Capital instruments and subordinated loans shall qualify as Tier 2 instruments provided the following conditions are met:

1. (a)

   the instruments are issued or the subordinated loans are raised, as applicable, and fully paid-up;

2. (b)

   the instruments are not purchased or the subordinated loans are not granted, as applicable, by any of the following:

   1. (i)

      the institution or its subsidiaries;

   2. (ii)

      an undertaking in which the institution has participation in the form of ownership, direct or by way of control, of 20 % or more of the voting rights or capital of that undertaking;

3. (c)

   the purchase of the instruments or the granting of the subordinated loans, as applicable, is not funded directly or indirectly by the institution;

4. (d)

   the claim on the principal amount of the instruments under the provisions governing the instruments or the claim of the principal amount of the subordinated loans under the provisions governing the subordinated loans, as applicable, is wholly subordinated to claims of all non-subordinated creditors;

5. (e)

   the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, are not secured, or subject to a guarantee that enhances the seniority of the claim by any of the following:

   1. (i)

      the institution or its subsidiaries;

   2. (ii)

      the parent undertaking of the institution or its subsidiaries;

   3. (iii)

      the parent financial holding company or its subsidiaries;

   4. (iv)

      the mixed activity holding company or its subsidiaries;

   5. (v)

      the mixed financial holding company or its subsidiaries;

   6. (vi)

      any undertaking that has close links with entities referred to in points (i) to (v);

6. (f)

   the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, are not subject to any arrangement that otherwise enhances the seniority of the claim under the instruments or subordinated loans respectively;

7. (g)

   the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, have an original maturity of at least five years;

8. (h)

   the provisions governing the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, do not include any incentive for their principal amount to be redeemed or repaid, as applicable by the institution prior to their maturity;

9. (i)

   where the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, include one or more call options or early repayment options, as applicable, the options are exercisable at the sole discretion of the issuer or debtor, as applicable;

10. (j)

    the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, may be called, redeemed or repurchased or repaid early only where the conditions laid down in Article 77 are met, and not before five years after the date of issuance or raising, as applicable, except where the conditions laid down in Article 78(4) are met;

11. (k)

    the provisions governing the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, do not indicate explicitly or implicitly that the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, would or might be called, redeemed, repurchased or repaid early, as applicable by the institution other than in the insolvency or liquidation of the institution and the institution does not otherwise provide such an indication;

12. (l)

    the provisions governing the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, do not give the holder the right to accelerate the future scheduled payment of interest or principal, other than in the insolvency or liquidation of the institution;

13. (m)

    the level of interest or dividend payments, as applicable, due on the instruments or subordinated loans, as applicable, will not be amended on the basis of the credit standing of the institution or its parent undertaking;

14. (n)

    where the instruments are not issued directly by an institution, or where the subordinated loans are not raised directly by an institution, as applicable, both of the following conditions shall be met:

    1. (i)

       the instruments are issued or subordinated loans are raised, as applicable, through an entity, which is part of the consolidation pursuant to Chapter 2 of Title II of Part One;

    2. (ii)

       the proceeds are immediately available to the institution without limitation in a form that satisfies the conditions laid down in this paragraph.