Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

CHAPTER VI U.K. Resolution powers

Article 63 U.K. General powers

1. Member States shall ensure that the resolution authorities have all the powers necessary to apply the resolution tools to institutions and to entities referred to in points (b), (c) and (d) of Article 1(1) that meet the applicable conditions for resolution. In particular, the resolution authorities shall have the following resolution powers, which they may exercise individually or in any combination:

(a) the power to require any person to provide any information required for the resolution authority to decide upon and prepare a resolution action, including updates and supplements of information provided in the resolution plans and including requiring information to be provided through on-site inspections;

(b) the power to take control of an institution under resolution and exercise all the rights and powers conferred upon the shareholders, other owners and the management body of the institution under resolution;

(c) the power to transfer shares or other instruments of ownership issued by an institution under resolution;

(d) the power to transfer to another entity, with the consent of that entity, rights, assets or liabilities of an institution under resolution;

(e) the power to reduce, including to reduce to zero, the principal amount of or outstanding amount due in respect of eligible liabilities, of an institution under resolution;

(f) the power to convert eligible liabilities of an institution under resolution into ordinary shares or other instruments of ownership of that institution or entity referred to in point (b), (c) or (d) of Article 1(1), a relevant parent institution or a bridge institution to which assets, rights or liabilities of the institution or the entity referred to in point (b), (c) or (d) of Article 1(1) are transferred;

(g) the power to cancel debt instruments issued by an institution under resolution except for secured liabilities subject to Article 44(2);

(h) the power to reduce, including to reduce to zero, the nominal amount of shares or other instruments of ownership of an institution under resolution and to cancel such shares or other instruments of ownership;

(i) the power to require an institution under resolution or a relevant parent institution to issue new shares or other instruments of ownership or other capital instruments, including preference shares and contingent convertible instruments;

(j) the power to amend or alter the maturity of debt instruments and other eligible liabilities issued by an institution under resolution or amend the amount of interest payable under such instruments and other eligible liabilities, or the date on which the interest becomes payable, including by suspending payment for a temporary period, except for secured liabilities subject to Article 44(2);

(k) the power to close out and terminate financial contracts or derivatives contracts for the purposes of applying Article 49;

(l) the power to remove or replace the management body and senior management of an institution under resolution;

(m) the power to require the competent authority to assess the buyer of a qualifying holding in a timely manner by way of derogation from the time-limits laid down in Article 22 of Directive 2013/36/EU and Article 12 of Directive 2014/65/EU.

2. Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that, when applying the resolution tools and exercising the resolution powers, resolution authorities are not subject to any of the following requirements that would otherwise apply by virtue of national law or contract or otherwise:

(a) subject to Article 3(6) and Article 85(1), requirements to obtain approval or consent from any person either public or private, including the shareholders or creditors of the institution under resolution;

(b) prior to the exercise of the power, procedural requirements to notify any person including any requirement to publish any notice or prospectus or to file or register any document with any other authority.

In particular, Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities can exercise the powers under this Article irrespective of any restriction on, or requirement for consent for, transfer of the financial instruments, rights, assets or liabilities in question that might otherwise apply.

Point (b) of the first subparagraph is without prejudice to the requirements laid down in Articles 81 and 83 and any notification requirements under the Union State aid framework.

3. Member States shall ensure that, to the extent that any of the powers listed in paragraph 1 of this Article is not applicable to an entity within the scope of Article 1(1) of this Directive as a result of its specific legal form, resolution authorities shall have powers which are as similar as possible including in terms of their effects.

4. Member States shall ensure that, when resolution authorities exercise the powers pursuant to paragraph 3 the safeguards provided for in this Directive, or safeguards that deliver the same effect, shall be applied to the persons affected, including shareholders, creditors and counterparties.

