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List of Q&A's

Deduction from own funds of items entered as assets that are not yet included within equity

If an institution enters an asset (e.g. at Equity valuation of a holding in a Financial Sector Entity (FSE) or increasing the amount of a deferred tax asset) through the profit and loss statement (P&L), the corresponding profit is not eligible for own funds before it is audited and officially approved (or in case of interim or year-end profits before it is audited and recognition is approved by the competent authority).However, the deduction amount (e.g. holdings in FSE or DTAs) has formally increased and would lead to an immediate higher deduction amount. If this was the case, it would represent the deduction of gains that are not yet recognized in the own funds of the institution. 

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

Clarification of the conditions for reduction of own funds due to Article 77 CRR and Article 28 RTS on Own funds.

Should deductions from own funds with regard to a permission to reduce own funds in accordance with Article 77 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) be made right after the permission from the competent authority (CA) is granted or could it be later at the time of the institution’s public announcement in accordance with Article 28 (2) of the RTS on Own Funds? In that context, how should the concept of ‘sufficient certainty’ of Article 28 (2) RTS be applied?

  • 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

Taps on callable instruments

If a tap of an instrument is priced at a lower credit spread than the initial spread of the original issue, would the reset of the margin at the first call date to the initial spread of the original issue be considered an incentive to redeem as per Article 20 of EBA RTS for Own Funds requirements for institutions?If a tap of an instrument is priced at a lower credit spread than the initial spread of the original issue, would the reset of the margin at the first call date to the initial spread of the original issue be considered an incentive to redeem as per Article 20 of EBA RTS for Own Funds requirements for 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

Instrumenty w Tier II / Tier 2 instruments and incentives to redeem or repay subordinated bonds prior to their maturity.

Original questionArtykuł 63 lit. h) Rozporządzenia Parlamentu Europejskiego i Rady (UE) nr 575/2013 z dnia 26 czerwca 2013 r., stwierdza, że aby instrumenty kapitałowe i pożyczki podporządkowane mogły zostać zakwalifikowane do kapitału Tier II „przepisy regulujące dane instrumenty lub pożyczki podporządkowane, stosownie do przypadku, nie zawierają żadnej zachęty do wykupu lub spłaty – stosownie do przypadku – kwoty głównej tych instrumentów lub pożyczek przez daną instytucję przed terminem ich zapadalności”. Równocześnie art. 20 Rozporządzenia Delegowanego Komisji (UE) Nr 241/2014 z dnia 7 stycznia 2014 r., określa formę i charakter zachęt do wcześniejszego wykupu do celów art. 63 lit h) Rozporządzenia nr 575/2013. Czy przepisy regulujące pożyczkę podporządkowaną, w których zapisano, że emitent po uzyskaniu zgody Komisji Nadzoru Finansowego, ma prawo, ale nie obowiązek dokonać wcześniejszego wykupu przedmiotowych obligacji, nie wcześniej jednak niż w terminie 5 lat po dacie emisji oraz, iż w okresie ostatnich 5 lat przed terminem wykupu obligacji, będzie sukcesywnie podnosił oprocentowanie wyemitowanych instrumentów, zawierają zachętę do wcześniejszego wykupu lub spłaty? Jeżeli tak, to czy zgodnie z zapisami art. 20 ust. 2 Rozporządzenia Delegowanego Komisji (UE) Nr 241/2014, oznacza to, że w przepisach regulujących wskazaną wyżej pożyczkę podporządkowaną zawarta jest „opcja kupna połączona ze zwiększeniem spreadu kredytowego instrumentu w przypadku nieprzeprowadzenia wezwania do sprzedaży” lub inna forma zachęt określona w Rozporządzeniu Nr 241/2014? Jeżeli tak, to czy formalny brak zgody Komisji Nadzoru Finansowego (art. 78 ust. 1 Rozporządzenia nr 575/2013) na wcześniejszy wykup wskazanych wyżej obligacji podporządkowanych jest równoznaczny z anulowaniem zachęty do wcześniejszego wykupu lub spłaty?English translation:The provisions regulating a specific subordinated loan that has been issued in 2012 state that, having received the consent of the Competent Authority, the issuer is entitled to, but not required to, redeem the bonds in question prior to their maturity date, and that, within the final five years prior to the bond redemption date, the issuer shall successively increase the interest rate for the instruments issued.Q1: Are the corresponding provisions deemed to include any incentive to redeem or repay prior to the maturity date despite the need to obtain first the consent from the Competent Authority? Said otherwise, is a formal lack of consent of the relevant Competent Authority (Article 78(1) of the CRR) for redemption of the aforementioned subordinated bonds prior to their maturity equivalent to cancelling an incentive to redeem or repay them prior to their maturity?Q2: What would be the regulatory status of the subordinated bonds in the case where the relevant Competent Authority does not give its consent for the redemption of such instruments prior to their 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

Minority Interests

How should the calculations, needed for the minority interests’ calculation under Article 81 CRR, be converted into Euros where the local currency of the subsidiary is different from the parent’s currency?

