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Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms and amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 (Text with EEA relevance)

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Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, TITLE II is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 28 September 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

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[X1TITLE II U.K. CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT RISK

CHAPTER 1 U.K. General principles

Article 107 U.K. Approaches to credit risk

1 . Institutions shall apply either the Standardised Approach provided for in Chapter 2 or, if permitted by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 143, the Internal Ratings Based Approach provided for in Chapter 3 to calculate their risk-weighted exposure amounts for the purposes of points (a) and (f) of Article 92(3).

2 . For trade exposures and for default fund contributions to a central counterparty, institutions shall apply the treatment set out in Chapter 6, Section 9 to calculate their risk-weighted exposure amounts for the purposes of points (a) and (f) of Article 92(3). For all other types of exposures to a central counterparty, institutions shall treat those exposures as follows:

( a ) as exposures to an institution for other types of exposures to a qualifying CCP;

( b ) as exposures to a corporate for other types of exposures to a non-qualifying CCP.

3 . For the purposes of this Regulation, exposures to [F1a third-country investment firm, a third-country credit institution and a third-country exchange] shall be treated as exposures to an institution only if the third country applies prudential and supervisory requirements to that entity that are at least equivalent to those applied in the [F2United Kingdom].

4 . For the purposes of paragraph 3, [F3the Treasury may by regulations determine whether] a third country applies prudential supervisory and regulatory requirements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F4United Kingdom]. F5...

Textual Amendments

Article 108 U.K. Use of credit risk mitigation technique under the Standardised Approach and the IRB Approach

1. For an exposure to which an institution applies the Standardised Approach under Chapter 2 or applies the IRB Approach under Chapter 3 but without using its own estimates of loss given default (LGD) and conversion factors under Article 151, the institution may use credit risk mitigation in accordance with Chapter 4 in the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts for the purposes of points (a) and (f) of Article 92(3) or, as relevant, expected loss amounts for the purposes of the calculation referred to in point (d) of Article 36(1) and point (c) of Article 62.

2. For an exposure to which an institution applies the IRB Approach by using their own estimates of LGD and conversion factors under Article 151, the institution may use credit risk mitigation in accordance with Chapter 3.

[F6Article 109 U.K. Treatment of securitisation positions

Institutions shall calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount for a position they hold in a securitisation in accordance with Chapter 5.]

Textual Amendments

Article 110 U.K. Treatment of credit risk adjustment

1. Institutions applying the Standardised Approach shall treat general credit risk adjustments in accordance with Article 62(c).

2. Institutions applying the IRB Approach shall treat general credit risk adjustments in accordance with Article 159, Article 62(d) and Article 36(1)(d).

For the purposes of this Article and Chapters 2 and 3, general and specific credit risk adjustments shall exclude funds for general banking risk.

3. Institutions using the IRB Approach that apply the Standardised Approach for a part of their exposures on consolidated or individual basis, in accordance with Articles 148 and 150 shall determine the part of general credit risk adjustment that shall be assigned to the treatment of general credit risk adjustment under the Standardised Approach and to the treatment of general credit risk adjustment under the IRB Approach as follows:

(a) where applicable, when an institution included in the consolidation exclusively applies the IRB Approach, general credit risk adjustments of this institution shall be assigned to the treatment set out in paragraph 2;

(b) where applicable, when an institution included in the consolidation exclusively applies the Standardised Approach, general credit risk adjustment of this institution shall be assigned to the treatment set out in paragraph 1;

(c) the remainder of credit risk adjustment shall be assigned on a pro rata basis according to the proportion of risk weighted exposure amounts subject to the Standardised Approach and subject to the IRB Approach.

4.[F7The [F8PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the calculation of specific credit risk adjustments and general credit risk adjustments under the applicable accounting framework for the following:

(a) exposure value under the Standardised Approach referred to in Article 111;

(b) exposure value under the IRB Approach referred to in Articles 166 to 168;

(c) treatment of expected loss amounts referred to in Article 159;

(d) exposure value for the calculation of the risk-weighted exposure amounts for securitisation position referred to in Articles 246 and 266;

(e) the determination of default under Article 178.

F9...

Textual Amendments

CHAPTER 2 U.K. Standardised approach

Section 1 U.K. General principles

Article 111 U.K. Exposure value

[F101.The exposure value of an asset item shall be its accounting value remaining after specific credit risk adjustments in accordance with Article 110, additional value adjustments in accordance with Articles 34 and 105, amounts deducted in accordance with point (m) Article 36(1) and other own funds reductions related to the asset item have been applied. The exposure value of an off-balance sheet item listed in Annex I shall be the following percentage of its nominal value after reduction of specific credit risk adjustments and amounts deducted in accordance with point (m) Article 36(1):]

(a)100 % if it is a full-risk item;

(b)50 % if it is a medium-risk item;

(c)20 % if it is a medium/low-risk item;

(d)0 % if it is a low-risk item.

The off-balance sheet items referred to in the second sentence of the first subparagraph shall be assigned to risk categories as indicated in Annex I.

