/article/press-release-central-bank-of... third-party
- [7] centralbank.ie/docs/default-source/regulation/consumer-pr... third-party
- [8] centralbank.ie/docs/default-source/publications/regulator... third-party
AI-generated analysis. May contain errors or omissions — verify with the original CBI source before acting. Full disclaimer.