Search for Q&As

Enquirers can use various factors to search for a Q&A:

  • These include searching by the Q&A ID; legal reference, date submitted, technical standard / guideline, or by keyword if known.
  • Searches can be extended to more than one legal act, topic, technical standard or guidelines by making multiple selections (i.e. pressing 'Ctrl' on your keyboard, and selecting the relevant ones from the drop-down lists by left mouse-click).

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.

Final Q&As Q&As under review Rejected Q&As Archived Q&As All Q&As

List of Q&A's

Minority interests

Are minority interests that arise from a bank subsidiary (as in the example), which are indirectly attributable to third parties, eligible at the EU parent consolidated level?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_2157
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 28/04/2016

Minority interests

According to Article 84 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) institutions shall determine the amount of minority interests of a subsidiary to be included in consolidated Common Equity Tier 1 capital. This is calculated by subtracting the excess of Common Equity Tier 1 capital of the subsidiary attributable to minority interests from the total amount of minority interests of that undertaking. In the formula considered under Article 84(1)(a) CRR, how should Common Equity Tier 1 deductions be taken into account when computing this excess?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_2155
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 17/03/2017

Predetermined amount for market making with partially grandfathered or amortised instruments

An institution has asked for advance permission according to Article 78(1) last subparagraph Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) to carry out repurchases of its own funds instruments for market making purposes. It intends to repurchase up to 3% of the nominal amount of these instruments. Some of these instruments are partially phased-out ('grandfathered' instruments) or already partially amortised. 1. What is in this case the predetermined amount for the limits in Article 78(1) last subparagraph CRR which is, according to Q&A 2014_1352 [as originally published on 8 July 2014] , required to be deducted pursuant to Article 28(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 from the moment the authorisation is granted?(a) 3% of the nominal amount of the instruments (i.e. including phased-out/amortised amounts), or(b) solely 3% of the amount still qualified for own funds (i.e. excluding phased-out/amortised amounts) 2. Do in this case the amounts of the relevant issuance and of total outstanding Additional Tier 1 instruments or Tier 2 instruments refer to(a) the full nominal amount (i.e. including phased-out/amortised amounts), or(b) solely the amount still qualified for own funds (i.e. excluding phased-out/amortised amounts)? 3. If solely the amount still qualified for own funds is considered for the predetermined amount or the limits, what is the maximum amount that the institution can repurchase?

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_2095
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 05/02/2016

Predetermined amount in case of applications for redemptions, reductions and repurchases by mutuals, cooperative societies, savings institutions or similar institutions for the purposes of Article 77 CRR

Article 32(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 (RTS on own funds) states: “Competent authorities may give their permission in advance to an action listed in Article 77 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) for a certain predetermined amount to be redeemed, net of the amount of the subscription of new paid in Common Equity Tier 1 instruments during a period up to one year. That predetermined amount may go up to 2 % of Common Equity Tier 1 capital […]”. 1. Which of the following interpretations is correct? (1) Once permission is given for a certain predetermined amount, any subsequent subscription of new paid-in CET1 instruments during a period up to one year from date of permission increases automatically the total amount that is permitted to be redeemed (i.e. the maximum redemption amount that can be permitted in advance is 2% + x, for which x increases with any amount of new paid-in CET1 instrument additionally subscribed within one year). (2) In addition to the predetermined amount, the advance permission covers solely the amount of subscriptions during the period of one year that are already expected at the moment the permission is granted, i.e. it solely extends the predetermined amount by a fixed amount for the issuances already planned at the moment the permission is granted. (3) The advance permission for redeeming the predetermined amount does not cover redemption of new paid-in Common Equity Tier 1 instruments during a period up to one year. 2. Could it be that, because of an editorial oversight, a comma is missing in the first sentence of Article 32(2) RTS on own funds, before "during a period up to one year"? Setting the comma would consistently restrict not only the recognition of new subscriptions but already the advance permission for redemption to the same period of one year.

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_2094
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 05/02/2016

Market making in several AT1 or T2 instruments

Where an institution applies for a prior permission for repurchase of several Additional Tier 1 or Tier 2 capital instruments according to Article 78(1), second subparagraph, of the CRR, may the predetermined amount of the permission be set for several instruments or must a predetermined amount be set for each instrument?

