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List of Q&A's

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

Computation of discount for purchased assets

How does the treatment described in the last subparagraph of Article 166(1) CRR interact with that of Article 159 CRR? How does the definition of discount/premium apply in prudential treatment of exposures?

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

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

Risk weight of EURATOM debt

Which risk weight shall apply to outstanding/new EURATOM debt instruments?

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

Risk weight to apply to exposures to unrated central banks

What risk weight should be assigned to exposures to the central bank of a non EU-member country when the central bank does not have a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI (i.e., it is unrated)? Would it be appropriate to assign a risk weight of 100% to exposures to said central bank, independently of the rating of the central government?

  • 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

Derivative adjustment of the basic annual contribution through mark-to-market method

For the purpose of Article 5(3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/63 the valuation of derivative contracts should be done in accordance with the methodology specified in Article 429(6) and (7) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) [as amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/62]. How should this methodology be applied when adjusting the liability side, i.e. derivative contracts with a negative market value?

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

Cap on inflows for consumer finance or leasing and factoring activity

When a bank constituting a single liquidity subgroup is applying for a preferential treatment in accordance with Article 33(3) or Article 33(4) of the LCR Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/61 at consolidated level, does Article 33(5)(b) of the LCR Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/61 refer to the balance sheet value of the individual entities or to the consolidated single liquidity sub-group?Also, when assessing a request in accordance with Article 33(3) or Article 33(4) of the LCR Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/61 at individual level, is it possible to exclude some components of the total balance sheet when checking if the ratio ‘activities as referred to in Article 33(3) over total activity’ or ‘activities as referred to in Article 33(4) over total activity’ exceeds 80% of the total balance sheet (e.g. shareholdings in subsidiaries performing the same activity, refinancing agreements toward these subsidiaries)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/61 - DR with regard to liquidity coverage requirement

Speculative immovable property financing

Should the loans that banks grants to build a first home, as a part of the normal business process, where the repayment of the financing comes from the sale of the property to the first buyer, without a speculative purpose of resale, and on the basis of the credit risk valuation of the borrower’s financial strength, be considered as speculative immovable property financing under Article 4(1)(79) CRR?

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

Use of bona fide estimates for the determination of the size of a corporation

Is it allowed to use bona fide estimates for the determination of the size of a corporation for the purposes of Articles 153(4) or 162(4) CRR (identification of SMEs) analogous to Article 4(3) of the Annex Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC? 

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

Contingent liabilities within the Merchant Services Industry

Does the contingent liability to which an acquiring bank is subject in the course of the merchant acquirer business qualify as an off-balance sheet item according to Annex I  CRR? 

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

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

Systemic risk buffer requirement calculation

1) What is the definition of the term “exposure” in Article 133 (3) CRD IV? What is the base for the calculation of systemic risk buffer requirement? In case systemic risk buffer applies to all exposures regardless the location of the exposure, is it total risk weighted exposure according to Article 92 (3) CRR? How should the systemic risk buffer be computed by the institution, since there is no further guidance? What is the definition for „exposures located in the Member State that sets that buffer“? Is the term „exposure“ referring to: - (credit) exposures according Article 111 of Regulation 575/2013 - (credit) risk weighted exposures according to Article 113 of Regulation 575/2013 - the subset of aforementioned, for example relevant credit exposures according to Article 140(4) - total risk exposure according to Article 92 (3) of Regulation 575/2013 - or otherwise? 2) What is the definition of term „located in the Member State“. Can the guidance introduced in DR No 1152/2014 be applied also for systemic risk buffer, although it is issued primarily for countercyclical capital buffer?And in case the systemic risk buffer applies to all exposures located in the Member State that sets systemic risk buffer, but does not apply to exposures outside the Member State, how the systemic risk buffer requirement should be calculated? Does the term “exposures located in the Member State” include only credit exposures located in the Member state following CCyB treatment in article 140 (4) CRD? Or under the term “exposures” shall be included also exposures to other risks (e.g. operational risk)? 

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

CVA Standardised Method for Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs)

Article 382(2) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) states that ‘an institution shall include securities financing transactions in the calculation of own funds required by paragraph 1 if the competent authority determines that the institution's CVA risk exposures arising from those transactions are material’. Assuming SFTs are included in the CVA Standardised CVA charge, clarification is required on the definition of the 'EAD' and 'M' inputs to the CVA Standardised Formula:Question 1: What definition of 'EAD' is applied for SFTs under the CVA Standardised Method? i.e. is it only the fully adjusted exposure value in accordance with Article 223(5) or can the exposure value take in account master netting agreements as set out in Articles 220 and 221 of the CRR be used ?Question 2: What definition of 'M' (the effective maturity of the transactions) is applied for SFTs in the CVA Standardised Formula? i.e. the definition of 'M' in Article 384(1) for non-IMM banks references Article 162(2)(b) which only refers to master netting agreements for derivatives.

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

Written Credit Derivatives Add-On MR/NR Netting

Under Article 429d(3) of the Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR), is it allowable to reduce the Add-On exposure of a written credit derivative (CDS) which has a Modified-Restructuring clause by a purchased credit derivative (CDS) which has No-Restructuring clause (where both CDS contracts have the same maturity, seniority and underlying reference entity)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/62 - DR with regard to the leverage ratio

Private ownership of a bridge institution or an asset management tool

We seek clarification on Articles 40(2) and 42(2) of Directive 2014/59/EU (BRRD). Can a bridge institution or an asset management tool be fully privately owned?

  • Legal act: Directive 2014/59/EU (BRRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable

Reporting of assets lending on an unsecured basis

When collateral lending on an unsecured basis maturing within the 30-day period, shall the institution report this as inflows?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/61 - DR with regard to liquidity coverage requirement