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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

Taps on callable Eligible Liabilities

If a subsequent tap of a callable MREL-eligible instrument (Senior preferred or Senior non-preferred instrument) is priced at a spread higher than the secondary market (i.e., the investor buys the new tap below par) in order to align the tap spread to the initial credit spread and the reset spread (following the tightening of the spreads of the initial tranche in the secondary market), 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 and Eligible Liabilities requirements for institutions? In case of the presence of an incentive to redeem, would this result in a shortening of maturity of eligible liabilities as per Article 72(c)(3) of the CRR for the tap only or for the full instrument (i.e., both the tap and the original instrument?).

  • 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: 2023_6947
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 23/01/2024

Definition of elligible capital

Can a parent company give a guarantee to investors of new shares in a bank and back it with their own assets? Or can a sister company invest in a bank? Can a bank lend to a company that already holds AT1 instruments of a bank? If so, is there a deduction? What if that company's investment in the bank is not a significant proportion of its portfolio and the bank's failure would not jeopardise the loan? What if the bank lends to a company that will use the loan to buy the bank's planned issue of AT1 instruments, but the loan is backed by high quality collateral?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6920
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 12/01/2024

Deductions from Common Equity Tier 1 items

1. Bank owns usd 20 million worth of 18% ordinary shares of a financial institution Alpha Bank. Alpha Bank has also invested usd 12 million to this bank's CET1 in order to artificially inflate the capital of both banks.  When calculating regulatory capital, USD 12 million reciprocal cross-holding was deducted from CET1. Now, when the bank calculates adjustments for investments in the capital of financial entities, should it count the investment in Alpha Bank as 8 million, and even if so, will it be considered a significant investment or an insignificant investment? 2.  Bank has a wholly owned subsidiary, Valeria Ltd, which is a non-financial entity. Valeria Ltd holds 100% of the shares of Karina Insurers, which is a financial institution. Should the bank now consider this as a significant investment (here indirect) in a financial institution and make deductions accordingly, or should the bank consider only Valeria Ltd in deductions (alternatively 1250% RW) as a qualifying non-financial holding? If the first option is the correct answer, should it ignore the investment in Valeria Ltd? 3.  A bank has 100 million CET1 and 10 million AT1 capital. The bank then invests 50 mln to buy 100% of an insurance company that holds the bank's 10 mln AT1. When recalculating the regulatory capital, the bank deducts 40 mln (50 - 100*10%) from CET1 as an investment in financial sector entities above the 10% threshold. Now, when calculating AT1, should the bank make an adjustment to 10 mln AT1 because it is considered an investment in own capital? If so, how much?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6919
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 12/01/2024

Adjustment of risk-weighted non-defaulted SME exposures

Should the RWEA to which the adjustment shall be made under CRR Article 501 constitute the total RWEA for credit risk determined in accordance with Part Three, Title II, Chapter 2 or 3 that relates to non-defaulted credit exposures defined in 501 p 2 - regardless if the RWEA stems from the standardized approach, the IRB approach or any national measures impacting the credit risk RWEA?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6909
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 15/12/2023

Share buybacks included in distribution policies

How and when should the share buyback ordinary component of an adopted profit distribution policy be reflected in the CET1 capital of 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: 2023_6887
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/01/2024

Share buyback program: amount of upfront deduction

Does the upfront deduction under Article 28(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 241/2014 as specified by Q&A 3277 include in addition to CET1 instruments and related share premium accounts also the other CET1 items that are reduced by a share buyback program authorized pursuant to Article 78(1)(b) 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
  • ID: 2023_6886
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 12/01/2024

Definition of financial institution and mixed activity insurance holding company

Can a mixed-activity insurance holding company (MAIHC) that has at least one subsidiary credit institution pursuant to Article 4(1)(1) CRR qualify as a financial institution pursuant to Article 4(1)(26) CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6875
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 10/06/2024

Minority interests ( COREP & Net Stable Funding Ratio)

Are minority interests that arise from a subsidiary, which is a (Mixed) financial holding company in a third country and has obtained exemption for the prudential consolidation from the local regulator, eligible to inclusion in the EU parent entity consolidated? Can parent entity choose to apply CRR articles 84(2)/87(2) to exclude the minority interest of the subsidiary with potential negative equity ? What should be the treatment of the minority interest of the subsidiary with potential negative equity in the NSFR report of the parent entity?   