Article 64 U.K. Ancillary powers

1. Member States shall ensure that, when exercising a resolution power, resolution authorities have the power to:

(a) subject to Article 78, provide for a transfer to take effect free from any liability or encumbrance affecting the financial instruments, rights, assets or liabilities transferred; for that purpose, any right of compensation in accordance with this Directive shall not be considered to be a liability or an encumbrance;

(b) remove rights to acquire further shares or other instruments of ownership;

(c) require the relevant authority to discontinue or suspend the admission to trading on a regulated market or the official listing of financial instruments pursuant to Directive 2001/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(1);

(d) provide for the recipient to be treated as if it were the institution under resolution for the purposes of any rights or obligations of, or actions taken by, the institution under resolution, including, subject to Articles 38 and 40, any rights or obligations relating to participation in a market infrastructure;

(e) require the institution under resolution or the recipient to provide the other with information and assistance; and

(f) cancel or modify the terms of a contract to which the institution under resolution is a party or substitute a recipient as a party.

2. Resolution authorities shall exercise the powers specified in paragraph 1 where it is considered by the resolution authority to be appropriate to help to ensure that a resolution action is effective or to achieve one or more resolution objectives.

3. Member States shall ensure that, when exercising a resolution power, resolution authorities have the power to provide for continuity arrangements necessary to ensure that the resolution action is effective and, where relevant, the business transferred may be operated by the recipient. Such continuity arrangements shall include, in particular:

(a) the continuity of contracts entered into by the institution under resolution, so that the recipient assumes the rights and liabilities of the institution under resolution relating to any financial instrument, right, asset or liability that has been transferred and is substituted for the institution under resolution, expressly or implicitly in all relevant contractual documents;

(b) the substitution of the recipient for the institution under resolution in any legal proceedings relating to any financial instrument, right, asset or liability that has been transferred.

4. The powers in point (d) of paragraph 1 and point (b) of paragraph 3 shall not affect the following:

(a) the right of an employee of the institution under resolution to terminate a contract of employment;

(b) subject to Articles 69, 70 and 71, any right of a party to a contract to exercise rights under the contract, including the right to terminate, where entitled to do so in accordance with the terms of the contract by virtue of an act or omission by the institution under resolution prior to the relevant transfer, or by the recipient after the relevant transfer.

Article 65 U.K. Power to require the provision of services and facilities

1. Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities have the power to require an institution under resolution, or any of its group entities, to provide any services or facilities that are necessary to enable a recipient to operate effectively the business transferred to it.

The first subparagraph shall apply including where the institution under resolution or relevant group entity has entered into normal insolvency proceedings.

2. Member States shall ensure that their resolution authorities have powers to enforce obligations imposed, pursuant to paragraph 1, on group entities established in their territory by resolution authorities in other Member States.

3. The services and facilities referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 are restricted to operational services and facilities and do not include any form of financial support.

4. The services and facilities provided in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be on the following terms:

(a) where the services and facilities were provided under an agreement to the institution under resolution immediately before the resolution action was taken and for the duration of that agreement, on the same terms;

(b) where there is no agreement or where the agreement has expired, on reasonable terms.

5. EBA shall, by 3 July 2015, issue guidelines in accordance with Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 to specify the minimum list of services or facilities that are necessary to enable a recipient to effectively operate a business transferred to it.

Article 66 U.K. Power to enforce crisis management measures or crisis prevention measures by other Member States

1. Member States shall ensure that, where a transfer of shares, other instruments of ownership, or assets, rights or liabilities includes assets that are located in a Member State other than the State of the resolution authority or rights or liabilities under the law of a Member State other than the State of the resolution authority, the transfer has effect in or under the law of that other Member State.

2. Member States shall provide the resolution authority that has made or intends to make the transfer with all reasonable assistance to ensure that the shares or other instruments of ownership or assets, rights or liabilities are transferred to the recipient in accordance with any applicable requirements of national law.

3. Member States shall ensure that shareholders, creditors and third parties that are affected by the transfer of shares, other instruments of ownership, assets, rights or liabilities referred to in paragraph 1 are not entitled to prevent, challenge, or set aside the transfer under any provision of law of the Member State where the assets are located or of the law governing the shares, other instruments of ownership, rights or liabilities.

