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Q&As refer to the provisions in force on the day of their publication. The EBA does not systematically review published Q&As following the amendment of legislative acts. Users of the Q&A tool should therefore check the date of publication of the Q&A and whether the provisions referred to in the answer remain the same.

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List of Q&A's

Article 415 and the treatment of forward starting collateral swaps.

Article 415 states "The reporting formats shall include all the necessary information and shall allow EBA to assess whether secured lending and collateral swap transactions where liquid assets referred to in points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 416(1) have been obtained against collateral that does not qualify under points (a), (b) and (c) of Article 416(1) have been properly unwound." I assume "collateral swaps" referred to above does not include forward starting collateral swaps. I.e. collateral swaps that have not yet had an initial exchange of paper.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_548
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - Liquidity (LCR, NSFR, AMM)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/04/2014

Subordinated Debt holdings

The definition of subordinated assets appears very broad - it seems to include any asset which is not highest in the order of priority. [Para 45 refers to a detailed definition in para 54: “Subordinated debt” instruments provide a subsidiary claim on the issuing institution that can only be exercised after all claims with a higher status have been satisfied”] Can the definition be interepreted as being any asset which has specific element of subordination according to its own terms and conditions rather than being a requirement to relate to all other assets?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_547
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - FINREP (incl. FB&NPE)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/03/2014

Bestimmung der Forderungsklasse für börslich gehandelte Optionen, Warrants und Futures / Determination of the exposure class for exchange-traded options, warrants and futures

Warrants, wie auch Options und Futures beinhalten sowohl ein Adress-Ausfallsrisiko, als auch ein ein individuelles Risiko (über die Entwicklung des Basiswertes bzw. dessen Emittenten). Nach welchen Kriterien soll CRR zufolge die Bestimmung der Forderungsklasse erfolgen? EN TRANSLATION: Warrants, like options and futures, entail both a counterparty credit risk and an individual risk (through the development of the underlying and its issuer). On the basis of what criteria, according to CRR, is the exposure class to be determined?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_546
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 20/06/2014

Tier 2 instruments

In question 2013_31 the EBA clarified that non-step-up legacy Tier 1 instruments could be eligible, for the amounts exceeding the grandfathering limits, as fully eligible Tier 2 instruments with no time limit and independently of the frequency of calls, if conditions set in Article 63 are met. Article 63 (j) states that such Tier 2 instruments may be called where conditions in article 77 are met. Could the EBA confirm that article 77 would apply to such legacy non step Tier 1 bonds potentially fully eligible as Tier 2 and would effectively impose a constraint on the bank, so that the bank does not need to have a contractual call provision in the non-step-up legacy Tier 1 bond that states that the call can only be exercised with the approval of the regulatory authority to get this bond approved as Tier 2 ?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_544
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/07/2014

Eligibility of capital instruments for classification as Common Equity Tier 1 instruments when the instruments are supplemented by a contractual obligation of the majority-holder of those instruments to pay compensation to the minority shareholders even in loss years

Paragraph 1 (I) (ii) of Article 28 Regulation (EU) No. 575/2013 (CRR) states that “the instruments are not secured, or subject to a guarantee that enhances the seniority of the claim by the parent undertaking of the institution”. The question is, whether a contractual obligation of the majority shareholder of a credit institution to pay a compensation to the minority shareholders even in loss years (by reason that the majority shareholder and the credit institution have entered into a profit and loss transfer agreement) is permissible according to paragraph 1 (I) (ii) of Article 28 CRR? In more general terms, what is the meaning of the word “claim” in paragraph 1 (I) of Article 28 CRR (claim only to the substance/equity of the credit institution, or also to a dividend or to a compensation payment or all)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_543
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/07/2014

