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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.

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List of Q&A's

Materiality threshold and calculation method for materiality ratio for the purpose of application of Article 150(1)(c) for types of exposures that are immaterial in terms of size and perceived risk profile

A) Can you please clarify whether the 10%/5% threshold to define materiality for “exposure classes” are valid also as for “types of exposures”? In case not, can you please specify which thresholds should be considered for the abovementioned purpose?B) As for the materiality ratio to be compared against the thresholds can you please clarify how it should be computed with reference to the following points:1. Should the numerator include only the exposures for which the application for PPU is being sought under Article 150 (1) (c) by excluding exposures for which PPU has already been granted pursuant other points of Art 150 (1) and exposures not to be included in the calculation of RWA for equity exposure pursuant to Art. 155 (1) (i.e. Equity exposures risk weighted at 250% in accordance with Art. 48 (4) of Reg. EU 575/2013 and those deducted from CET1 in accordance with Part Two of Reg. EU 575/2013)?2. Should the ratio be computed only at solo level or both at solo and consolidated level, in case an application is limited to only one Legal Entity (LE) of a Large Group?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4489
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Original maturity of credit lines until-further notice

For risk classification as off-balance sheet item according to Annex I CRR, is the original maturity longer than one year where non-retail credit lines until further notice (i.e. no fixed maturity) may be cancelled with 3 months advance notification period and even immediately in case the borrower becoming delinquent or declaring bankruptcy?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4486
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Meaning of “portfolio” within “sufficiently diversified portfolios” in Article 155(2)

How should the term “portfolio” be understood in the context of the 190% risk weight for private equity exposures in “sufficiently diversified portfolios” in Article 155(2) of the CRR? Does it refer to the whole institution’s portfolio of private equity? Or to any of the “portfolios” that an institution has identified for internal risk management purposes instead?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4472
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/05/2021

To which exposure class the fair value changes of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk should be assigned

To which exposure class the 'fair value changes of the hedged items in portfolio hedge of interest rate risk' (recorded in the IFRS consolidated financial statements in accordance with (IAS 39.89A(a); IFRS 9.6.5.8) have to be assigned. The recorded exposure relates to a bottom layer macro fair value hedge of mortgage loans. Due to the application of the bottom layer macro fair value hedge approach there is no individual allocation of the exposure value of the hedged item to the individual mortgage loans. Should this exposure be treated as an 'exposure secured by mortgages on immovable property' or as 'other items', and subsequently, which risk weight should be applied to this exposure.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2019_4441
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Treatment of joint credit obligations

Do the requirements established in the Guidelines on the application of the definition of default under Article 178 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 regarding joint credit obligations, and in particular the requirements 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 103, 104 and 105, relate or affect exclusively to retail exposures? In that case, could the treatment of joint credit obligations in which the obligors are classified as Non – Retail differ from the treatment of joint credit obligations in which the obligors are classified as Retail? In addition, and, as per this purpose, what should be the treatment of joint credit obligations shared by retail and non-retail obligors?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2016/07 - Guidelines on the application of the definition of default under Article 178 CRR
  • ID: 2018_4431
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/08/2020

Maturity of instruments subject to a cash flow schedule

Should an institution that has received the permission of the competent authority to use own LGDs for exposures to corporates, apply the formula in Article 162(2)(a) CRR, for both fixed interest rate and variable interest rate loans, where no change of the cash flow timing is applicable?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4410
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Fair value adjustments that arise as a result of applying fair value hedge accounting

Should fair value adjustments which arise as a result of applying fair value hedge accounting to mitigate interest rate risk be treated under the CRR credit risk framework or under a different risk framework? And if under a different risk framework, which risk framework should that be?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4406
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Calculation method for materiality ratio to be compared against the 10%/5% threshold for the purpose of application of Article 150(1)(c) for equity exposure class (Permanent Partial Use)

How should a credit institution - with the prior permission to apply the standardised approach permanent partial use (PPU) ex Article 150 CRR for equity exposures - calculate the  threshold as per Article 150(2) CRR?How is the materiality ratio computed? In particular:Should the numerator include only the exposures for which the application for PPU is being sought under Article 150(1)(c) CRR by excluding exposures for which PPU has already been granted pursuant other points of Article 150(1) and exposures not to be included in the calculation of RWA for equity exposure pursuant to Article 155(1) (i.e. Equity exposures risk weighted at 250% in accordance with Article 48(4) of Reg. EU 575/2013 and those deducted from CET1 in accordance with Part Two of Reg. EU 575/2013)?Should the ratio be computed only at solo level or both at solo and consolidated level, in case an application is limited to only one Legal Entity (LE) of a Large Group? 

