Original text (Spanish)
Artículo 14. Personas con responsabilidad pública. 1. Los sujetos obligados aplicarán las medidas reforzadas de diligencia debida previstas en este artículo en las relaciones de negocio u operaciones de personas con responsabilidad pública. 2. Se considerarán personas con responsabilidad pública aquellas que desempeñen o hayan desempeñado funciones públicas importantes, tales como los jefes de Estado, jefes de Gobierno, ministros u otros miembros de Gobierno, secretarios de Estado o subsecretarios; los parlamentarios; los magistrados de tribunales supremos, tribunales constitucionales u otras altas instancias judiciales cuyas decisiones no admitan normalmente recurso, salvo en circunstancias excepcionales, con inclusión de los miembros equivalentes del Ministerio Fiscal; los miembros de tribunales de cuentas o de consejos de bancos centrales; los embajadores y encargados de negocios; el alto personal militar de las Fuerzas Armadas; los miembros de los órganos de administración, de gestión o de supervisión de empresas de titularidad pública; los directores, directores adjuntos y miembros del consejo de administración, o función equivalente, de una organización internacional; y los cargos de alta dirección de partidos políticos con representación parlamentaria. 3. Asimismo, tendrán la consideración de personas con responsabilidad pública: a) Las personas, distintas de las enumeradas en el apartado anterior, que tengan la consideración de alto cargo de conformidad con lo previsto en el artículo 1 de la Ley 3/2015, de 30 de marzo, reguladora del ejercicio de altos cargos de la Administración General del Estado. b) Las personas que desempeñen o hayan desempeñado funciones públicas importantes en el ámbito autonómico español, como los Presidentes y los Consejeros y demás miembros de los Consejos de Gobierno, así como las personas que desempeñen cargos equivalentes a los relacionados en la letra a), y los diputados autonómicos y los cargos de alta dirección de partidos políticos con representación autonómica. c) En el ámbito local español, los alcaldes, concejales y las personas que desempeñen cargos equivalentes a las relacionadas en la letra a) de los municipios capitales de provincia, o de Comunidad Autónoma y de las Entidades Locales de más de 50.000 habitantes, así como los cargos de alta dirección de partidos políticos con representación en dichas circunscripciones. d) Los cargos de alta dirección en organizaciones sindicales o empresariales españolas. e) Las personas que desempeñen funciones públicas importantes en las organizaciones internacionales acreditadas en España. Estas organizaciones deberán elaborar y mantener actualizada una lista de esas funciones públicas de conformidad con lo señalado en el apartado 2. La Comisión de Prevención del Blanqueo de Capitales e Infracciones Monetarias elaborará y publicará una lista en la que se detallará qué tipo de funciones y puestos determinan la consideración de persona con responsabilidad pública española. 4. Ninguna de las categorías previstas en los apartados anteriores incluirá empleados públicos de niveles intermedios o inferiores. 5. En relación con los clientes o titulares reales enumerados en este artículo, los sujetos obligados, además de las medidas normales de diligencia debida, deberán en todo caso: a) Aplicar procedimientos adecuados de gestión del riesgo a fin de determinar si el cliente o el titular real es una persona con responsabilidad pública. Dichos procedimientos se incluirán en la política expresa de admisión de clientes a que se refiere el artículo 26. b) Obtener la autorización del inmediato nivel directivo, como mínimo, para establecer o mantener relaciones de negocios. c) Adoptar medidas adecuadas a fin de determinar el origen del patrimonio y de los fondos. d) Realizar un seguimiento reforzado y permanente de la relación de negocios. En los procedimientos internos de la entidad se determinará el nivel directivo mínimo necesario para la autorización de establecer o mantener relaciones de negocios, que podrá adecuarse en función del riesgo de la operación y del cliente concreto. Solamente podrán tener asignada esta función las personas que tengan conocimiento suficiente del nivel de exposición del sujeto obligado al riesgo de blanqueo de capitales y de la financiación del terrorismo y que cuenten con la jerarquía suficiente para tomar decisiones que afecten a esta exposición. 6. Los sujetos obligados aplicarán las medidas establecidas en el apartado anterior a los familiares y allegados de las personas con responsabilidad pública. A los efectos de este artículo tendrá la consideración de familiar el cónyuge o la persona ligada de forma estable por análoga relación de afectividad, así como los padres e hijos, y los cónyuges o personas ligadas a los hijos de forma estable por análoga relación de afectividad. Se considerará allegado toda persona física de la que sea notorio que ostente la titularidad o el control de un instrumento o persona jurídicos conjuntamente con una persona con responsabilidad pública, o que mantenga otro tipo de relaciones empresariales estrechas con la misma, o que ostente la titularidad o el control de un instrumento o persona jurídicos que notoriamente se haya constituido en beneficio de la misma. 7. Los sujetos obligados aplicarán medidas razonables para determinar si el beneficiario de una póliza de seguro de vida y, en su caso, el titular real del beneficiario, es una persona con responsabilidad pública con carácter previo al pago de la prestación derivada del contrato o al ejercicio de los derechos de rescate, anticipo o pignoración conferidos por la póliza. En esos casos, los sujetos obligados, además de las medidas normales de diligencia debida, deberán: a) Informar al inmediato nivel directivo, como mínimo, antes de proceder al pago, rescate, anticipo o pignoración. b) Realizar un escrutinio reforzado de la entera relación de negocios con el tomador de la póliza. c) Realizar el examen especial previsto en el artículo 17 a efectos de determinar si procede la comunicación por indicio de conformidad con el artículo 18. 