EBA Opens 2026 Policy Research Workshop Call for Papers

The European Banking Authority has launched its call for papers for the 2026 Policy Research Workshop, signalling a clear regulatory interest in how financial rulemaking can support both competitiveness and resilience. Set for 18 to 19 November 2026 in Paris, the 15th edition of the workshop will focus on efficient and proportionate regulation for a competitive financial sector, with submissions due by 19 June 2026.

The announcement matters because it shows where the EBA wants more evidence, debate and policy input. The chosen theme points directly to one of the central questions facing European financial regulation: how to maintain a robust prudential framework without placing unnecessary burdens on firms or slowing innovation, market entry and cross-border growth. That balance has become more important as policymakers across Europe look for ways to strengthen the region’s financial sector while preserving stability.

The EBA is inviting policy-oriented research, with a preference for empirical papers, across four areas. These include competitiveness and efficiency in the prudential rulebook, the impacts of efficiency and proportionality, competition and innovation in areas under financial supervision, and the proportionate integration of ESG risks into governance, strategy and remuneration frameworks. Together, these topics suggest the authority is looking beyond narrow supervisory mechanics and towards the broader design of a regulatory framework that supports growth, integration and long-term resilience.

For banks, academics, central banks and supervisory authorities, the workshop offers an early indication of the policy debates likely to shape future European banking supervision. The inclusion of proportionality, competitiveness and ESG in the same agenda is particularly notable. It suggests the EBA sees these issues as interconnected rather than separate tracks, especially as firms adapt to evolving supervisory expectations and a more complex operating environment.

The workshop also reinforces the EBA’s role as a bridge between research and policymaking. Its annual Policy Research Workshops have become a recognised forum for testing ideas that may later inform supervisory thinking and regulatory development. For stakeholders active in EU banking regulation, this year’s call is more than an academic exercise. It is a useful signal of the themes the EBA considers strategically important in 2026.

Contributors selected for the Paris event will be notified by mid-September 2026. For the wider market, the message is straightforward: the EBA wants evidence on how regulation can remain proportionate, effective and internationally competitive without weakening financial sector resilience.

Read the press release here.