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Disclaimer:

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.

Please note that the Q&As related to the supervisory benchmarking exercises have been moved to the dedicated handbook page. You can submit Q&As on this topic here.

List of Q&A's

Territorial scope of the Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements in relation to supervisory cooperation requirements for credit institutions

1. Is it correct to conclude that the cooperation requirements under paragraph 63 of the Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements should be complied with in regard to EU establishments only, considering the distribution of responsibilities between competent supervisors set out in relevant EU law? 2. If a service provider is part of a third-country group but is located in an EU Member State as a separate legal entity, should it be considered outside of the scope of paragraph63 of the GLs?

  • Legal act: Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

National regulation contradicts with Directive 2013/36 - v8714

According to Fin-FSA and based on national regulation (Sijoituspalvelulaki 747/2012) the capital conservation buffer should not be applied to investment firms with personnel under 250 and balance sheet amount under 43 million. Validation rule v8714_m requires that this row (CA4_r750) is reported. How should the capital conservation buffer be reported in this case?

  • 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Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 680/2014 - ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)

FinRep Table 26: Loans and advances to which forbearance measures were granted in addition to already existing forbearance measures

It is unclear if the following exposures have to be reported in row 120 of template F 26.00: - Example A : an exposure was classified as non-performing with forbearance measures and fulfilled all required exit criteria mentioned in paragraph 231. During the 2 year probation period mentioned in paragraph 256 the exposure is granted an additional forbearance measure. At the reference date the exposure is classified as non-performing because the new forberance measure has been extended to a performing forborne exposure under probation that has been reclassified out of non-performing category (according to paragraph 260). - Example B : a performing exposure is granted a forbearance measure. During the 2 year probation period the exposure is granted an additional forbearance measure. According to Q&A 2014_736 the exposure shall not be automatically reclassified into the "non-performing forborne" category and then at the reference date the exposure is classified as performing. - Example C: a performing exposure is granted a forbearance measure. During the 2 year probation period the exposure is granted an additional forbearance measure. According to Q&A 2014_736 the exposure shall not be automatically reclassified into the "non-performing forborne" category. Nevertheless, if the bank considers that there exist some conditions of "unlikeliness to pay", the exposure A shall be reclassified into the "non-performing forborne" category. Then at the reference date the exposure is classified as non-performing.

  • 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)

Excess of collaterals after deduction from netting set for NSFR

What treatment should be applied on excess of collaterals for the NSFR calculation?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Consent solicitation to introduce a contractual recognition of bail-in in Terms of Conditions (T&Cs) of capital instruments and MREL eligible liabilities

Would a consent solicitation to amend the T&Cs of a capital instrument (AT1, Tier 2) or MREL eligible liability (Senior Non Preferred, Senior Preferred or Senior HoldCo) in order to introduce a contractual recognition of bail-in be deemed a ‘material change’, in which case the amended instrument would be deemed as a new issuance?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Transport and parking exemption for parking and electric vehicle charging

Does the transport and parking exemption under Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2018/389 - RTS on strong customer authentication and secure communication apply to transactions at unattended terminals for the payment of a parking fee that includes electric charging?

  • Legal act: Directive 2015/2366/EU (PSD2)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2018/389 - RTS on strong customer authentication and secure communication

Definition of the parameter E* in the formula regarding the Adjustment of risk-weighted non-defaulted SME exposures.

We believe there is a need of clarification in the definition of the parameter E* in the formula of the article 501 in order to insure that the result of the formula is valid in all cases.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Consideration of Cloud services as outsourcing arrangements

a.- Are activities which are not listed in Annex 1 of Directive 2013/36/EU (amending Directive 2002/87/EC and repealing Directives 2006/48/EC and 2006/49/EC Text with EEA relevance) outside the scope of outsourcing for GL purposes?? d.- How do the EBA Guidelines on outsourcing apply to those entity EU branches’ whose national law conflicts with the EBA Guidelines on outsourcing? And if it is a non-EU branch? e.- Regarding the transition period of outsourced functions, the current wording of paragraph 99.b. Section 13.4 Termination Rights, Title IV – Outsourcing process, states that the provider continues to perform the outsourced function when the outsourcing agreement is already terminated. - Is there an inconsistency in regards of the wording set forth in paragraph 99.b. as it states that the provider would be rendering services during the transition period without an enforceable contract and therefore the agreed contractual conditions would not be in force at the time of the transition period of the outsourced function? - If not, shall contracts allow their validity to be extended only for the period of time that the service is being transferred in order to avoid interruptions and to include a suspension clause for termination so that the contract terminates at the time of the effective transfer?