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_2042
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 25/09/2015

Application of different Phase-In Rates for the Deduction of Deferred Tax Assets that Rely on Future Profitability

Article 478(2) of the CRR provides a discretion to competent authorities to apply a slower phase-in rate for the Deduction of Deferred Tax Assets that rely on Future Profitability for DTAs that existed prior to 1 January 2014. A 10% per annum phase in rate is applied for the DTAs that existed prior to 1 January 2014 while all other DTAs that were created post 1 January 2014 are subject to the normal phase in rates of 20% per annum. Clarification is required on how the different phase-in rates should be applied if the amount of DTAs (that rely on Future Profitability) in existence reduces below the initial amount recognised, due not to progressive deduction under the transition rules but rather due to usage against profit ? For example: Assume on 31 December 2014, the DTA balance is 100 which is made up of 60 that existed pre 1 January 2014 and 40 that existed post 1 January 2014. Assume that on 31 March 2015, the DTA balance reduces to 80 due to usage against profits. Should the DTA balance that existed pre 1 January 2014 be adjusted by the negative balances due to the DTA usage against profits i.e. should the slower phase-in rates be applied to the balance of 40?

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_1963
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Own funds – Share premium accounts

There is an agreement for transfer of profit and coverage of losses (i.e. Profit and Loss Transfer Agreement, PLTA)  between the credit institution in question and its mother credit institution, therefore the shares of the credit institution are in the future no longer eligible as a CET1 items (confer Question ID 408/2013 – now archived). In conjunction with the out-phasing of these shares pursuant to the transitional provisions in Article 484 ff CRR, the questions arises if the share premium accounts also have to be out-phased or if they are still eligible as CET 1 instruments according to the provisions laid down in Article 485 para. 2 CRR.Are the conditions set out in Article 28 para. 1 letter (i) CRR met, if a credit institution has also (in addition to CET 1 instruments) T2 instruments which may be repaid before liquidation only with a proportional deduction of the net losses incurred during its lifetime?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_1895
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 06/11/2015

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities related to the fair value reserves connected to gains or losses on cash flow hedges

In accordance with Article 33(1)(a) of the Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (CRR), the institutions do not include the fair value reserves related to gains or losses on cash flow hedges in any element of Own Funds (as a result of the specific filter applied). Is it correct to not consider DTA / DTL related to the fair value reserves related to gains or losses on cash flow hedges in the net DTAs deductible from CET1?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_1887
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 02/10/2015

Tier 2 instruments issued by a consolidated subsidiary non recognised by a third Authority

When applying Article 87 of Regulation No 575/2013 (CRR), should a Tier 2 instrument issued by a non-EU subsidiary (and subscribed by third parties) be included in the consolidated own funds of the EU-parent company insofar as this instrument is not recognised by the local non-EU Authority?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_1872
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/03/2016

Subordinated loans as Additional Tier 1 capital

Is it possible for a (normal) subordinated loan to qualify as Additional Tier 1 capital according to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 if all conditions according to Article 52 are met?

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_1846
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:

Reduction of CET1 by absorbing losses which are already accounted as loss brought forward

Is the prior permission of the supervisor required when an institution reduces its CET1 instruments by absorbing losses which were already accounted for as retained losses (i.e. loss brought forward)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2015_1815
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 05/06/2015

Market making prior to 5 years from issuance of AT1-/T2-Instruments – follow up of Q&A 2013_290

In the case of a repurchase of own funds instruments for market making pur-poses, competent authorities may give their permission in advance in order to reduce own funds for a certain predetermined amount within the limits laid down in Article 29(3) of Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 (RTS on own funds part 1 and 2). However, the RTS does not specify when market making can take place. Thus, clarification is sought whether repurchases for market making purposes are permissible before five years after the date of issuance provided that the conditions stipulated by the RTS are met.

  • 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
  • ID: 2015_1791
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:

Exemption of deduction under transitional arrangements. Calculation of the threshold of Article 470 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)

When fixing the threshold of Article 470 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR), must it contain the amount of the excess of deductions from Additional Tier 1 (AT1), caused by the transitional arrangements, which cannot be entirely deducted from AT1 - because this latter’s amount is not large enough in order to allow all the deductions - and which was subsequently deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)?

