The Central Bank of Montenegro met with commercial bank management to review banking-sector conditions and initial results following Montenegro’s participation in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payment system. The meeting concluded that the banking system remains stable, liquid and adequately capitalised, alongside continued growth in key balance-sheet positions. The central bank reported strong growth in the number of SEPA payment transactions in the first month of application, particularly for amounts up to EUR 200, with more orders initiated electronically and users favouring faster and cheaper digital channels that cost around half as much as counter-based transactions. Several banks already process more than 80% of orders through SEPA, and the market has shown a shift away from traditional SWIFT transfers. It also discussed amendments to the Central Bank of Montenegro tariffs that halve fees for processing transactions in the national payment system, reducing RTGS fees to EUR 0.75 from EUR 1.50 and DNS fees to EUR 0.05 from EUR 0.10; the changes are linked to the EU cost-coverage model and preparations for introducing the TIPS Clone system, and imply an expected cumulative income decline of EUR 12.37 million over 2026–2030. Banks are obliged to pass the lower costs in full to citizens and the economy by harmonising their own tariff lists no later than 1 December 2025, with the central bank to monitor implementation through regular supervision. Looking ahead, the central bank flagged continued work to align the domestic framework with European supervisory standards, including a 2025 draft law amending the Law on Credit Institutions to align with Capital Requirements Directive VI, which will be mandatory in EU member states from 11 January 2026. It also outlined a 2026 focus on risk management and resilience, implementation of ESG principles, and compliance work for the Digital Operational Resilience Act, alongside continued progress on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervision and consumer protection, including the adoption of 10 by-laws under the Law on Consumer Credits.
Central Bank of Montenegro 2025-11-26
Central Bank of Montenegro requires banks to pass on halved RTGS and DNS fees by 1 December 2025 as SEPA transactions rise
The Central Bank of Montenegro reviewed banking-sector conditions post-SEPA integration, noting stability and growth. Amendments to tariffs will halve transaction fees, aligning with EU models and preparing for the TIPS Clone system, with banks required to pass savings to citizens by December 2025. Future efforts will focus on aligning domestic regulations with European standards, including amendments to the Law on Credit Institutions and enhancing risk management, ESG principles, and consumer protection.