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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

Use of rating before or after transfer in the calculation of the one-year default rates

In a situation where a parent institution (good rating) has issued a full encompassing guarantee for a subsidiary - bad rating, thus supporting the subsidiary before a default event, and preventing (or reducing the risk of) a default – would this constitute a substitution effect due to a credit risk mitigation under paragraph 74 of EBA Guidelines EBA/GL/2017/16?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2017/16 - Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures
  • ID: 2019_4598
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/12/2020

Retail exposures of subsidiary / branch of an EU credit institution established outside the EU

Could the subsidiary / branch of an EU credit institution established outside the EU use local criteria (i.e. criteria widely used by credit entities and public bodies in the relevant foreign jurisdiction) to classify an undertaker as a small or medium-sized enterprise in order assign to its exposures a risk weight of 75% according to Article 123?Could the subsidiary / branch of an EU credit institution established outside the EU use local criteria (i.e. criteria widely used by credit entities and public bodies in the relevant foreign jurisdiction) to classify an undertaker as a small or medium-sized enterprise in order assign to its exposures a risk weight of 75% according to Article 123?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4590
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 31/07/2020

Speculative immovable property financing definition with respect to debt-for-asset swaps

In the case described below, in individual level of reporting, should exposures to the SPVs be treated as "Speculative Immovable Property Financing" and be risk weighted at 150% under Article 128 of the CRR, or should they be RW at 100% which reflects the RW of the property included in the Consolidated level of reporting (intercompany balances are eliminated and the asset remaining in the consolidated balance sheet is the property held for sale)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4559
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Eligibility of convertible instruments as financial collateral

Do financial instruments that are not included in a main index and not traded on a recognised exchange, but which can be converted anytime at the discretion of the owner of the instrument into equities that are included in a main index or are traded on a recognised exchange qualify as eligible financial collateral?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4509
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:

Technical past due situation - Factoring

How should the situation in terms of technical default be treated when there are two past due purchased receivables (each individually material) and one of them is repaid by the obligor while the second one is still due?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2016/07 - Guidelines on the application of the definition of default under Article 178 CRR
  • ID: 2019_4505
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/02/2021

Calculation of past due days on material credit obligations

For the purpose of the definition of default, should days when material credit obligation was past due, but repaid later on, be included in the calculation of 90 (180) consecutive days according to Article 178 of CRR, paragraph 1, point (b)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4504
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/02/2021

Applicability of Look through Approach to SPV (Article 132 CRR)

May the look-through approach be applied for exposures in Notes issued by a special purpose vehicle, with no tranches, - which is unclear whether it qualifies as an undertaking for collective investment according to the applicable national law -, where the paid out of the each Note are the net proceeds of the loan receivables portfolio allocated to such Note (provided the additional requirements set for the look through approach are duly met)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4502
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 30/07/2021

Use of the last available data for risk quantification sample and out-of-time validation sample

Given the requirements of articles 175(4)(b) and 179(1)(a) , in case of a model development, should the last available one-year snapshot be used for risk quantification purposes (i.e. for the computation of the Long-run average default rate) or be set aside for validation tests?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4495
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Definition of exposure in non-significant business units and relating “significance” test

A) Can you please clarify how exposures in non-significant business units in Art. 150(1) (c) should be intended? B) Can you please clarify which are the criteria for such a “significant” test.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4490
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Materiality threshold and calculation method for materiality ratio for the purpose of application of Article 150(1)(c) for types of exposures that are immaterial in terms of size and perceived risk profile

A) Can you please clarify whether the 10%/5% threshold to define materiality for “exposure classes” are valid also as for “types of exposures”? In case not, can you please specify which thresholds should be considered for the abovementioned purpose?B) As for the materiality ratio to be compared against the thresholds can you please clarify how it should be computed with reference to the following points:1. Should the numerator include only the exposures for which the application for PPU is being sought under Article 150 (1) (c) by excluding exposures for which PPU has already been granted pursuant other points of Art 150 (1) and exposures not to be included in the calculation of RWA for equity exposure pursuant to Art. 155 (1) (i.e. Equity exposures risk weighted at 250% in accordance with Art. 48 (4) of Reg. EU 575/2013 and those deducted from CET1 in accordance with Part Two of Reg. EU 575/2013)?2. Should the ratio be computed only at solo level or both at solo and consolidated level, in case an application is limited to only one Legal Entity (LE) of a Large Group?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4489
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Original maturity of credit lines until-further notice

