Collaboration in civil preparedness for payments (CBB)

The Riksbank imposes requirements on and supervises companies of particular importance for the execution of payments 

Pursuant to Chapter 5 of the Sveriges Riksbank Act (2022:1568), the Riksbank is responsible for ensuring that the general public can make payments in peacetime crisis situations and states of heightened alert. The Riksbank may issue regulations defining which operations are of particular importance for the execution of payments. The companies assessed by the Riksbank to carry out such operations are: Bankgirot, Bankomat, Danske bank, Euroclear Sweden, Finansiell ID-teknik, GetSwish, Handelsbanken, Loomis, Länsförsäkringar Bank, Nordea, SEB and Swedbank. Through the regulations, the Riksbank imposes requirements on companies with regard to their planning for peacetime crisis situations and states of heightened alert, including requirements for training and exercises. The Riksbank follows up that companies fulfil the requirements in the Riksbank's regulations through an annual oversight process and may decide on the injunctions needed for companies to comply with the Riksbank's regulations. A decision on an injunction may ultimately be accompanied by a financial penalty for companies that fail to comply with the regulations. 

Civil Contingencies Payments Collaboration structure 

For a payment to reach the final recipient, several actors and systems need to work simultaneously. It is therefore not enough for each company to plan and take action individually to deal with a peacetime crisis or, ultimately, a heightened state of alert; the collective capability also needs to be strengthened.  The Riksbank leads the Civil Contingencies Payments Collaboration (CBB), which includes companies of particular importance for the implementation of payments, the Swedish National Debt Office and representatives from the Riksbank (the RIX system and the cash management division).

The purpose of the collaborative structure is both to strengthen payment preparedness in anticipation of a peacetime crisis or state of heightened alert by jointly implementing measures that strengthen collective capability and to do exercises together. And also to be able to establish good situational awareness regarding payments in the event of an incident. The companies, together with the Riksbank and the Swedish National Debt Office, are therefore also part of the management function for cooperation and information that the Riksbank leads in the event of a disruption that may affect the general public's ability to make payments. The Riksbank, together with the companies and the Swedish National Debt Office, conducts exercises of the management function and regular convening tests. The work is also carried out in close cooperation with Finansinspektionen (the Financial Supervisory Authority), based on its sectoral responsibilities for financial services.