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6861
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 16/10/2023

Deferred tax assets related tax loss due to losses on derivatives in cash flow hedge accounting relationships

In accordance with Article 33(1)(a) CRR, institutions do not include fair value reserves related to gains or losses on cash flow hedges in own funds. Is it correct to also filter deferred tax assets related to the tax loss resulted from fair value reserves related to gains or losses on cash flow hedges?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6831
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 16/08/2023

Capital instruments eligible as Tier 2 Capital

Under the CRR, capital instruments and subordinated loans shall only qualify as Tier 2 instruments provided that the conditions outlined in Article 63 are met. This includes the condition that “the instruments are directly issued by an institution and fully paid up” as per Article 63(a). As further outlined in Annex II instruction to row 0771, such capital instruments also include subordinated loans insofar that they fulfil the eligibility criteria. We would like to request clarification on the eligibility criteria of Article 63(a) in the context of an amendment in the regulation’s text of Article 64, effected via CRR II (Regulation 2019/876). This clarification is sought with the aim of determining whether the “accrued interest” on subordinated debt may be eligible for inclusion as Tier 2 capital, having regard to Article 63(a) and Article 64 in particular.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2021/451 – ITS on supervisory reporting of institutions (repealed)
  • ID: 2023_6793
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 16/08/2023

Permission to reduce own funds or eligible liabilities and deduction rules in the context of a liability management exercise (exchange offer, tender offer or issuance of a replacement instrument concurrent with a tender offer on the existing instrument)

Should deductions from own funds and eligible liabilities with regards to a permission to reduce own funds or eligible liabilities in accordance with Article 77 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR) in the context of a liability management exercise (exchange offer, tender offer or issuance of a replacement instrument concurrent with a tender offer on the existing instrument), rather than upon the exercise of a call option,  be made right after the permission from the competent authority / resolution authority is granted or could it be later at the time of the institution’s public announcement of the liability management exercise 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
  • ID: 2023_6791
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 15/09/2023

Negative Goodwill

Positive Goodlwill ie where a firm has purchased an entity above book value, is deducted from CET1 to determine the elligible capital balance. However how should Negative Goodwill be treated ie where a firm has purchased an entity at a discount? The profit on the purchase goes through the purchasing firm's P&L so does that mean negative goodwill is elligible to be included in CET1 capital?

  • Legal act: Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2016/10 - Guidelines on ICAAP and ILAAP information collected for SREP purposes
  • ID: 2023_6768
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 16/08/2023

Scope of Article 22(1) CRR

Do undertakings subject to Article 22(1) CRR Sub-consolidation in case of entities in third countries have to comply with Part Two of the CRR in full or shall they only comply with Articles 89, 90 and 91 of Part Two?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6765
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:

Interplay between Articles 49(3) and 72e(5) of the CRR

Does the exemption from the requirement to deduct holdings of own funds instruments under Article 49(3) of the CRR also apply with regard to the deductions set out in Article 72e(5)?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6763
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:

Treasury shares – how to report them in Own Funds and in the NSFR

In CA1 (own funds), should treasury shares (holdings of own shares that were bought back with the prior permission from the CA) be reported in as ‘(-) Direct holdings of CET1 instruments’ (row 80) or should they be reported as part of the ‘Accumulated other comprehensive income’ (row 180) or ‘Other reserves’ (row 200) if they are already included in one of these accounts according to the accounting rules? In case treasury shares are to be reported as a deduction in row 80 in CA1 (hence this deduction is reversed in the NSFR own funds - see Q&A 2021_6016), should treasury shares require any stable funding?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2023_6748
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 23/02/2024

Deduction of eligible liabilities instrument pursuant to Article 32b of RTS on Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities

How should an institution deduct the amount for which the resolution authority has given its prior permission under Article 78a of Regulation No 575/2013 (CRR) to reduce eligible liabilities instruments and where the permission granted only specifies a total amount of eligible liabilities instruments?

  • 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: 2022_6651
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 31/03/2023

Capital buffer applicability and validation rule v8714_m

After validation with our local authorities, the company is not subjet to any buffer in COREP C04.00. Once we post the COREP_OF report at NBB, we get an error v8714_m related to capital buffers.  EBA is expecting a value based on the regultory own funds while it is not applicable for our institution. Is is possible to manage the applicability at report level to disable the validation rule ?  

  • Legal act: Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2022_6637
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 28/09/2023

Calculation of a Prudent Value in combination with CET1-Deduction according to article 89 and 90 CRR

In case of applying article 89 CRR in combination with article 90 CRR for a risk exposure (asset) is there a requirement of calculating an additional valuation adjustument (AVA) although the calculated amount of CET1-deduction of the risk exposure already lowers CET1?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Regulation (EU) 2016/101 - RTS for prudent valuation under Article 105(14) CRR
  • ID: 2022_6636
  • Topic: Own funds
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 26/01/2023