For risk classification as off-balance sheet item according to Annex I CRR, is the original maturity longer than one year where non-retail credit lines until further notice (i.e. no fixed maturity) may be cancelled with 3 months advance notification period and even immediately in case the borrower becoming delinquent or declaring bankruptcy?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4486
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Meaning of “portfolio” within “sufficiently diversified portfolios” in Article 155(2)

How should the term “portfolio” be understood in the context of the 190% risk weight for private equity exposures in “sufficiently diversified portfolios” in Article 155(2) of the CRR? Does it refer to the whole institution’s portfolio of private equity? Or to any of the “portfolios” that an institution has identified for internal risk management purposes instead?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4472
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/05/2021

To which exposure class the fair value changes of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk should be assigned

To which exposure class the 'fair value changes of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk' (recorded in the IFRS consolidated financial statements in accordance with (IAS 39.89A(a); IFRS 9.6.5.8) have to be assigned. The recorded exposure relates to a bottom layer macro fair value hedge of mortgage loans. Due to the application of the bottom layer macro fair value hedge approach there is no individual allocation of the exposure value of the hedged item to the individual mortgage loans. Should this exposure be treated as an 'exposure secured by mortgages on immovable property' or as 'other items', and subsequently, which risk weight should be applied to this exposure.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4441
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Treatment of joint credit obligations

Do the requirements established in the Guidelines on the application of the definition of default under Article 178 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 regarding joint credit obligations, and in particular the requirements 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 103, 104 and 105, relate or affect exclusively to retail exposures? In that case, could the treatment of joint credit obligations in which the obligors are classified as Non – Retail differ from the treatment of joint credit obligations in which the obligors are classified as Retail? In addition, and, as per this purpose, what should be the treatment of joint credit obligations shared by retail and non-retail obligors?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2016/07 - Guidelines on the application of the definition of default under Article 178 CRR
  • ID: 2018_4431
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/08/2020

Maturity of instruments subject to a cash flow schedule

Should an institution that has received the permission of the competent authority to use own LGDs for exposures to corporates, apply the formula in Article 162(2)(a) CRR, for both fixed interest rate and variable interest rate loans, where no change of the cash flow timing is applicable?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4410
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Fair value adjustments that arise as a result of applying fair value hedge accounting

Should fair value adjustments which arise as a result of applying fair value hedge accounting to mitigate interest rate risk be treated under the CRR credit risk framework or under a different risk framework? And if under a different risk framework, which risk framework should that be?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4406
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Calculation method for materiality ratio to be compared against the 10%/5% threshold for the purpose of application of Article 150(1)(c) for equity exposure class (Permanent Partial Use)

How should a credit institution - with the prior permission to apply the standardised approach permanent partial use (PPU) ex Article 150 CRR for equity exposures - calculate the  threshold as per Article 150(2) CRR?How is the materiality ratio computed? In particular:Should the numerator include only the exposures for which the application for PPU is being sought under Article 150(1)(c) CRR by excluding exposures for which PPU has already been granted pursuant other points of Article 150(1) and exposures not to be included in the calculation of RWA for equity exposure pursuant to Article 155(1) (i.e. Equity exposures risk weighted at 250% in accordance with Article 48(4) of Reg. EU 575/2013 and those deducted from CET1 in accordance with Part Two of Reg. EU 575/2013)?Should the ratio be computed only at solo level or both at solo and consolidated level, in case an application is limited to only one Legal Entity (LE) of a Large Group? 

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4390
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Exposures in the form of covered bonds

Would the preferential treatment set out in Articles 129(4) and (5) and in Article 161(1)(d) be applicable to derivative instruments entered into in relation to covered bonds exposures, provided that the counterparty’s claims are secured by the same pool of assets as the covered bonds’ and rank pari passu with the claims of the covered bonds holders?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4328
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 29/03/2019

Risk weight for new asset class of non-preferred senior debt

What risk weight should be applied to non-preferred senior (NPS) debt, under the standardised approach for credit risk?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4306
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Obligations stemming from "non-credit products"

To what extent do fees stemming from “non-credit products” fall under the notion of para 73 (a) of the EBA Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2017/16 - Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures
  • ID: 2018_4301
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/05/2021