When an institution is using the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method under Article 223, the exposure value of securities or commodities sold, posted or lent under a repurchase transaction or under a securities or commodities lending or borrowing transaction, and margin lending transactions shall be increased by the volatility adjustment appropriate to such securities or commodities as prescribed in Articles 223 to 225.

2.The exposure value of a derivative instrument listed in Annex II shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 6 [F11of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] with the effects of contracts of novation and other netting agreements taken into account for the purposes of those methods in accordance with Chapter 6 [F11of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook]. The exposure value of repurchase transaction, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, long settlement transactions and margin lending transactions may be determined either in accordance with Chapter 6 [F11of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] or Chapter 4.

3.Where an exposure is subject to funded credit protection, the exposure value applicable to that item may be amended in accordance with Chapter 4.

Textual Amendments

Article 112 U.K. Exposure classes

Each exposure shall be assigned to one of the following exposure classes:

(a)

exposures to central governments or central banks;

(b)

exposures to regional governments or local authorities;

(c)

exposures to public sector entities;

(d)

exposures to multilateral development banks;

(e)

exposures to international organisations;

(f)

exposures to institutions;

(g)

exposures to corporates;

(h)

retail exposures;

(i)

exposures secured by mortgages on immovable property;

(j)

exposures in default;

(k)

exposures associated with particularly high risk;

(l)

exposures in the form of covered bonds;

(m)

items representing securitisation positions;

(n)

exposures to institutions and corporates with a short-term credit assessment;

(o)

exposures in the form of units or shares in collective investment undertakings ( ‘ CIUs ’ );

(p)

equity exposures;

(q)

other items.

Article 113 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts

1 . To calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts, risk weights shall be applied to all exposures, unless deducted from own funds, in accordance with the provisions of Section 2. The application of risk weights shall be based on the exposure class to which the exposure is assigned and, to the extent specified in Section 2, its credit quality. Credit quality may be determined by reference to the credit assessments of ECAIs or the credit assessments of export credit agencies in accordance with Section 3.

2 . For the purposes of applying a risk weight, as referred to in paragraph 1, the exposure value shall be multiplied by the risk weight specified or determined in accordance with Section 2.

3 . Where an exposure is subject to credit protection the risk weight applicable to that item may be amended in accordance with Chapter 4.

4 . Risk-weighted exposure amounts for securitised exposures shall be calculated in accordance with Chapter 5.

5 . Exposures for which no calculation is provided in Section 2 shall be assigned a risk-weight of 100 %.

6 . With the exception of exposures giving rise to Common Equity Tier 1, Additional Tier 1 or Tier 2 items, an institution may, subject to the prior approval of the competent authorities, decide not to apply the requirements of paragraph 1 of this Article to the exposures of that institution to a counterparty which is its parent undertaking, its subsidiary, a subsidiary of its parent undertaking or an undertaking linked by a [F12common management relationship]. Competent authorities are empowered to grant approval if the following conditions are fulfilled:

( a ) the counterparty is an institution, a financial institution or an ancillary services undertaking subject to appropriate prudential requirements;

( b ) the counterparty is included in the same consolidation as the institution on a full basis;

( c ) the counterparty is subject to the same risk evaluation, measurement and control procedures as the institution;

( d ) the counterparty is established in the [F13United Kingdom];

( e ) there is no current or foreseen material practical or legal impediment to the prompt transfer of own funds or repayment of liabilities from the counterparty to the institution.

Where the institution, in accordance with this paragraph, is authorised not to apply the requirements of paragraph 1, it may assign a risk weight of 0 %.

F14 7 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Section 2 U.K. Risk weights

Article 114 U.K. Exposures to central governments or central banks

1 . Exposures to central governments and central banks shall be assigned a 100 % risk weight, unless the treatments set out in paragraphs 2 to 7 apply.

2 . Exposures to central governments and central banks for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 1 which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136.

Table 1
Credit quality step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 0 % 20 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 150 %

3 . Exposures to the ECB shall be assigned a 0 % risk weight.

4 . Exposures to [F15the central government of the United Kingdom and the Bank denominated and funded in sterling] shall be assigned a risk weight of 0 %.

F166.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 . When the competent authorities of a third country which apply supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F17United Kingdom] assign a risk weight which is lower than that indicated in paragraphs 1 and 2 to exposures to their central government and central bank denominated and funded in the domestic currency, institutions may risk weight such exposures in the same manner.

For the purposes of this paragraph, [F18the Treasury may by regulations determine whether] a third country applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F19United Kingdom]. F20... .

Textual Amendments

Article 115 U.K. Exposures to regional governments or local authorities

1 . Exposures to regional governments or local authorities shall be risk-weighted as exposures to institutions unless they are treated as exposures to central governments under paragraphs 2 or 4 or receive a risk weight as specified in paragraph 5. The preferential treatment for short-term exposures specified in Article 119(2) and Article 120(2) shall not be applied.