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4390
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Exposures in the form of covered bonds

Would the preferential treatment set out in Articles 129(4) and (5) and in Article 161(1)(d) be applicable to derivative instruments entered into in relation to covered bonds exposures, provided that the counterparty’s claims are secured by the same pool of assets as the covered bonds’ and rank pari passu with the claims of the covered bonds holders?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4328
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 29/03/2019

Risk weight for new asset class of non-preferred senior debt

What risk weight should be applied to non-preferred senior (NPS) debt, under the standardised approach for credit risk?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4306
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Obligations stemming from "non-credit products"

To what extent do fees stemming from “non-credit products” fall under the notion of para 73 (a) of the EBA Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2017/16 - Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures
  • ID: 2018_4301
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 07/05/2021

Immovable property collateral under the Standardised approach & Credit risk mitigation principles

Do the Article 193 ‘Principles for recognising the effect of credit risk mitigation techniques’ and Article 194 ‘Principles governing the eligibility of credit risk mitigation techniques’ apply to immovable property collateral under the Standardised approach?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4300
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 15/11/2019

Treatment of failed SRT under Traditional Securitisation

In case the significant credit risk cannot be considered to have been transferred according to 244 of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2017/2401, but the exposures had been already derecognised from the bank's balance sheet, shall the bank continue to calculate the RWA for the securitised exposures as if they were never securitised? Does it mean that no RWA will be calculated for the securitisation position?  Additionally, if the exposures have been securitised against cash, and the cash invested in new loan, would RWA be calculated for these new loans

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4207
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 26/07/2019

Aggregated first loss under credit insurance

Is the requirement in Article 213(1)(b) CRR met in case of a credit insurance whose contractual terms provide that the institution shall bear a first loss, which is calculated at aggregate level with regard to several different exposures?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4184
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 26/02/2021

PD Calibration Sample

Given the definition of PD calibration provided in EBA/GL/2017/16 section 2.4 paragraph 8, and the requirements for the calibration sample provided in section 5.3.5, paragraph 88 of the same guidelines, for developing a Through-the-Cycle (TTC) model, under which conditions it is mandatory to adopt the current portfolio or a multi-year snapshots as calibration sample? And consequently should the calibration testing in validation phase verify the alignment between the Central Tendency and the PD estimations on recent portfolio snapshot or multiyear sample?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: EBA/GL/2017/16 - Guidelines on PD estimation, LGD estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures
  • ID: 2018_4159
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Exposure treatment for trades with Specific Wrong-Way risk

In the Q&A 2016_2590, EBA indicates that "Article 291 CRR only applies to the internal model method (IMM) for CCR. It has to be noted that for these kind of trades, special exposure treatment is required according to Article 291(5)(b)-(f) CRR". However, last paragraph of article 273 of CRR indicate that "For the methods set out in Sections 3 to 6, institutions shall treat transactions where specific wrong way risk has been identified in accordance with Article 291(2), (4), (5) and (6) as appropriate". It seems, consequently, that article 291 of CRR (included article 291 (5) (b) - (f)) should also be applied to Mark-to market method (section 3), to Original exposure method (section 4) and to Standardized method (section 5). Could you please confirm ?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4020
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Retail Classification

Retail classification if an obligor has exposure under both the STA and IRB approach. This question is relevant for banks that are partially using the SA and partially using the IRB approach and where the use of the different methods is on the basis of the product type i.e. mortgages are under IRB, other Retail loans under SA. Article 123 allows for the exclusion of exposures fully and completely secured on residential property that have been assigned to the exposure class laid down in point (i) of Article 112 (exposures secured by mortgages on immovable property) when calculating the total amount owed the institution.

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_4012
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 09/10/2020

Look-through approach resulting in a credit risk position of own institution

When applying the look-through approach of Article 132(4) CRR, what risk weight shall an institution apply to a position that is based against its own institution?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_3949
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as Rejected Q&A: 11/02/2022

Classification of a commitment to make under certain conditions an indemnity payment for a customer

Does a commitment to make under certain conditions an indemnity payment on behalf of a customer constitute an “off-balance sheet item other than those mentioned in (Article 166) paragraphs 1 to 8” according to Article 166(10) CRR?If so, does it constitute a medium/ low risk item according to Article 166(10)(c) CRR, specifically as one of the “other items also carrying medium/low risk and as communicated to EBA” according to Annex I, No. 3(b)(ii) CRR?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_3918
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 21/05/2021

Asset denominated in one currency and funded in a different currency subject to a FX Swap exchanging those two currencies

For the purpose of the credit risk standard risk-weight attribution, can we consider that 1) an asset denominated in one currency and funded in a different currency subject to a FX Swap exchanging those two currencies is equivalent to 2) an asset denominated and funded in the same currency?

  • Legal act: Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 (CRR)
  • COM Delegated or Implementing Acts/RTS/ITS/GLs: Not applicable
  • ID: 2018_3832
  • Topic: Credit risk
  • Date of submission:
  • Published as final Q&A: 19/07/2019