  • 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: 2015_1741
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 26/06/2015

Own funds - underwriting of own funds instruments

Is the underwriting of a Tier 2 (T2) instrument by an insurance subsidiary of the issuer possible when the instrument is then replaced in units of account within life insurance policies where the client bears the economic risk?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1687
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 01/04/2016

Deduction of direct holdings of CET 1 instruments of FSEs

Article 45 of CRR specifies for the direct deductions in Article 36(1)(h) and (j) that we may calculate a net-long in the same underlying if positions are in the same book and has a contractual maturity of 1 year. Q1. Could a ‘short’ Total Return Swap (TRS) that hedges the economic risk of a long underlying position be included in the net-long calculation, such that it off-sets the direct deduction? Q2. Does the settlement convention of a TRS have any impact on the regulatory treatment (either/cash or physical)? Total Return Swaps are already mentioned in the definitions of synthetic holdings in Article 15b- of the ‘EBA FINAL draft regulatory technical standards on own funds [Part 3]’, however it remains unclear if this paragraph only constitutes definitions of long positions or whether they can net out. Q3. Could EBA confirm that a short synthetic holding could be netted if it is the exact opposite position of a long synthetic holding?

  • 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
  • ID: 2014_1658
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 19/06/2015

Definition of the term „applicable amount“ with regard to the determination of the deductions from common Equity Tier 1 items of holdings by the institution of instruments of financial sector entities where the institution has a significant investment in those entities in Article 36(1)(i)) CRR

What is the relevant definition of the „applicable amount” in Article 36(1)(i) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) with regard to the determination of the deductions of holdings by the institution of the Common Equity Tier 1 instruments of financial sector entities where the institution has a significant investment in those entities and for those entities the institution used the equity method under Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 on a consolidated basis?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1568
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Risk-weighting of Pension Assets

Article 36 of the CRR requires that defined benefit pension fund surpluses be deducted from CET1 - unless the bank has unrestricted access to the surplus and has obtained permission from the competent authority, as Article 41 sets out further. Any such accessible surplus then needs to be risk-weighted for credit risk in accordance with Part Three of the CRR. However the CRR is silent on the risk weighting assets for total pension assets. Should pension funds in total, or just the accessible surplus, be risk weighted?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1567
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 17/07/2015

Treatment of Hedges for Equity-Linked Employee Compensation Schemes and Impact on FSE Capital Deductions

As part of their Corporate Equity Derivatives businesses, European banks are often asked to provide Financial Sector Entity (“FSE”) and non-FSE clients with hedges to their equity-linked employee compensation schemes or share savings plans. Typically in these circumstances the client goes long its own equity price risk synthetically, via purchasing call options or buying a total return swap (“TRS”). The TRS is an ISDA-based derivative contract under which the purchaser (in this case the client) receives the dividend and any price appreciation on the underlying equity security, and the seller (in this case the bank) receives a LIBOR / EURIBOR return plus a spread, along with any price depreciation on the underlying equity security. As the bank is short the client’s equity price risk under the TRS contract, it will typically purchase the client’s physical shares in the market in order to hedge the delta exposure under the sold TRS position. These positions are allocated to the regulatory trading book subject to the applicable requirements, and for the purposes of this discussion it is assumed the short position satisfies either the CRR Art 45 maturity matching criteria or the CRR Art 75 exemption. Where the bank has credit risk to the client (under the TRS), the client will, in most circumstances, be asked to provide cash margin on a daily basis to cover any mark-to-market movements in the bank’s favour. The TRS will be documented using standard ISDA documentation, with the cash collateralisation taking place under a CSA or similar arrangement. Would the TRS be considered an eligible hedge for the purposes of Article 45 under those circumstances?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1509
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 19/12/2014

Significance of the term ‘without prejudice’ in Article 86 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)

Article 86 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) sets out a general principle of limitation of minority interests / external resources on Additional Tier 1 capital. This article explicitly provides that this limitation is ‘without prejudice to Article 84(5) and (6)’. Article 84 of the CRR sets a principle of limitation of minority interests in the computation of consolidated Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital. However, the exception under Article 84(6) CRR allows institutions to recognise all minority interests when included in the scope of an Institutional Protection Scheme (IPS) completed with a cross-guarantee scheme. Does the term ‘without prejudice’ mean that the exception for CET1 capital provided for in Article 84(6) can be applied by analogy to the instruments of Article 86 in order to avoid a partial recognition on the Additional Tier 1 capital.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1415
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 26/06/2015

Groups including investment firm(s) referred to in Article 95(1) and investment firm(s) referred to in Article 96(1) and not including credit institutions.

What method of calculating the own funds requirement should be used when a group consists of both 95(1) and 96(1) investments firm and no credit institutions?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2014_1414
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022