JBRC Reporting Contact Group: What the Call for Members Means

ByOfficer

Last updated: April 2026

The EBA and ECB have opened a new call for expressions of interest to join the Reporting Contact Group (RCG) under the Joint Bank Reporting Committee (JBRC). The deadline is 28 April 2026, 23:59 CEST. If your bank or service provider works on supervisory, statistical, or resolution reporting, this is one of the few structured channels to influence how EU bank reporting is being rebuilt.

That last sentence matters more than the headline suggests. The JBRC is not another advisory body producing papers nobody reads. It is the governance structure behind the EU’s push toward an integrated reporting system, and the RCG is its industry-facing arm. What gets discussed in RCG meetings shapes the data dictionary, the template logic, and the standardisation choices that reporting teams will implement for years. I have sat through enough framework migration cycles to know that the upstream design decisions, the ones made in committees like this, determine whether an ITS update takes your team two weeks or two months to implement.

Related reading: EBA Supervisory Reporting Simplification: What to Flag

What the JBRC Actually Does

The JBRC was established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the EBA and ECB on 18 March 2024. Its legal anchor is Article 430c(2)(c) of the CRR (Regulation (EU) No 575/2013), which mandated a feasibility study on integrating statistical, supervisory, and resolution reporting. The JBRC is the operational outcome of that study.

The committee brings together the ECB, EBA, European Commission, Single Resolution Board (SRB), and the national authorities responsible for issuing reporting requirements across the EEA. The JBRC is co-chaired by the EBA and ECB for the 2024-26 period.

Its core task is developing common definitions and standards for bank data reporting. The most tangible deliverable is a common data dictionary spanning statistical, supervisory, and resolution reporting. That may sound abstract, but for anyone who has reconciled COREP own funds data against statistical balance sheet items, the practical stakes are clear: different definitions for the same concept across frameworks is one of the biggest hidden costs in bank reporting.

The JBRC operates through a Steering Committee, expert groups, and the RCG. There is currently an Expert Group on Semantic Integration, which works on harmonising concept definitions across reporting requirements. I have seen what happens when two frameworks define “exposure” or “default” differently for the same underlying position. It cascades through validation rules, mapping tables, and reconciliation checks. The semantic integration work is where the real efficiency gains will come from, if it lands correctly.

What the JBRC Reporting Contact Group Is

The RCG is a permanent substructure of the JBRC. It is composed of up to 22 members, appointed by the JBRC for a three-year renewable mandate. The RCG has a designated Chair and Deputy Chair appointed by the JBRC.

This is not a token consultation exercise. Members are expected to dedicate at least one full working day per week to RCG activities. That is a serious time commitment, and it signals that the EBA and ECB expect substantive technical engagement, not occasional feedback on discussion papers.

The RCG serves as the regular channel for cooperation between authorities and banking industry stakeholders on reporting. In practice, that means members contribute to discussions on data standardisation, reporting integration, and the design of frameworks that reporting teams will eventually have to implement.

A common mistake is treating this kind of body as a lobbying opportunity. It is not. The profile the JBRC is looking for is technical: people with hands-on experience in supervisory, resolution, or statistical reporting, or in data modelling and standardisation. Policy advocates without reporting floor experience will not find much traction here.

What Changed in the 2026 Call

The first call for RCG members was launched on 3 July 2024, with a deadline of 1 August 2024. That initial round established the RCG, and its first meeting took place in autumn 2024.

The current mandate of the RCG runs until the end of 2027. The April 2026 call is a new round of expressions of interest, either to fill vacancies or expand the group’s composition. The JBRC will also appoint candidates to a reserve list.

The selection process aims for diversity across the banking sector, geographical balance across the EEA, and gender balance. Applications must be submitted via the EBA’s online form (password: RCGApril2026) and include a CV, preferably in Europass format. Further details on selection criteria are in the Call for Candidates document published alongside the press release.

Who Should Care

Three groups should pay attention to this call, even if they do not apply.

First, banks with dedicated reporting change functions. If your institution tracks EBA framework versions, manages DPM migrations, or coordinates across supervisory and statistical reporting, the RCG’s output will directly affect your roadmap. Knowing what the RCG is discussing gives you lead time on definition changes and integration decisions before they crystallise into ITS amendments.

Second, reporting software vendors and service providers. The push toward a common data dictionary will reshape how reporting solutions are architected. Vendors currently maintaining separate data models for COREP, FINREP, AnaCredit, and resolution templates will need to converge. The RCG is where those design decisions surface first.

Third, national competent authorities and central banks with their own reporting add-ons. Luxembourg’s CSSF and BCL, for example, collect data that overlaps with EBA and ECB frameworks. If the JBRC succeeds in harmonising the core dictionary, national authorities will need to map their own requirements against it. Getting visibility into RCG discussions early avoids last-minute alignment scrambles.

Teams that do not track this are likely to treat each new ITS version as an isolated change, without seeing the integration logic underneath. That was fine when frameworks evolved independently. It stops working when the JBRC starts aligning them.

What Kind of Preparation It Implies

Even if nobody from your institution applies, the existence and trajectory of the JBRC should prompt two practical steps.