4. Where a resolution authority of a Member State (Member State A) exercises the write-down or conversion powers, including in relation to capital instruments in accordance with Article 59, and the eligible liabilities or relevant capital instruments of the institution under resolution include the following:

(a) instruments or liabilities that are governed by the law of a Member State other than the State of the resolution authority that exercised the write down or conversion powers (Member State B);

(b) liabilities owed to creditors located in Member State B.

Member State B shall ensure that the principal amount of those liabilities or instruments is reduced, or liabilities or instruments are converted, in accordance with the exercise of the write-down or conversion powers by the resolution authority of Member State A,

5. Member States shall ensure that creditors that are affected by the exercise of write-down or conversion powers referred to in paragraph 4 are not entitled to challenge the reduction of the principal amount of the instrument or liability or its conversion, as the case may be, under any provision of law of Member State B.

6. Each Member State shall ensure that the following are determined in accordance with the law of the Member State of the resolution authority:

(a) the right for shareholders, creditors and third parties to challenge, by way of appeal pursuant to Article 85, a transfer of shares, other instruments of ownership, assets, rights or liabilities referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article;

(b) the right for creditors to challenge, by way of appeal pursuant to Article 85, the reduction of the principal amount, or the conversion, of an instrument or liability covered by points (a) or (b) of paragraph 4 of this Article;

(c) the safeguards for partial transfers, as referred to in Chapter VII, in relation to assets, rights or liabilities referred to in paragraph 1.

Article 67 U.K. Power in respect of assets, rights, liabilities, shares and other instruments of ownership located in third countries

1. Member States shall provide that, in cases in which resolution action involves action taken in respect of assets located in a third country or shares, other instruments of ownership, rights or liabilities governed by the law of a third country, resolution authorities may require that:

(a) the administrator, receiver or other person exercising control of the institution under resolution and the recipient take all necessary steps to ensure that the transfer, write down, conversion or action becomes effective;

(b) the administrator, receiver or other person exercising control of the institution under resolution hold the shares, other instruments of ownership, assets or rights or discharge the liabilities on behalf of the recipient until the transfer, write down, conversion or action becomes effective;

(c) the reasonable expenses of the recipient properly incurred in carrying out any action required under points (a) and (b) of this paragraph are met in any of the ways referred to in Article 37(7).

2. Where the resolution authority assesses that, in spite of all the necessary steps taken by the administrator, receiver or other person in accordance with paragraph 1(a), it is highly unlikely that the transfer, conversion or action will become effective in relation to certain assets located in a third country or certain shares, other instruments of ownership, rights or liabilities under the law of a third country, the resolution authority shall not proceed with the transfer, write down, conversion or action. If it has already ordered the transfer, write down, conversion or action, that order shall be void in relation to the assets, shares, instruments of ownership, rights or liabilities concerned.

Article 68 U.K. Exclusion of certain contractual terms in early intervention and resolution

1. A crisis prevention measure or a crisis management measure taken in relation to an entity in accordance with this Directive, including the occurrence of any event directly linked to the application of such a measure, shall not, per se, under a contract entered into by the entity, be deemed to be an enforcement event within the meaning of Directive 2002/47/EC or as insolvency proceedings within the meaning of Directive 98/26/EC provided that the substantive obligations under the contract, including payment and delivery obligations and the provision of collateral, continue to be performed.

In addition, a crisis prevention measure or crisis management measure shall not, per se, be deemed to be an enforcement event or insolvency proceedings under a contract entered into by:

(a) a subsidiary, the obligations under which are guaranteed or otherwise supported by the parent undertaking or by any group entity; or

(b) any entity of a group which includes cross-default provisions.

2. Where third country resolution proceedings are recognised pursuant to Article 94, or otherwise where a resolution authority so decides, such proceedings shall for the purposes of this Article constitute a crisis management measure.

