Insurance & Pensions in Luxembourg

Key dates

2025-01-17

DORA began applying to in-scope financial entities supervised by the CSSF.

2025-12-17

The European Commission confirmed through DORA Q&A 102 that DORA applies to qualifying third-country branches in an EU Member State.

2026-06-30 Deadline

CSSF’s extended best-efforts deadline for the first register-of-information submission by third-country branches of credit institutions headquartered in a third country.

2026-08-27

Circular CSSF 26/915 was published and took effect immediately; the listed CSSF circulars were amended to include or remove qualifying third-country branches as applicable.

2027-03-31 Deadline

Target date identified by CSSF for the required-quality register-of-information submission by third-country branches of credit institutions headquartered in a third country.

2027-01-11

Relevant CRD VI third-country-branch provisions are scheduled to take effect, subject to national transposition and applicable transitional rules.

Suggested considerations

• Firms should map each Luxembourg third-country branch against the counterfactual test in Circular 26/915: whether the head-office undertaking would qualify under Article 2(1)(a) to (t) of DORA if established in the relevant third country.
• Affected branches should update their regulatory-perimeter inventories, governance documents, ICT-risk policies, outsourcing inventories, incident-classification procedures and DORA control testing to reflect immediate inclusion in the DORA-specific CSSF circulars.
• Compliance teams may wish to separate non-ICT outsourcing, which remains subject to Part I of Circular CSSF 22/806, from ICT outsourcing, which is governed by DORA and Circular CSSF 25/882 rather than the legacy Part II framework.
• Affected entities should validate their register-of-information process under DORA and Circular CSSF 25/882, including branch-level data, ICT third-party contracts, intra-group arrangements and submission ownership. The 30 June 2026 best-efforts deadline for third-country branches of credit institutions has passed, and firms should prepare for the 31 March 2027 collection and any CSSF remediation requests.
• Incident-response teams should test access to the CSSF eDesk procedure and S3 API and document an escalation process for emailing [email protected] when technical impossibility prevents electronic submission.
• Firms should assess whether they qualify for the microenterprise exclusion in Circular CSSF 25/892; the exclusion applies to entities employing fewer than 10 persons with annual turnover and/or annual balance-sheet total not exceeding EUR 2 million, subject to the DORA definition and exclusions for specified market infrastructures.
• Third-country banking groups should coordinate DORA implementation with the CRD VI third-country-branch analysis, including the 11 January 2027 effective date for relevant CRD VI provisions, rather than assuming that the two regimes have identical scope or timing.

What changed

Qualifying third-country branches are added to the scope of Circulars CSSF 25/882, 25/892 and 25/893, covering DORA ICT third-party-service information and reporting, estimation of aggregated annual costs and losses from major ICT-related incidents under Article 11(11) of DORA and the Joint ESA Guidelines JC/GL/2024/34, and reporting of major ICT-related incidents and significant cyber threats.

Key dates

07 August 2023

- Law of 7 August 2023 introducing the new accounting regime for associations and foundations enters into force and defines classification as “small associations”, “medium‑sized associations” and “large associations” with corresponding accounting obligations

Autumn 2026

- CNC plans to publish an accounting guide dedicated to the new accounting regime for ASBLs classified as small, medium‑sized and large associations, and associations recognised as being of public utility

04 August 2026

- CSSF press release is published, formally drawing supervisory attention to CNC Q&A 26/038 and the related upcoming CNC accounting guide

Suggested considerations

• Identify all Luxembourg associations, public‑utility associations and foundations within or related to the group that are impacted by the Law of 7 August 2023 and confirm their size classification (small, medium‑sized, large) and whether they fall under the “medium‑sized undertakings” regime.
• Review existing accounting policies, charts of accounts and annual accounts formats for affected entities to ensure alignment with LRCS statutory layouts, including non‑abridged balance sheet, appropriate profit and loss format, and required notes disclosures.
• Decide at governing‑body level whether each affected entity will voluntarily adopt the PCN or maintain an internal chart of accounts, documenting the rationale, governance approvals and compliance impacts of the chosen option.
• Where PCN is not adopted, design, implement and document a robust mapping from the internal chart of accounts to the statutory LRCS balance sheet and profit and loss layouts, ensuring audit‑ready documentation and traceability.
• Update accounting systems and reporting tools for affected entities to support LRCS statutory layouts, consistent layout adaptations, and classic‑format filing with the RCS, including necessary changes to interfaces and data capture.

What changed

• - Large associations, associations recognised as being of public utility and foundations are now subject to the accounting regime applicable to “medium‑sized undertakings” under the amended...
• Annual accounts for affected entities must include a non‑abridged balance sheet, a profit and loss account (at least in abridged format), and notes to the accounts containing disclosures required by...
• Affected entities must use statutory LRCS layouts for the balance sheet and profit and loss account and file their annual accounts in classic format with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register...
• Large associations, public‑utility associations and foundations remain exempt from the mandatory use of the Standard Chart of Accounts (Plan Comptable Normalisé – PCN) and from eCDF standard data...
• Affected entities may voluntarily adopt the PCN; if they do not adopt PCN, they must maintain an internal chart of accounts and ensure robust, documented mapping between internal accounts and...