  • Legal act: Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2019/02 - Guidelines on outsourcing arrangements

Money Remittance

Where an entity accepts payment on behalf of a payee (such as a debt collector and the debt due to the payee is extinguished upon receipt of payment by the debt collector), is it correct to say that this does not constitute Money Remittance? (i.e. there is no need to rely on the commercial agency exemption since there is no payment service being provided). In addition, if there is no Money Remittance in this situation, can the same be said if the entity receives money into one account then pays these monies to a second account in its name,before transferring the money to the relevant payee? If this is Money Remittance, can the commercial agency exemption be relied on where an entity receives monies but then transfers them to another account held by it before then transferring to the relevant payee?

  • Legal act: Directive 2015/2366/EU (PSD2)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Elements of possession (SIM card) and knowledge (knowledge-based responses to challenges or questions)

1. Can evidence of possession (SIM card) can also be verified by reading and identifying the phone number used for the phone call? 2. Can a knowledge element be based on a) transaction history of the customer; b) contact information of the customer?

  • Legal act: Directive 2015/2366/EU (PSD2)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2018/389 - RTS on strong customer authentication and secure communication

Use of the “maturity of the tranche” (MT) as defined in Article 257 CRR as the “residual maturity” for purposes of the volatility adjustments for securitisation positions under Table 1 of Article 224(1) CRR.

Where collateral takes the form of securitisation positions meeting the criteria in Article 197(1)(h) CRR, can the institution use the “weighted average maturity” (WAM) as defined in Article 257 CRR as the “residual maturity” for purposes of the volatility adjustments set out in Table 1 of Article 224(1) CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Is a financial counter-incentive which is triggered in case of a default of a borrower on certain specific contractual obligations considered as an incentive to redeem?

Would a subordinated loan agreement clause, under the terms of which contractual penalties or other similar financial counter-incentives are triggered in case of a default of a borrower on certain specific contractual obligations be considered a provision, which includes an incentive for the principal amount of the subordinated loan to be repaid prior to its maturity?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 - RTS for Own Funds requirements for institutions

Reporting Entry & Exit Criteria

How should Article 4 (entry/exit criteria) of the ITS on Supervisory Reporting be applied for new reporting requirements (e.g. Taxonomy 2.9, new NPE threshold reports)?

  • 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)

Collateral swap in case of Domestic Central Bank Counterparty

With the Amended Delegated Act 2018/1620, what are the run off rates and where collateral swaps with central bank counterparties must be reported ?

  • 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)

The combination of values that forms a primary key differs between Annex II and the DPM-model 2.9. and does not account for the reporting of several critical functions.

How should institutions report multiple critical functions for which the values in columns 0010, 0030, 0040 and 0050 are the same?

  • Legal act: Directive 2014/59/EU (BRRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2018/1624 - ITS on the provision of information for resolution plans

Obstacles to the payment initiation service

Can the impossibility for a Third Party Provider (TPP) to add new beneficiaries for payment initiation, coupled with the impossibility to initiate payments for unregistered beneficiaries, be considered as an obstacle? Besides, as a subsequent question, are delays up to 48 hours in the registration of new beneficiaries an obstacle?

  • Legal act: Directive 2015/2366/EU (PSD2)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2018/389 - RTS on strong customer authentication and secure communication

Acquisition and money remittance payment service

Can a payment institution (PI) which provides a payment service of acquiring of payment transactions for its users can provide this service without holding payment account.

  • Legal act: Directive 2015/2366/EU (PSD2)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Treatment of interest rate book positions denominated in foreign currency.

I. According with paragraph 115 (l) of EBA Guideline 2018/02 should minor positions be included or excluded? II. When deciding whether a position is below or above 5% of total non-trading book financial assets or liabilities which value has to be used for the calculation (e.g. book, face or market value)?

  • Legal act: Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2018/02 - Guidelines on the management of interest rate risk arising from non-trading book activities

Calculating RWAs for the portion of the securitisation position benefitting from credit protection

In case of an institution buying credit protection, which approach has to be applied for calculating RWAs for the portion of the securitisation position benefitting from credit protection, if the SEC-SA Approach is used for the portion of the securitisation position not benefitting from credit protection, and the institution is allowed to apply the IRB Approach to the direct exposures to the protection provider? May the institution (buying credit protection) calculate the RWAs for the portion of the securitisation position benefitting from credit protection as a direct exposure to the protection provider using the IRB Approach?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable