Additional prudential expectations regarding operational business continuity and security of systemically important financial institutions

de Berlaimontlaan 14 – BE-1000 Brussel tel. +32 2 221 45 44 – fax + 32 2 221 31 38 ondernemingsnummer: 0203.201.340 RPR Brussel www.nbb.be Circular Brussels, 18 December 2015 Reference: NBB_2015_32 Your correspondent:
Gino Thielemans tel. +32 2 221 45 44 – fax +32 2 221 31 38 Gino.Thielemans@nbb.be Additional prudential expectations regarding operational business continuity and security of systemically important financial institutions Scope Systemically important financial institutions governed by Belgian law as referred to in Article 3, 29°, of the Law of 25 April 2014 on the legal status and supervision of credit institutions, and Article 36/3, § 2, of the Organic Law1. Summary/Objectives Provide an explanation to systemically important financial institutions about the expectations of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) regarding their operational business continuity and security. Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

1. Rationale
   Systemically important financial institutions should devote particular attention to the continuity of their services and the security of their operations, in the light of:
    their critical role in the financial system and their great social importance;  the fact that, precisely because of their systemic character and/or their high visibility and strong reputation, they may be privileged targets for both external and internal persons with malicious intentions (criminals, terrorists, etc.). 1 According to Article 36/3, § 2, of the Organic Law, the Bank must determine, among the financial institutions referred to in Article 36/2, with the exception of credit institutions, those that must be considered as system￾relevant and must inform each one of these institutions.