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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.

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.

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List of Q&A's

Implementation of Article 72b(2)(j) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (“CRR”) and whether the contractual provisions governing liabilities are required to refer to the permission regime in order for the liabilities to qualify as eligible liabilities instruments

In question 2013_544, the EBA stated that for Tier 2 instruments, Article 63(j) CRR, in conjunction with Article 77 of the CRR, stipulates that an institution must not effect the call, redemption, repayment or repurchase prior to the date of an instrument's contractual maturity without the prior permission of the competent authority, and that such instruments should therefore contain an explicit reference to these regulatory conditions in their terms. Article 72b(2)(j) CRR states that liabilities may only be called, redeemed, repaid or repurchased early where the conditions set out in Articles 77 and 78a are met. As there is no explicit positive obligation in the legislation to include a reference to the need for resolution authority approval, should eligible liabilities instruments contain an explicit reference to these regulatory conditions in their terms?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2021_6203
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 15/07/2022

Early repayment upon a common agreement between the issuer and the subscriber

Is a clause in provisions governing the capital instruments allowing that the parties (issuer and the investor) may mutually agree to have the issuer repay, at any time, but not before five years after the date of issuance, totally or partially, the principal amount of the capital instrument compliant with the eligibility criteria for own funds instruments?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2021_5720
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 15/07/2022

Fulfilment of conditions reported under Article 45(a) CRR for a synthetic holding held in the banking book and with a maturity less than 1 year

Can a Bank calculate the amount of the position subject to FSE thresholds’ mechanism for CET1 capital purposes for a synthetic holding as the net position resulting after offsetting the long position in equity and the short position from the forward sale agreement with a maturity less than 1 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: 2019_4687
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 01/04/2022

Definition of short position

1. Can a put option which is subject to certain conditions qualify as a short position for the purposes of Article 45 CRR provided that (i) the fulfilment of the conditions depends only on the holder of the put and (ii) all the other conditions mentioned in Article 45 are met?2. In case a bank has on its banking book a holding of CET1 instruments in a financial sector entity and it buys an unconditional put option with the same underlying, which amount should be netted, either the notional value (strike price multiplied by the number of underlying instruments of the option) or the market value of the put, provided that all the other conditions mentioned in Article 45 CRR are met?3. In case the answer to question 2 is the notional value, if a put option does qualify as short position for the purposes of Article 45 CRR, how should this short position be treated for the purposes of credit risk requirements?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4675
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 01/04/2022

Transactions in the banking book where no strike is available

For a put option in the non-trading book, where there is no guaranteed minimum payment and the price will only be determined after the occurrence of specified events i.e. there is no strike price for the put option, how would the notional amount be calculated in accordance with Article 15(f)(1)(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) No 241/2014? Should the notional be determined based on an equity delta equivalent amount?

  • 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: 2019_4517
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 01/04/2022

Applicability of fix amount dividend policy to mutuals, cooperative societies, saving institutions and similar institutions

Is Q&A 4731 applicable to mutuals, cooperative institutions, savings institutions and similar institutions?

  • 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: 2021_5787
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 11/02/2022

Simultaneous applicability of non-deduction exemptions under Articles 48 and 49 CRR regarding equity exposures on insurance holdings where an institution has a significant investment

For an institution that has received permission to apply Article 49(1) CRR, has a significant investment below or equal to the threshold indicated in Article 48(1) and 48(2) (exempted from being deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 according to Article 49(1), are the amounts of holdings in insurance undertakings, to be risk-weighted at 250% according to Article 48(4) and the amounts of such holdings that are above this threshold risk-weighted in line with Article 49(4)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2020_5664
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 11/02/2022

Interim profits attributable to minority shareholders

Is the prior permission of the competent authority needed at individual level of a subsidiary to include in the consolidated CET1 items the interim profits of that subsidiary attributable to minority shareholders?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4734
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 11/02/2022

Eligibility Criteria for Tier 2 Capital in light of the replacement of LIBOR/EURIBOR

1. If the replacement reference rate proposed in the context of a change to a different benchmark rate, such as in the context of LIBOR transition, could result in a greater credit spread on an own funds instrument, whether as a consequence of a one-off adjustment to the credit spread at the time the replacement reference rate is implemented or as a consequence of an agreement to reset the credit spread at any future date or dates (whether or not in the context of any call option dates), would this potential outcome be considered to be a feature that provides an incentive to redeem for the purposes of Article 63(h) CRR? 2. If the replacement interest rate proposed by an issuer for its LIBOR-linked floating rate Tier 2 own funds instruments is a rate which is based on the credit standing of the issuer or its parent undertaking (or any intermediate parent undertaking), for example through the credit spread incorporated within a coupon derived from an overnight, or averaged overnight, risk-free rate, would that replacement rate of interest result in those instruments failing to satisfy the criterion specified in Article 63(m) CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4568
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 11/02/2022