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

Prior permission for repurchase of CET 1 instruments for discretionary trading activity over treasury shares for a certain predetermined amount.

Should the prior permission for the repurchase of CET 1 instruments for discretionary trading activity over treasury shares be subject to Article 78(1) last subparagraph of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)? In such case, would any general prior permission to repurchase CET 1 instruments for discretionary trading activity over treasury shares purposes result in a deduction from own funds at the time when the permission is granted or would a deduction from own funds be made at the time when the relevant repurchase of CET 1 instruments takes place?

  • 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

Short positions in financial institution capital instruments

1. For a contract between bank A and B as set out in the background that is a forward sell (physical delivery), can Bank A deduct from its own funds the net position on FSE?2. For a contract between bank A and B as set out in the background that is cash-settled (TRS, future, options), can Bank A deduct from its own funds the net position on FSE?

  • 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

Deduction from CET1 of significant holdings in financial sector entities (FSE) and protection acquired to limit downside investment exposure

Will the hedge with the 3rd party as described in the example in the background result in the deduction from CET1 (as per Article 36 CRR) being reduced from €750m to €250m?

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

Gross-up calls on Tier 2

Should gross-up cases on Tier 2 be allowed only in relation to coupon withholding tax (and not principal)?

  • 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

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

Incentives to redeem of a hybrid instrument with a call for grandfathering purposes

Article 489 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) provides for the grandfathering treatment of hybrid instruments with a call and an incentive to redeem. A bank has issued a bond with a fixed coupon before the first call date and a floating rate coupon after the first call date. The credit spread of the fixed coupon as of the issuance date is the same as the margin of the floating rate coupon after the first call date, so there is no immediate step-up there. However, the floating rate coupon is floored at the level of the fixed rate coupon. Does this constitute an incentive to redeem ?

  • 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

Recognition of minorities arising from an intermediate financial holding company

In the example below, are the minority interests of 20% in (mixed) financial holding company no. 1 – after applying the deductions according to Article 84 CRR – eligible for the consolidated own funds of the group?

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

Calculation of the predetermined amount for market making purposes

Which amount has to be taken into account in market making operations when the nominal amount of the repurchased CET 1 instruments , e.g. shares, is 1 EUR per share but the current market price which has to be paid for the repurchase of the share is higher, for example 20 EUR. Which amount has to be taken into account to compute the predetermined maximum amount for market making purposes for which a general prior permission has been granted by the competent authority (CA) according to the second subparagraph of Article 78(1) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)?

  • 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

General credit risk adjustment (GCRA) inclusion into Tier 2 capital

For the purpose of the inclusion into institutions' Tier 2 capital and in the event of interim profits or year-end profits that have not been approved in accordance with Article 26(2) CRR (a.k.a. "interim GCRAs"), are the general credit risk adjustments (GCRAs) required to be immediately deducted from institutions' CET1 capital?Are "interim GCRAs" eligible as a Tier 2 capital regardless either the fulfilment of Article 26(2) of CRR, or without immediate reduction from CET1 capital?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) No 183/2014 - RTS for the calculation of specific and general credit risk adjustments

‘Indirect holdings’ in capital instruments issued by financial sector entities (CRR Article 4 paragraph 1 subparagraph 114).

The definition of indirect holdings requires that the institution performs an internal assessment in order to determine if, in the event the capital instruments issued by the financial sector entity were permanently written off, the loss that the institution would incur as a result would not be materially different from the loss the institution would incur from a direct holding of those capital instruments. Can the institution use stress scenarios that are already utilised by the institution for internal risk management purposes when making this assessment?

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

Investment in Tier 2 capital by subsidiary

Article 63(b)(ii) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) states that capital instruments and subordinated loans shall qualify as Tier 2 instruments provided that particular conditions are met. One of such condition requires that the instruments are not purchased or the subordinated loans are not granted, as applicable, by either the institution or its subsidiaries.Is it a correct approach that only the part of capital instruments which is not currently held by subsidiary should be qualified as Tier 2 instruments?Should an institution apply for permission for the whole issue and after that exclude instruments held by subsidiaries, if national law requires a special permission from the competent authority in order to recognize instrument as Tier 2 capital? And after being granted this permission should the institution exclude in day-to-day adequacy calculation the amount of instruments held by subsidiary?

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

Application of the DGS Directive to Financial Institutions

Based on the definition provided in Article 4(1)(26) of Regulation (EU) No. 575/2013 (CRR), should financial institutions which deal on own account only be excluded from DGS compensation?

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

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

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

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