Grandfathering of own funds

In question 2013_15 the EBA clarified that legacy step-up Tier 1 instruments with quarterly calls will not be eligible as fully CRR compliant Tier 2 instruments after their first call and step-up date. In question 2013_31 the EBA clarified that non-step-up Tier 1 instruments could be eligible, for the amounts exceeding the grandfathering limits, as fully eligible Tier 2 instruments with no time limit and independently of the frequency of calls, with an important caveat : should the terms of the legacy non-step-up Tier 1 instruments interfere with Articles 28(1)(h)(vii)) (CET1) and 52(1)(l)(v) (AT1), then such AT1 and CET1 instruments could be disqualified, while the legacy non-step-up Tier 1 instrument would remain in fully eligible Tier 2. By doing so the EBA referenced to questions 2013_21 and 2013_54. However, these two questions mainly dealt with "stopper provisions" and more precisely about cases where the legacy non-step-up Tier 1 instruments have terms that could prevent (optionally or in a mandatory way) coupons being paid if distributions are skipped on CET1 or AT1 instruments. I have several questions related to this : 1. My first question is to confirm that the same reasoning would apply during the grandfathering period independently of the fact that the bonds would still be within the grandfathering limit or not. Logically the answer should be yes as questions 2013_21 and 2013_54 clarify that the impact of the terms of the legacy instrument is not on the regulatory eligibility of this instrument but on the AT1 / CET1 instruments. The effect of the terms of the grandfathered bonds on the CET1 / AT1 bonds is obviously totally independent of the grandfathering status of the grandfathered bond (with the possible exception of contractual provisions that make an explicit reference to pushers / stoppers only on bonds that are included in regulatory capital.) 2. My second question is to confirm that the same reasoning would apply to step-up bonds as I see no reason why the impact of pusher / stopper provisions on CET1 / AT1 bonds would be different if there is a step up or not and application of articles 28(1)(h)(vii)) (CET1) and 52(1)(l)(v) (AT1) would be the same for step / non step bonds. 3. My third question is on pusher provisions. Many legacy Tier 1 instruments have pusher provisions saying that a coupon being paid on the legacy Tier 1 instrument forces a payment on "pari passu" bonds, such pari passu bonds being defined in the contract. Could the EBA confirm that, if an additional Tier 1 is included in the list of pari passu bonds defined in the legacy Tier 1 contract, then the AT1 instrument would not be eligible? This is because of the fact that [not paying on AT1 implies not paying on Legacy Tier 1] is logically strictly the same as [paying on Legacy Tier 1 implies paying on AT1], so in such cases not paying coupons on the AT1 would obviously trigger restrictions for the bank, the case specifically considered by the EBA in question 2013_21.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_542
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 28/05/2014

Eligibility of capital instruments for classification as Common Equity Tier 1 instruments when the instruments are supplemented by a contractual obligation of the majority-shareholder to pay a fixed yearly compensation to the minority shareholders

Para 1 point (i) of Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) states that "compared to all the capital instruments issued by the institution, the instruments absorb the first and proportionately greatest share of losses as they occur, and each instrument absorbs losses to the same degree as all other Common Equity Tier 1 instruments". The question is, whether a contractual obligation of the majority shareholder of a credit institution to pay a fixed yearly compensation to the minority shareholders even in loss years (by reason that the majority shareholder and the credit institution have entered into a profit and loss transfer agreement) is permissible according to para 1 point (i) of Article 28 CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_541
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 16/05/2014

Definition of counterparty for the purpose of applying on-balance sheet netting

1) What is the definition of a counterparty in the context of using on-balance sheet netting (OBSN) of mutual claims between the bank and the counterparty as eligible credit risk mitigation form? 2) In other words, to be eligible for OBSN should the netting of loans and deposits always be with one legal entity or can they be across legally connected entities (for example parent-subsidiaries)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_538
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 06/06/2014

Grandfathering of Tier 1 instruments w.r.t. Dividend Stoppers and Pushers

When considering the eligibility into Tier 2 for grandfathered Tier 1 instruments - lets use an example where a T1 bond (step or non-step) has a recurring call date only once every 5 years (therefore, from an original maturity perspective it should be eligible for Tier 2 capital as a 5 year bond) Does your comment re. dividend pusher/stopper language restrict the ability of such a bond (assuming it has a dividend pusher/stopper) exclude it from Tier 2 eligibility? If Yes, why are these being treated differently from regular Tier 2 instruments (which do not have dividend pushers/stoppers) that have must pay coupons i.e. an obligation to pay a coupon, which if not paid constitutes a default and thus has stronger implications than on stopping coupons on a T1 bond as mentioned above

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_537
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Template C18.00 - Market Risk: Standardised Approach for Position Risks in Traded Debt Instruments (MKR SA TDI)

COREP: With regards to MKR SA TDI: All Positions, the instructions state that columns c010 [Long] and c020 [Short] should exclude underwritten positions subscribed or sub-underwritten by third parties. Can the EBA confirm whether this exclusion applies across the whole template?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_530
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - COREP (incl. IP Losses)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/03/2014

Credit Risk – treatment of Russian credit institutions

1. Please advise whether Russian Credit Institutions are to be treated as an "Institution" or ‘Corporate client’, considering Article 107, paragraph 3 definition:"For the purposes of this Regulation, exposures to third- country investment firms and exposures to third country credit institutions and exposures to third country clearing houses and exchanges shall be treated as exposures to an institution only if the third country applies prudential and supervisory requirements to that entity that are at least equivalent to those applied in the Union."2. Does definition of an "Institution" in Article 107(3) definition only refer to the capital requirement for credit risk?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_529
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 10/02/2017