8. Sin perjuicio del cumplimiento de lo establecido en los apartados anteriores, cuando, por concurrir las circunstancias previstas en el artículo 17, proceda el examen especial, los sujetos obligados adoptarán las medidas adecuadas para apreciar la eventual participación en el hecho u operación de quien ostente o haya ostentado la condición de cargo público representativo o alto cargo de las Administraciones Públicas, o de sus familiares o allegados. 9. Sin perjuicio de lo dispuesto en el artículo 11, cuando las personas contempladas en los apartados precedentes hayan dejado de desempeñar sus funciones, los sujetos obligados continuarán aplicando las medidas previstas en este artículo por un periodo de dos años. Transcurrido ese plazo, el sujeto obligado aplicará medidas de diligencia debida adecuadas, en función del riesgo que pudiera seguir presentado el cliente, y hasta tanto se determine por el sujeto obligado que ya no representa un riesgo específico derivado de su antigua condición de persona con responsabilidad pública.
Source notes
- Se modifican las letras b) y c) y se añade la letra e) al apartado 3 por el art. 3.9 del Real Decreto-ley 7/2021, de 27 de abril. Ref. BOE-A-2021-6872
- Se modifica por el art. 2.9 del Real Decreto-ley 11/2018, de 31 de agosto. Ref. BOE-A-2018-12131
- Se modifica por la disposición final 6.5 de la Ley 19/2013, de 9 de diciembre. Ref. BOE-A-2013-12887.
Translation (Machine translation, unofficial)
Article 14. Persons with public responsibility. 1. Obliged entities shall apply the enhanced due diligence measures provided for in this Article in business relationships or transactions of persons with public responsibility. 2. Persons with public responsibility shall be those who perform or have performed important public functions, such as heads of State, heads of Government, ministers or other members of Government, secretaries of State or under-secretaries; members of parliament; judges of supreme courts, constitutional courts or other high judicial bodies whose decisions are not normally subject to appeal, save in exceptional circumstances, including the equivalent members of the Public Prosecutor's Office; members of courts of auditors or of boards of central banks; ambassadors and chargés d'affaires; senior military personnel of the Armed Forces; members of the administrative, management or supervisory bodies of publicly owned undertakings; directors, deputy directors and members of the board, or equivalent function, of an international organisation; and senior managers of political parties with parliamentary representation. 3. The following shall also be regarded as persons with public responsibility: a) Persons, other than those listed in the preceding paragraph, who are senior officials under Article 1 of Act 3/2015 of 30 March regulating the exercise of senior office in the General State Administration. b) Persons who perform or have performed important public functions at Spanish regional (autonomous community) level, such as the Presidents and the Councillors and other members of the Governing Councils, as well as persons holding offices equivalent to those listed in letter a), and regional parliament members and senior managers of political parties with regional representation. c) At Spanish local level, mayors, councillors and persons holding offices equivalent to those listed in letter a) in municipalities that are provincial or autonomous-community capitals and in local entities of more than 50,000 inhabitants, as well as senior managers of political parties with representation in those constituencies. d) Senior managers of Spanish trade union or employers' organisations. e) Persons who perform important public functions in international organisations accredited in Spain. Those organisations shall draw up and keep updated a list of those public functions in accordance with paragraph 2. The Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences shall draw up and publish a list detailing which types of functions and posts determine the status of Spanish person with public responsibility. 4. None of the categories provided for in the preceding paragraphs shall include middle-ranking or junior public employees. 5. In relation to the clients or beneficial owners listed in this Article, obliged entities, in addition to the normal due diligence measures, shall in all cases: a) Apply appropriate risk management procedures to determine whether the client or the beneficial owner is a person with public responsibility. Those procedures shall be included in the express client admission policy referred to in Article 26. b) Obtain the authorisation of at least the immediate management level to establish or maintain business relationships. c) Take adequate measures to establish the source of wealth and of funds. d) Carry out enhanced and continuous monitoring of the business relationship. The institution's internal procedures shall determine the minimum management level required to authorise the establishment or maintenance of business relationships, which may be adjusted according to the risk of the transaction and of the particular client. This function may only be assigned to persons with sufficient knowledge of the obliged entity's level of exposure to money laundering and terrorist financing risk and with sufficient seniority to take decisions affecting that exposure. 6. Obliged entities shall apply the measures established in the preceding paragraph to family members and close associates of persons with public responsibility. For the purposes of this Article, family member means the spouse or person linked by a stable relationship of similar affection, as well as parents and children, and the spouses or persons linked to the children by a stable relationship of similar affection. Close associate means any natural person known to hold the ownership or control of a legal arrangement or legal person jointly with a person with public responsibility, or to maintain other types of close business relations with that person, or to hold the ownership or control of a legal arrangement or legal person known to have been set up for that person's benefit. 