First, start mapping concept overlaps across your current reporting frameworks. If you report COREP, FINREP, AnaCredit, and resolution data (MREL, funding plans), identify where the same business concept is defined differently. Own funds composition is the obvious one, but look at exposure classifications, counterparty identification, and maturity definitions. When the common data dictionary arrives, institutions that have already mapped their internal overlaps will adapt faster.

Second, track JBRC publications. The EBA and ECB maintain JBRC pages listing members, publications, and contact details. The RCG member list is published on both the EBA and ECB websites. Even if the meetings are not public, the composition of the group tells you which segments of the industry are at the table. If your segment is underrepresented, you are relying on others to flag your implementation concerns.

One trap to avoid: assuming the common data dictionary will only affect new frameworks. The JBRC’s mandate explicitly covers existing reporting requirements. Harmonising definitions retroactively means that current templates, validation rules, and mapping logic may need revision even without a change in the underlying regulation.

The Deadline and How to Apply

The deadline for applications is 28 April 2026, 23:59 CEST. That is two weeks from the publication of the call, which is still tight.

Applications go through the EBA’s online application form. The password for the current round is RCGApril2026. A CV in Europass format is required. The Call for Candidates document, available on the EBA press release page, details the selection criteria and process.

For questions, the RCG Secretariat can be reached at ecb-jbrc@ecb.europa.eu and eba-jbrc@eba.europa.eu.

The JBRC will decide on the final composition and publish results on the EBA and ECB websites.

Why This Matters for the Reporting Change Cycle

The JBRC sits at the intersection of three reporting domains that have historically evolved on separate tracks: ECB statistical reporting, EBA supervisory and resolution reporting, and national add-ons. The RCG is the mechanism through which the industry feeds practical experience into that convergence process.

For reporting teams, the operational significance is straightforward. The frameworks you implement today were designed in silos. The frameworks coming in the next three to five years will be designed with integration as a stated objective. The RCG is where the integration design is tested against real-world reporting operations.

If your team is already struggling with the pace of EBA framework changes, from 4.2 to 4.3 to the simplification consultation, the JBRC adds a structural layer underneath. It does not replace the ITS cycle. It shapes the foundations that ITS amendments will eventually reference. Missing this layer means reacting to each framework version without seeing the direction of travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the JBRC?

The Joint Bank Reporting Committee is a body established by the EBA and ECB through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 18 March 2024. It promotes cooperation among European institutions on supervisory, statistical, and resolution reporting, with the aim of developing an integrated reporting system. Its legal basis traces to Article 430c(2)(c) of the CRR.

What is the Reporting Contact Group?

The RCG is a permanent substructure of the JBRC, composed of up to 22 members from the banking industry and related stakeholders. It serves as the structured channel for industry input into the JBRC’s work on data standardisation and reporting integration.

Who can apply to the RCG?

Candidates representing stakeholders across the EEA with expertise in supervisory, resolution, or statistical reporting, or in related areas such as data modelling and standardisation. The JBRC aims for diversity in banking sector representation, geographical coverage, and gender balance.

What is the time commitment for RCG members?

Members are expected to dedicate at least one full working day per week to RCG activities. This is a substantial commitment that signals the EBA and ECB expect active technical participation, not passive attendance.

What is the deadline for the current call?

28 April 2026, 23:59 CEST. Applications are submitted via the EBA online form with the password RCGApril2026, accompanied by a CV in Europass format.

How does this affect reporting teams that do not apply?

The RCG’s work feeds into the JBRC’s decisions on data definitions, standardisation, and reporting integration. These decisions will shape future ITS amendments, validation rules, and template structures. Tracking RCG outputs and JBRC publications gives reporting teams early visibility into changes that will eventually reach their desks.

Is this the first RCG call?

No. The first call was launched on 3 July 2024 with a deadline of 1 August 2024. The current call is a new round to fill positions or expand membership, with the current mandate running until the end of 2027.

Related Articles

Key Takeaways

  • The EBA and ECB have opened a new call for expressions of interest to join the JBRC’s Reporting Contact Group. Deadline: 28 April 2026, 23:59 CEST.
  • The RCG has up to 22 members with a three-year renewable mandate. Members commit at least one full working day per week.
  • The JBRC is building a common data dictionary to harmonise definitions across supervisory, statistical, and resolution reporting. This will reshape how templates, validation rules, and data models are designed.
  • Banks, vendors, and national authorities should all track JBRC developments, regardless of whether they apply to the RCG. The integration logic will affect existing frameworks, not just new ones.
  • The JBRC was established on 18 March 2024 under Article 430c(2)(c) of the CRR. It includes the ECB, EBA, European Commission, SRB, and national authorities.
  • Reporting teams should start mapping concept overlaps across their current frameworks now. The common data dictionary will require retroactive alignment, not just forward-looking adoption.

Sources and References

Disclaimer: The information on RegReportingDesk.com is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, tax, or compliance advice. Always consult your compliance officer, legal counsel, or the relevant supervisory authority for guidance specific to your institution.

Similar Posts