3. Provided that the substantive obligations under the contract, including payment and delivery obligations, and provision of collateral, continue to be performed, a crisis prevention measure or a crisis management measure, including the occurrence of any event directly linked to the application of such a measure, shall not, per se, make it possible for anyone to:

(a) exercise any termination, suspension, modification, netting or set-off rights, including in relation to a contract entered into by:

(i)

a subsidiary, the obligations under which are guaranteed or otherwise supported by a group entity;

(ii)

any group entity which includes cross-default provisions;

(b) obtain possession, exercise control or enforce any security over any property of the institution or the entity referred to in point (b), (c) or (d) of Article 1(1) concerned or any group entity in relation to a contract which includes cross-default provisions;

(c) affect any contractual rights of the institution or the entity referred to in point (b), (c) or (d) of Article 1(1) concerned or any group entity in relation to a contract which includes cross-default provisions.

4. This Article shall not affect the right of a person to take an action referred to in paragraph 3 where that right arises by virtue of an event other than the crisis prevention measure, the crisis management measure or the occurrence of any event directly linked to the application of such a measure.

5. A suspension or restriction under Article 69, 70 or 71 shall not constitute non-performance of a contractual obligation for the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article.

6. The provisions contained in this Article shall be considered to be overriding mandatory provisions within the meaning of Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council(2).

Article 69 U.K. Power to suspend certain obligations

1. Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities have the power to suspend any payment or delivery obligations pursuant to any contract to which an institution under resolution is a party from the publication of a notice of the suspension in accordance with Article 83(4) until midnight in the Member State of the resolution authority of the institution under resolution at the end of the business day following that publication.

2. When a payment or delivery obligation would have been due during the suspension period the payment or delivery obligation shall be due immediately upon expiry of the suspension period.

3. If an institution under resolution’s payment or delivery obligations under a contract are suspended under paragraph 1, the payment or delivery obligations of the institution under resolution’s counterparties under that contract shall be suspended for the same period of time.

4. Any suspension under paragraph 1 shall not apply to:

(a) eligible deposits;

(b) payment and delivery obligations owed to systems or operators of systems designated for the purposes of Directive 98/26/EC, central counterparties, and central banks;

(c) eligible claims for the purpose of Directive 97/9/EC.

5. When exercising a power under this Article, resolution authorities shall have regard to the impact the exercise of that power might have on the orderly functioning of financial markets.

Article 70 U.K. Power to restrict the enforcement of security interests

1. Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities have the power to restrict secured creditors of an institution under resolution from enforcing security interests in relation to any assets of that institution under resolution from the publication of a notice of the restriction in accordance with Article 83(4) until midnight in the Member State of the resolution authority of the institution under resolution at the end of the business day following that publication.

2. Resolution authorities shall not exercise the power referred to in paragraph 1 in relation to any security interest of systems or operators of systems designated for the purposes of Directive 98/26/EC, central counterparties, and central banks over assets pledged or provided by way of margin or collateral by the institution under resolution.

3. Where Article 80 applies, resolution authorities shall ensure that any restrictions imposed pursuant to the power referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article are consistent for all group entities in relation to which a resolution action is taken.

4. When exercising a power under this Article, resolution authorities shall have regard to the impact the exercise of that power might have on the orderly functioning of financial markets.

Article 71 U.K. Power to temporarily suspend termination rights

1. Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities have the power to suspend the termination rights of any party to a contract with an institution under resolution from the publication of the notice pursuant to Article 83(4) until midnight in the Member State of the resolution authority of the institution under resolution at the end of the business day following that publication, provided that the payment and delivery obligations and the provision of collateral continue to be performed.

2. Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities have the power to suspend the termination rights of any party to a contract with a subsidiary of an institution under resolution where:

(a) the obligations under that contract are guaranteed or are otherwise supported by the institution under resolution;

(b) the termination rights under that contract are based solely on the insolvency or financial condition of the institution under resolution; and

(c) in the case of a transfer power that has been or may be exercised in relation to the institution under resolution, either:

(i)

all the assets and liabilities of the subsidiary relating to that contract have been or may be transferred to and assumed by the recipient; or

(ii)

the resolution authority provides in any other way adequate protection for such obligations.

The suspension shall take effect from the publication of the notice pursuant to Article 83(4) until midnight in the Member State where the subsidiary of the institution under resolution is established on the business day following that publication.

3. Any suspension under paragraph 1 or 2 shall not apply to systems or operators of systems designated for the purposes of Directive 98/26/EC, central counterparties, or central banks.

4. A person may exercise a termination right under a contract before the end of the period referred to in paragraph 1 or 2 if that person receives notice from the resolution authority that the rights and liabilities covered by the contract shall not be:

(a) transferred to another entity; or

(b) subject to write down or conversion on the application of the bail-in tool in accordance with point (a) of Article 43(2).

5. Where a resolution authority exercises the power specified in paragraph 1 or 2 of this Article to suspend termination rights, and where no notice has been given pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Article, those rights may be exercised on the expiry of the period of suspension, subject to Article 68, as follows:

(a) if the rights and liabilities covered by the contract have been transferred to another entity, a counterparty may exercise termination rights in accordance with the terms of that contract only on the occurrence of any continuing or subsequent enforcement event by the recipient entity;

(b) if the rights and liabilities covered by the contract remain with the institution under resolution and the resolution authority has not applied the bail-in tool in accordance with Article 43(2)(a)to that contract, a counterparty may exercise termination rights in accordance with the terms of that contract on the expiry of a suspension under paragraph 1.

6. When exercising a power under this Article, resolution authorities shall have regard to the impact the exercise of that power might have on the orderly functioning of the financial markets.

7. Competent authorities or resolution authorities may require an institution or an entity referred to in point (b), (c) or (d) of Article 1(1) to maintain detailed records of financial contracts.

Upon the request of a competent authority or a resolution authority, a trade repository shall make the necessary information available to competent authorities or resolution authorities to enable them to fulfil their respective responsibilities and mandates in accordance with Article 81 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.

8. EBA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards specifying the following elements for the purposes of paragraph 7:

(a) a minimum set of the information on financial contracts that should be contained in the detailed records; and

(b) the circumstances in which the requirement should be imposed.

EBA shall submit those draft regulatory technical standards to the Commission by 3 July 2015.

Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010.

Article 72 U.K. Exercise of the resolution powers

1. Member States shall ensure that, in order to take a resolution action, resolution authorities are able to exercise control over the institution under resolution, so as to:

(a) operate and conduct the activities and services of the institution under resolution with all the powers of its shareholders and management body; and

(b) manage and dispose of the assets and property of the institution under resolution.

The control referred to in the first subparagraph may be exercised directly by the resolution authority or indirectly by a person or persons appointed by the resolution authority. Member States shall ensure that voting rights conferred by shares or other instruments of ownership of the institution under resolution cannot be exercised during the period of resolution.

2. Subject to Article 85(1), Member States shall ensure that resolution authorities are able to take a resolution action through executive order in accordance with national administrative competences and procedures, without exercising control over the institution under resolution.

3. Resolution authorities shall decide in each particular case whether it is appropriate to carry out the resolution action through the means specified in paragraph 1 or in paragraph 2, having regard to the resolution objectives and the general principles governing resolution, the specific circumstances of the institution under resolution in question and the need to facilitate the effective resolution of cross-border groups.

4. Resolution authorities shall not be deemed to be shadow directors or de facto directors under national law.

(1)

Directive 2001/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 May 2001 on the admission of securities to official stock exchange listing and on information to be published on those securities (OJ L 184, 6.7.2001, p. 1).

(2)

Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) (OJ L 177, 4.7.2008, p. 6).