7. Obliged entities shall apply reasonable measures to determine whether the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and, where applicable, the beneficial owner of the beneficiary, is a person with public responsibility, before payment of the benefit under the contract or the exercise of the surrender, advance or pledge rights conferred by the policy. In those cases, obliged entities, in addition to the normal due diligence measures, shall: a) Inform at least the immediate management level before making the payment, surrender, advance or pledge. b) Carry out enhanced scrutiny of the entire business relationship with the policyholder. c) Carry out the special examination provided for in Article 17 in order to determine whether a report based on indications is required in accordance with Article 18. 8. Without prejudice to compliance with the preceding paragraphs, where the special examination is required because the circumstances in Article 17 apply, obliged entities shall take adequate measures to assess the possible involvement in the fact or transaction of anyone who holds or has held the status of elected public office-holder or senior official of the Public Administrations, or of their family members or close associates. 9. Without prejudice to Article 11, where the persons referred to in the preceding paragraphs have ceased to perform their functions, obliged entities shall continue to apply the measures provided for in this Article for a period of two years. After that period, the obliged entity shall apply appropriate due diligence measures, according to the risk the client may continue to present, until the obliged entity determines that the client no longer represents a specific risk arising from their former status as a person with public responsibility.
Plain English
Enhanced due diligence applies to the business of persons with public responsibility (PEPs): those who hold or have held important public functions (heads of State and Government, ministers, secretaries of State and under-secretaries, MPs, judges of supreme, constitutional and other high courts and equivalent prosecutors, members of courts of auditors and central-bank boards, ambassadors and chargés d'affaires, senior military officers, board members of publicly owned undertakings, directors and board members of international organisations, senior managers of parliamentary parties), plus Spanish senior officials under Act 3/2015, regional presidents, councillors, parliamentarians and party leaders, mayors and councillors of provincial or regional capitals and of local entities over 50,000 inhabitants, senior managers of trade unions and employers' organisations, and important office-holders in international organisations accredited in Spain. Middle-ranking and junior public employees are never PEPs. The Commission publishes a list of Spanish PEP functions. For PEP clients or beneficial owners an entity must, in addition to normal due diligence: have risk-management procedures (in its client admission policy) to detect PEPs; obtain at least immediate-management-level approval to establish or keep the relationship (the approving level is set in internal procedures and held only by people who understand and can act on the entity's ML/TF exposure); establish the source of wealth and funds; and monitor the relationship on an enhanced and continuous basis. The same applies to family members (spouse or partner, parents, children and their spouses or partners) and close associates (joint owners or controllers of legal persons or arrangements, other close business relations, or owners of entities set up for the PEP's benefit). Before paying a life-insurance benefit or allowing surrender, advance or pledge, the entity must take reasonable measures to find out whether the beneficiary (or its beneficial owner) is a PEP and, if so, inform at least the immediate management level beforehand, scrutinise the whole relationship with the policyholder on an enhanced basis, and carry out an Article 17 special examination to decide whether to report under Article 18. In any special examination it must assess whether current or former elected office-holders or senior officials, or their relatives or associates, are involved. Measures continue for two years after a PEP leaves office, and then risk-based measures continue until the entity determines the former status no longer presents a specific risk.
Obligation
Identify whether a customer, beneficial owner or life-insurance beneficiary is a PEP (or their family member/close associate) using the Article 26 acceptance policy, obtain senior-management authorisation before onboarding, establish source of wealth and funds, apply enhanced ongoing monitoring, run a special examination before any PEP-linked life-insurance payout, and keep these measures running for two years after the person leaves office.
Assess Verify Report
Data items: PEP status determination, source of wealth and funds, senior management authorisation
Los sujetos obligados aplicarán las medidas reforzadas de diligencia debida previstas en este artículo en las relaciones de negocio u operaciones de personas con responsabilidad pública.
Translation: Obliged entities shall apply the enhanced due diligence measures provided for in this Article in business relationships or transactions of persons with public responsibility.
Applies to
- Firm types
- Credit institution, Financial institution, Payment institution, E-money institution, Cryptoasset business, Investment firm, All relevant persons
- Business lines
- All business lines
- Customer types
- Individual customer, Company, Trust or legal arrangement
- Stages
- Onboarding, Ongoing review, Investigation
- Conditions
- Applies where the client or a beneficial owner (or a life-insurance beneficiary or its beneficial owner) is a person with public responsibility, a family member or a close associate; measures continue for two years after the person leaves office, then on a risk basis.
- Exceptions
- Middle-ranking or junior public employees are not persons with public responsibility.