Belgium

Belgium is home to universal banks, specialised financial businesses and institutions with operations beyond its borders. It is part of the euro area, so bank oversight combines national and European responsibilities. A customer-facing banking brand may not be the legal entity that holds the relevant authorisation.

The National Bank of Belgium (NBB) focuses on prudential supervision, including institutions' financial soundness. The Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) oversees conduct rules, financial products and consumer treatment. These responsibilities complement one another but are not interchangeable, especially when assessing the status of a non-bank service provider.