Eligibility of minority interests

When it comes to subsidiaries which are institutions or investments firms established in third countries, are minority interests eligible for the purpose of their recognition in prudential own funds as per Article 81 (for CET1) or Article 82 (for AT1 and T2)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2021_5711
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 03/12/2021

Relevance of third country capital requirements for the calculation of minority interests amounts of a subsidiary to be included at the consolidated leve

When applying Article 84(1), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) in respect of subsidiary institutions in third countries, should the excess capital attributable to minorities be determined by applying, namely in subparagraph (i), the provisions and requirements of CRR, together with any additional local requirements, to the extent these have to be met with CET1 capital?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4775
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 03/12/2021

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
  • ID: 2020_5202
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 24/09/2021

Amended ranking requirement in point (d) of Article 63 of the CRR

Which interpretation of the new requirement in point (d) of Article 63 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/876 is correct?Do all banks need to amend the T&Cs of their Tier 2 instruments due to the new wording of point (d) of Article 63 of the CRR in order to be CRR-compliant (considering that there is no respective grandfathering provision in the CRR)? orDo banks for which the resolution authority does not set a subordination requirement with respect to MREL or banks for which the MREL requirement consists solely of the loss absorption amount (as the respective bank is to be wound up under normal insolvency proceedings and not subject to resolution) remain compliant with the new wording in point (d) of Article 63 of the CRR without the need to amend their respective T&Cs?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4950
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/03/2021

Grandfathering according to Articles 494a and 494b of the CRR

Should Article 494a(1) and (2) of the CRR also cover points (p), (q), and (r) of Article 52(1) and points (n), (o) and (p) of Article 63, respectively?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4949
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/03/2021

Minority Interests and guidance on additional own funds (P2G)

Should the guidance on additional own funds be taken into account in the quantification of the minority interests of a subsidiary that is included in an institution`s consolidated CET1 capital according to Article 84(1) CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_3658
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/03/2021

Interplay between Article 13a of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 as regards the deduction of software assets from Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) items and Article 37(a) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)

Would it be possible that the application of Article 37(a) of the CRR in conjunction with the new deduction rules established in Article 13a of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 could lead to: • A negative deduction, i.e. an addition, of software assets when it comes to the determination of CET1 items, and/or • A non-adequate amount to be risk weighted?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2020_5567
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 26/02/2021

Need of prior permission to include minority interest arising from Common Equity Tier 1 instruments issued by subsidiaries located in EU member state and third countries in consolidated CET1 capital of parent institutions established in the EU.

According to Article 26(3) CRR, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2019/876 (CRR2), is a prior permission by the competent authority required in order for a parent institution located in the EU to include in consolidated CET1 capital minority interests, arising from CET1 instruments, issued by subsidiaries located (a) in an EU Member State, or (b) in a third country? The answer should also clarify whether before granting a permission pursuant to Article 26(3) CRR (if such permission is required), the competent authority is required to consult the EBA (as per the third subparagraph of Article 26(3) CRR), as the instruments issued by the subsidiaries in third countries would not be included in the EBA CET1 instruments list.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2020_5129
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/12/2020

Continuous call option in AT1 instruments

Can AT1 instruments include terms whereby an issuer may call an instrument on any day over a fixed period of time (e.g. six months) before the first coupon reset date but after five years from date of issuance? Would the EBA’s answer be different for prospective Tier 2 or Article 72b CRR2 instruments (i.e. TLAC/ MREL eligible liabilities instruments)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2020_5147
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/09/2020

Absence of waiver of set-off

Do AT 1 and Tier 2 instruments issued before 27 June 2019 continue to qualify as eligible AT 1 / Tier 2 capital despite the fact that it does not contain an explicit clause on waiver set-off rights in its terms and conditions, provided it meets all other eligibility criteria? Equally, does a liability issued before 27 June 2019 continue to qualify as eligible liabilities instrument despite the fact that it does not contain an explicit clause on waiver of set-off rights in its terms and conditions, provided it meets all other eligibility criteria of Article 72b CRR2?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2020_5146
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/09/2020

Scrip-dividends at investors’ discretion

Can Article 2(10) of the Commission delegated regulation 241/2014 be applied in case the holder of the CET1 instruments has the option to decide whether to receive the dividends in cash or in shares?

  • 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: 2019_4732
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 04/09/2020