The activity of the association relies on the functioning of the different committees comprising representatives of member banks, which are chaired or coordinated by an AEB staff member. The main areas and committees are the following:
Legal
The Legal area of the AEB is responsible for analyzing policy initiatives (administrative or parliamentary) affecting banks, and to develop comments on them.
Working with the AEB's Legal Committee, it discusses any legal issues that may arise relating to the activity of credit institutions operating in Spain and monitors the matters dealt with by the Legal Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
This area also includes the Committee of Money Laundering Prevention.
Fiscal
The Fiscal area monitors the legislative initiatives relating to taxation; issues comments on them and, once the laws are passed, informs associates on the main changes that have been introduced and the date of their entry into force. It also works together with its associates in resolving problems relating to tax issues that arise from their banking activity. When there are any doubts or questions of interpretation, it submits the corresponding queries to the relevant bodies of the tax authorities. At an international level, the area represents the AEB at the Fiscal Committee of the European Banking Federation.
It also participates in working groups set up within the Fiscal Committee of the European Banking Federation and within those international organisations of which the Kingdom of Spain is a member (the European Union, OECD, etc.) whenever requested to do so.
Economics
The core objective of the area is to analyse and monitor economic developments and policies on an ongoing basis, at both national and international level.
Its main tasks include responding to the requests for information from the President and Secretary’s General Office, from the association's other advisory areas and from its member banks.
The area of Economics keeps in close contact with the main government economic departments and other private economic institutes, as well as the research departments of the main member banks in order to exchange information and views. The area of Economics represents the AEB at the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (EMAC) of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
It publishes the AEB’s quarterly Economic and Financial Report, which provides an analysis and systematic assessment of the general economic outlook and trends.
Financial Regulation
The area of Financial Regulation analyses and monitors matters related to financial markets and instruments and banking regulation and supervision (in the latter case, working with the area of Banking).
The Financial Markets, Securities and Infrastructures Committee and the Banking Regulation and Supervision Committee have been set up at the national level to work in these areas in partnership with associate banks. At an international level the Financial Regulation area participates actively in the European Banking Federation (EBF) through the Banking Supervision Committee and the Financial Markets Committee, and in the International Banking Federation (IBFed) through the Financial Markets Working Group.
Retail Banking
The area of Retail Banking is responsible for all questions that may affect retail banking activity and consumer relations, and it determines the banks’ position on these matters through the AEB's Retail Financial Services Committee.
It also monitors European initiatives in this field through participation in the Consumer Affairs Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
European and International Relations
The area of European and International Relations monitors any regulatory activity that may affect Spanish banks, in particular at the European level, and informs the AEB General Council of these developments. Together with the other AEB areas, it defines and coordinates the association's position in the various European Banking Federation (EBF) committees where the AEB is represented.
The area is also responsible for relations with European bodies, particularly the Commission and the European Central Bank, other international bodies and banking associations in other countries.
Banking
The task of the area of Banking is to monitor Spanish and international legislation relating to financial reporting, accounting and solvency (the latter together with the Financial Regulation); to analyse the balance sheets and income statements of Spanish banks and compare them with those of their international competitors. In addition, the area is responsible for the study and monitoring of the main variables and indicators that may affect the banking business in Spain and for publishing the public financial statements of banks in Spain.
The area coordinates the work of the AEB's Accounts Committee that analyses and comments on aspects of accounting regulation affecting the Spanish banking sector and informs on the regulatory proposals of the Bank of Spain, the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) and international regulators on questions of accounting and financial reporting. It is represented on the Accounts Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
The area also participates in the AEB's Accounting Regulation and Supervision Committee, which studies any proposals made related to the regulatory capital framework and to national and European supervision.
Finally, together with the area of Economics it coordinates the work of the Country Risk Commission, which monitors the agreements on debt renegotiation negotiated in the Paris Club and analyses the economic situation and foreign debt of countries facing repayment difficulties.
The area of Payments Systems is responsible for matters relating to systems and infrastructures for payments, standard procedures and transactions. The Payments, Transactions and Procedures Committee (CPOP), which is part of this area, has the following areas of activity: payment and clearance systems, standardization of procedures, foreign transactions and balance of payments, securities and relations with the public authorities in matters relating to collection of revenues and execution of debt.
The task of this committee at the European level is to monitor matters related to payment instruments of the European Payment Council (EPC), the ECB contact group on payment systems, and the European Commission's Payment Systems Group (markets). It participates in the Payments Systems Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
Security
Through a specific Committee devoted to the matter, the Security area manages all the issues regarding the legislation of the Ministry of Interior on the security of the credit institutions and the transportation of the funds, as well as preparing the statistic information about the attacks against the banks and the cooperation with the Ministry in order to prevent these attacks.
Press and Communication
The Press and Communication area helps to define and implements the AEB's communication policy. Within this broad objective, the area monitors and analyses all matters related to the national and international financial systems that are the subject of attention by the media. It also proposes messages and develops actions designed to improve knowledge of the function and activity of the Spanish banking sector, as well as other actions that improve the public image of the banking sector. Finally, it relates directly with the media, the communication departments of associate banks and the Communications Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF).
Social Affairs
The task of the area of Social Affairs is to monitor matters related to labour that affect the banking sector, above all negotiations on the collective agreement for the sector. It is also responsible for monitoring the activity of the Banking Committee for European Social Affairs of the European Banking Federation (EBF).