Relevance of Recital 50 with regard to the securitisation definition in accordance with Article 4(1) point (61)

The last sentence of Recital 50 of Regulation (EU) No 2013/575 declares: “An exposure that creates a direct payment obligation for a transaction or scheme used to finance or operate physical assets should not be considered an exposure to a securitisation, even if the transaction or scheme has payment obligations of different seniority.” Taking into account that the definition of a securitisation in Article 4(1) point (61) of Regulation (EU) 2013/575 does not permit an exemption for transactions or schemes used to finance or operate physical assets, which exposures are considered as creating a direct payment obligation in the meaning of the last sentence of Recital 50 of Regulation (EU) 2013/575?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_528
  • Topic: Securitisation and Covered Bonds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Grandfathered Instruments and Deduction Threshold Exemptions

When calculating the amount of Common Equity Tier 1 (CET 1) that is multiplied by 10%/17.65% for the purposes of threshold exemptions for deductions, should grandfathered instruments be included in the amount of CET1 to the extent that they qualify as CET 1 during the grandfathering period?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_527
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 30/04/2014

Validations

Can the EBA review the attached file which includes specific validations which we believe may be illogical or contain errors. Where appropriate can the EBA amend both Annex XV and the taxonomy.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_524
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - COREP (incl. IP Losses)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 22/08/2014

Add precisions about (CA4) rows 660 and 670

Instructions about row 660 (ID19 - Risk weighted exposures of AT1 holdings in financial sector entities which are not deducted from the institution's AT1 capital) refered to article 60 of CRR 575/2013. Instructions about row 670 (ID20 - Risk weighted exposures of T2 holdings in financial sector entities which are not deducted from the institution's T2 capital) refered to article 70 of CRR 575/2013. The reference to the paragraph is missing. These instructions should refered respectively to articles 60 (4) and 70 (4), as done for row 650 - ID 18 (which refers to article 46, paragraph 4).

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_522
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - COREP (incl. IP Losses)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/03/2014

Capital requirements for a subgroup integrated by a parent holding company in a Member State and its institutions and subsidiary financial institutions

What are the capital requirements for the subgroup and/or any of the undertakings included in it if the Member State: i) imposes capital requirements for the holding company by virtue of a national law? ii) does not impose any additional requirements to those in the CRR? As it is explained in the “background on the question”, we understand that for the second question (ii), the following topics must be clarified: a) What is the scope of the sub-consolidation, i.e. which companies need to be included in the respective sub-consolidation group? b) Are the capital requirements to be applied at the “subsidiary institution” level or at the “parent holding in the member state” level?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_521
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 09/01/2015

Accumulated Changes in Fair Value due to Credit Risk

Tables 4.1, 4.2, 6, 8, 20.4, 20.7 and 45.1 all require information pertaining to accumulated changes in fair value due to credit risk, and point the respondent to Annex V.46 and IFRS 7.9 as technical references. Annex V.46 requires that “accumulated changes in fair value due to credit risk” figures shall be reported for financial assets at fair value through profit or loss”. The related IFRS guidance (IFRS 7.9) under the heading “Financial assets or financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss” requires that if the entity has designated as measured at fair value a financial asset (or group of financial assets) that would otherwise be measured at amortised cost, it shall disclose . . . the amount of change, during the period and cumulatively in the fair value of the financial asset (or group of financial assets) that is attributable to changes in the credit risk of the financial asset”. Could the EBA confirm that this request relates only to financial assets that would otherwise be measured at amortised cost, and that it does not relate to trading assets?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2013_517
  • Topic: Supervisory reporting - FINREP (incl. FB&NPE)
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/03/2014

Definition of unregulated financial sector entities

In applying the 1.25 co-efficient specified under Article 153(2) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013, what is that definition of "unregulated financial sector entities"?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_516
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 14/11/2014

Effective date of Part 8 of CRR – Disclosure by Institutions

We would appreciate clarification of the date(s) by which we are required to meet the disclosure requirements detailed in Part 8 of CRR – Disclosure by Institutions. We note disclosure is to be made on the date of publication of the firm’s financial statement, the year end for our firm is not the calendar year end but 31 March. The first year end, after the date CRR comes into force will be 31 March 2014. The disclosures detailed in Part 8 of CRR are dependent on associated EBA guidelines and draft implementing and regulatory technical standards with publication/submission dates ranging from 31 December 2014 to 1 January 2016.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2013_515
  • Topic: Transparency and Pillar 3
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/04/2014