Key dates

01 July 2026

- ESMA launches its public consultation on simplifying the EU Taxonomy disclosure framework and technical advice on selected KPIs under the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act

22 July 2026

- ESMA holds a public hearing to present its proposals and engage with stakeholders on the consultation

12 August 2026 Deadline

- Deadline for stakeholders to submit responses to ESMA’s consultation on Taxonomy disclosure simplification

By October 2026

- ESMA (and other ESAs) are expected to deliver final technical advice on the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act KPIs to the European Commission

Q1 2027

- Target date for the European Commission to complete its review of the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act based on ESAs’ advice

Suggested considerations

• Conduct an internal impact assessment of current Taxonomy Article 8 KPI calculation and reporting processes, focusing on OpEx, Commissions and Fees, Trading Book, and Underwriting KPIs, to identify pain points and simplification priorities.
• Prepare and submit a response to ESMA’s consultation by 12 August 2026, either directly or via industry associations, articulating specific operational, data, and system challenges and concrete proposals for simplification.
• Register for and attend ESMA’s public hearing on 22 July 2026 to understand the detailed proposals, ask clarifying questions, and align internal positions ahead of submission.
• Coordinate with regulatory affairs, sustainability, risk, and finance functions to develop a unified institutional position on the desired design of revised KPIs and group‑level reporting under the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act.
• Map dependencies between Taxonomy Article 8 data and other ESG reporting (including SFDR product disclosures and CSRD/ESRS reporting) to anticipate how changes to KPIs may affect cross‑framework consistency and data architecture.

What changed

• - ESMA is consulting on technical advice to the European Commission specifically targeting selected KPIs under the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act (Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation), including...
• The stated policy objective is simplification of the EU Taxonomy disclosure framework while preserving decision‑useful information for investors and supervisors.
• ESMA aims to reduce reporting burdens for market participants, notably corporates and financial institutions subject to Taxonomy Article 8 disclosures.
• The consultation covers selected KPIs under the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act, with the European Commission having requested focused advice on: OpEx KPI of non‑financial firms; Commissions and...
• ESMA is proposing more pragmatic approaches to group‑level reporting for mixed groups, including reporting at parent‑undertaking level to reduce complexity for conglomerates.

Key dates

08 June 2026

– Publication of the interview with the CNC chairman in Paperjam announcing that Luxembourg accounting legislation will be overhauled

15 June 2026

– CSSF press release published, drawing attention to CNC Q&A 26/037 and the CNC chairman’s interview and signaling supervisory expectations that entities consider this doctrine when preparing annual accounts

Suggested considerations

• Obtain and review the full CNC Q&A 26/037 and the CNC chairman’s interview (French‑language originals), ensuring that finance, accounting, and compliance teams understand the clarified distinctions between statutory and contractual/voluntary annual accounts.
• Map all sets of financial statements prepared by each Luxembourg entity (statutory accounts, covenant‑based or lender‑specific accounts, group reporting packages, management accounts, etc.) and classify each set as statutory or contractual/voluntary in line with CNC Q&A 26/037 definitions.
• Update internal accounting policies and manuals to explicitly define statutory versus contractual/voluntary annual accounts, specify the applicable accounting principles and disclosures for each, and describe any differences in measurement, presentation, or scope.
• Assess current practices for communicating financial information to lenders, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders to confirm that non‑statutory accounts are not labeled or presented in a way that could be misinterpreted as statutory accounts approved under Luxembourg company law.
• Implement clear labeling and disclosure conventions on the face of financial statements and in accompanying notes (e.g., in engagement reports, board minutes, and management communications) to distinguish statutory annual accounts from any contractual or voluntary accounts.

What changed

• - The CSSF formally draws regulated entities’ attention to CNC Q&A 26/037, elevating it as a key interpretative reference on the concepts of annual accounts prepared for legal/statutory purposes...
• The CNC Q&A 26/037 provides clarified definitions of “comptes annuels établis à fins légales” (statutory annual accounts) and “comptes annuels établis à des fins contractuelles ou sur base...
• The Q&A gives practical answers to frequently asked questions from preparers about when accounts qualify as statutory versus merely contractual or voluntary, and how this affects applicable...
• The Q&A addresses related issues, such as the extent to which CNC doctrine and Luxembourg GAAP must be followed for contractual or voluntary accounts, and the risks of presenting non‑statutory...
• The CSSF also highlights an interview with the CNC chairman announcing that Luxembourg accounting legislation will undergo a refonte (major overhaul), signaling that current CNC doctrine, including...

Key dates

28 January 2019

Publication date; of original Circular CSSF 19/708

1 February 2019

Entry into force; Mandatory electronic transmission for listed documents; non-electronic submissions null and void

22 December 2021

Amendment; by Circular CSSF 21/790

1 April 2025

Latest annex update; noted

Ongoing Deadline

Regular checks required; Entities must monitor CSSF website for annex updates

Suggested considerations

• Register/access e-file or SOFiE platforms if not already (test/production environments available since February 2019).
• Consult and adhere to the latest Annex I for document list, nomenclatures, and formats (PDF with full functionality).
• Ensure submissions are final/official versions matching hard copies; use specified identifiers for UCIs/SIFs/SICARs.
• Implement processes for automatic/manual transmission (e.g., via updated sending services v4.9.0 or transmission module 6.6.0).
• Train staff on responsibilities and integrate into reporting workflows; reference CSSF FAQs for closing documents.

What changed

• - Mandatory Electronic-Only Submission: Documents listed in Annex I must be transmitted exclusively via e-file (http://www.e-file.lu) or SOFiE...
• Dynamic Annex Updates: The annex, published on the CSSF website, is regularly updated (e.g., latest noted April 1, 2025) and includes prospectuses, management regulations, annual reports, risk...
• Scope Expansion: Extends beyond UCIs to securitisation undertakings (2004 Law), pension funds (2005 Law), SICARs, and Luxembourg IFMs; repeals prior Circulars CSSF 09/423 and 08/371.
• Filer Responsibilities: Entities ensure documents match official final hard copies, handle content/format accuracy, and check annex updates regularly.