The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its annual report on Asset Encumbrance. As COVID-19 spread across Europe, banks made extensive use of central bank facilities to strengthen their liquidity buffers and maintain the flow of credit to the real economy. This resulted in the largest yearly rise in the asset encumbrance ratio since data is available.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today a methodological guide to mystery shopping (MS). This guide has been developed based on the findings and good practices identified in the EBA report on MS activities of NCAs published earlier this year and aims to support NCAs in the design and implementation of MS activities.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a public consultation on amendments to its Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) on currencies with constraints on the availability of liquid assets in the context of the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR). The proposed amendments remove the Norwegian Krone (NOK) from the list, with the result that no currency will be recognised as having constraints on the availability of liquid assets. The consultation runs until 16 October 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) welcomed today’s judgment by the European Court of Justice establishing the validity of its Guidelines on Product Oversight and Governance. This Court ruling supports the EBA’s ability to reduce the prudential impact of misconduct for financial institutions and to protect consumers from banking products that are not fit for purpose. The EBA will continue to establish high quality standards for the banking sector and EU citizens.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a public consultation on draft Guidelines providing clarity on the application of the limited network exclusion requirements, which certain payment instruments might benefit from, as laid down in the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2). Such payment instruments include store cards, fuel cards, public transport cards, and meal vouchers. Given the significant inconsistencies the EBA has identified on how this exclusion is applied across the EU, the proposed Guidelines aim at clarifying specific aspects of its application, including on how a network of service providers or a range of goods and services should be assessed in order to qualify as ‘limited’, the use of payment instruments within limited networks, the provision of excluded services by regulated financial institutions and the submission of notification to competent authorities (CAs). The consultation runs until 15 October 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its final Guidelines clarifying the requirements that the data inputs used to determine the scenarios of future shocks applied to modellable risk factors should meet. The Guidelines, which are part of the deliverables included in the roadmap for the new market and counterparty credit risk approaches, will be applicable from 1 January 2022.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today phase 2 of its 3.1 reporting framework. The technical package supports the implementation of the reporting framework by providing standard specifications and includes the validation rules, the Data Point Model (DPM) and the XBRL taxonomies for version 3.1.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today final draft regulatory technical standards (RTS) and Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) on cooperation and information exchange between competent authorities involved in prudential supervision of investment firms. These draft standards, developed in consultation with the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), provide a solid framework for (i) cooperation in the supervision of investment firm groups through colleges of supervisors and (ii) for information exchange for investment firms operating within the EU through branches or the free provision of services. These draft standards are part of the phase 2 mandates of the EBA roadmap on investment firms, and aim at improving cooperation and information exchanges between the supervisors of investment firms.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published today their revised final joint Guidelines on the assessment of the suitability of members of the management body and key function holders. These Guidelines take into account the amendments introduced by the revised Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) and the Investment Firms Directive (IFD), and their effect on the assessment of the suitability of members of the management body, in particular with regard to money laundering and financing terrorism risks, and gender diversity. The joint final Guidelines will apply from 31 December 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its revised Guidelines on internal governance. The update takes into account the amendments introduced by the fifth Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) and the Investment Firms Directive (IFD) in relation to credit institutions’ sound and effective governance arrangements, in particular with regard to gender diversity, money laundering, financing terrorist risk and the management of conflicts of interest, including in the context of loans and other transactions with members of the management body and their related parties. The final revised Guidelines will apply from 31 December 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its revised Guidelines on sound remuneration policies. This update takes into account the amendments introduced by the fifth Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) in relation to institutions’ sound remuneration policies and, in particular, the requirement that remuneration policies should be gender neutral. The final Guidelines also consider supervisory practices and clarify some aspects of retention bonuses and severance pays. The revised Guidelines will apply from 31 December 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today an Opinion to ease the implementation of the Investment Firms Regulation (IFR) and Investment Firms Directive (IFD), which entered into force on June 26. The IFR/IFD classify investment firms according to their business model and size, the latter of which is benchmarked on various threshold. For the vast majority of investment firms, sufficient clarity already exists with regards to the prudential regime, which applies to them. However, in a few cases, especially for investment firms of third country groups, the Opinion provides guidance on the actions to be taken in case of uncertainty on whether these investment firms should apply for an authorisation as a credit institution in the absence of the delegated act establishing the methodology for the calculation of the highest threshold (the EUR 30bn threshold), on which the EBA has currently opened a second public consultation.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today a revised Decision confirming the quality of unsolicited credit assessments assigned by certain External Credit Assessment Institutions (ECAIs) for calculating institutions' capital requirements. The revised Decision, which reflects the recognition of two additional ECAIs and the de-registering of three ECAIs, is part of the Single Rulebook in banking and will ensure regulatory harmonisation across the European Union (EU) regarding the use of unsolicited credit ratings for determining institutions' own funds requirements.
EBA issues revised list of ITS validation rules
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a public consultation on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) specifying the requirements for originators, sponsors, original lenders and servicers related to risk retention, in line with the Securitisation Regulation. The RTS aim to clarify requirements relating to risk retention, thus reducing the risk of moral hazard and aligning interests. The RTS also provide clarity on new topics, including risk retention in traditional securitisation of non-performing exposures (NPE). The consultation runs until 30 September 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its quarterly Risk Dashboard together with the results of the spring edition of the Risk Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ). The Q1 data shows that the CET1 ratio increased slightly on a fully loaded basis. The NPL ratio improved further, except for some sectors that may have been more affected by the pandemic. Banks’ profitability improved significantly.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today an analysis of the current RegTech landscape in the EU. The Report assesses the overall benefits and challenges faced by financial institutions and RegTech providers in the use of RegTech. It also identifies potential risks arising from that RegTech solutions that supervisors will need to address and proposes actions designed to enhance knowledge and skills in competent authorities. These actions also aim to ensure technological neutrality in regulatory and supervisory approaches to RegTech, whilst addressing any inadvertent obstacles within the Single Market to facilitate the adoption of RegTech across the EU.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) announced today that individual results for the banks participating in the 2021 EU-wide stress test, along with a report summarising the results in aggregate terms, will be published on Friday 30 July 2021 at 18:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST).
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a public consultation on its revised Guidelines on common procedures and methodologies for the supervisory review and evaluation process (SREP) and supervisory stress testing. The comprehensive revisions aim at implementing the recent amendments to the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD V) and Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR II), as well as aligning with other regulatory developments and best supervisory practices. The consultation runs until 28 September 2021.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its final draft Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) on information on supervisory approaches and aggregate statistical data concerning the new prudential requirements that competent authorities will have to disclose publicly for all types of investment firms authorised under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). These final draft technical standards, which are part of the Phase 2 mandates of the EBA Roadmap on investment firms, will ensure that the disclosed information is comprehensive and comparable across all Member States.