Corporate governance

Handelsbanken applies the Swedish Corporate Governance Code with no deviations. The Code is available at the Swedish Corporate Governance Board’s website, www.bolagsstyrning.se Opens in a new window. 

Corporate governance in the Handelsbanken Group is aimed at creating a clear, fit-for-purpose organisational structure which ensures that operations can be carried out in a sound, effective manner and in accordance with external and internal rules, which facilitates the effective monitoring and management of the risks that arise. 

A clear allocation of responsibilities meets the Bank's needs as regards internal control, risk control and compliance, and is also key to enabling the operations to be followed up in the best possible manner, from a business perspective. Good governance must run through all operations, and it therefore affects all employees of the Handelsbanken Group. 

Handelsbanken applies an internal regulatory framework as part of its governance. The Board issues polices and instructions, while the Chief Executive Officer issues guidelines containing more detailed directions that complement the policies. These governing documents are supplemented by other internal rules that provide more specific instructions and guidance on how the business is to be conducted.

The operations of Swedish banks are regulated by law, and banking operations may only be run with a licence from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. The regulations for banking operations are extensive.

The most important statutes include the Companies Act, the Banking and Financing Business Act, the Securities Markets Act, the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms (EU) 575/2013, the Act on Measures Against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism, and extensive legislation on fund management and insurance operations.

In addition to this there are regulations and general guidelines issued by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, for example regarding governance, risk management and control of financial undertakings and regulations governing investment services.

For a list of laws and regulations relating to banking operations, see the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority's website Opens in a new window (not all available in English).

Operations outside Sweden are subject both to the Swedish regulations and to the host country's regulations, if these are stricter or in other respects deviate from Swedish or international rules.