2 . Exposures to regional governments or local authorities shall be treated as exposures to the central government in whose jurisdiction they are established where there is no difference in risk between such exposures because of the specific revenue-raising powers of the former, and the existence of specific institutional arrangements the effect of which is to reduce their risk of default.

[F21The PRA F22... must maintain a publicly available database of all regional governments and local authorities within the United Kingdom which the competent authority treats as exposures to the central government of the United Kingdom.]

3 . Exposures to churches or religious communities constituted in the form of a legal person under public law shall, in so far as they raise taxes in accordance with legislation conferring on them the right to do so, be treated as exposures to regional governments and local authorities. In this case, paragraph 2 shall not apply and, for the purposes of Article 150(1)(a), permission to apply the Standardised Approach shall not be excluded.

4 . When competent authorities of a third country jurisdiction which applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F23United Kingdom] treat exposures to regional governments or local authorities as exposures to their central government and there is no difference in risk between such exposures because of the specific revenue-raising powers of regional government or local authorities and to specific institutional arrangements to reduce the risk of default, institutions may risk weight exposures to such regional governments and local authorities in the same manner.

For the purposes of this paragraph, [F24the Treasury may by regulations determine whether] a third country applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F25United Kingdom] . F26... .

5 . Exposures to regional governments or local authorities of the [F27United Kingdom] that are not referred to in paragraphs 2 to 4 and are denominated and funded in [F28pounds sterling] shall be assigned a risk weight of 20 %.

Textual Amendments

Article 116 U.K. Exposures to public sector entities

1 . Exposures to public sector entities for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is not available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with the credit quality step to which exposures to the central government of the jurisdiction in which the public sector entity is incorporated are assigned in accordance with the following Table 2:

Table 2
Credit quality step to which central government is assigned 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 20 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 150 %

For exposures to public sector entities incorporated in countries where the central government is unrated, the risk weight shall be 100 %.

2 . Exposures to public sector entities for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be treated in accordance with Article 120. The preferential treatment for short-term exposures specified in Articles 119(2) and 120(2), shall not be applied to those entities.

3 . For exposures to public sector entities with an original maturity of three months or less, the risk weight shall be 20 %.

4 . In exceptional circumstances, exposures to public-sector entities may be treated as exposures to the central government, regional government or local authority [F29of the United Kingdom] where in the opinion of the competent authorities [F30of the United Kingdom] there is no difference in risk between such exposures because of the existence of an appropriate guarantee by the central government, regional government or local authority.

5 . When competent authorities of a third country jurisdiction, which apply supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F31United Kingdom], treat exposures to public sector entities in accordance with paragraph 1 or 2, institutions may risk weight exposures to such public sector entities in the same manner. Otherwise the institutions shall apply a risk weight of 100 %.

For the purposes of this paragraph, [F32the Treasury may by regulations determine whether] a third country applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F33United Kingdom]. F34...

Textual Amendments

Article 117 U.K. Exposures to multilateral development banks

1 . Exposures to multilateral development banks that are not referred to in paragraph 2 shall be treated in the same manner as exposures to institutions. The preferential treatment for short-term exposures as specified in Articles 119(2), 120(2) and 121(3) shall not be applied.

The Inter-American Investment Corporation, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America shall be considered multilateral development banks.

2 . Exposures to the following multilateral development banks shall be assigned a 0 % risk weight:

( a ) the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

( b ) the International Finance Corporation;

( c ) the Inter-American Development Bank;

( d ) the Asian Development Bank;

( e ) the African Development Bank;

( f ) the Council of Europe Development Bank;

( g ) the Nordic Investment Bank;

( h ) the Caribbean Development Bank;

( i ) the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

( j ) the European Investment Bank;

( k ) the European Investment Fund;

( l ) the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency;

( m ) the International Finance Facility for Immunisation;

( n ) the Islamic Development Bank [F35;]

[F36(o ) the International Development Association;

( p ) the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.]

[F37The Treasury may by regulations, in accordance with international standards, amend the list of multilateral development banks referred to in the first subparagraph.]

F38 3 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 118 U.K. Exposures to international organisations

Exposures to the following international organisations shall be assigned a 0 % risk weight:

(a)

[F35the European Union F39...;]

(b)

the International Monetary Fund;

(c)

the Bank for International Settlements;

(d)

the European Financial Stability Facility;

(e)

the European Stability Mechanism;

(f)

F40...

Textual Amendments

Article 119U.K. Exposures to institutions

1.Exposures to institutions for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be risk-weighted in accordance with Article 120. Exposures to institutions for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is not available shall be risk-weighted in accordance with Article 121.

2.Exposures to institutions of a residual maturity of three months or less denominated and funded in the national currency of the borrower shall be assigned a risk weight that is one category less favourable than the preferential risk weight, as described in Article 114(4) to (7), assigned to exposures to the central government in which the institution is incorporated.

3.No exposures with a residual maturity of three months or less denominated and funded in the national currency of the borrower shall be assigned a risk weight less than 20 %.

4.Exposure to an institution in the form of minimum reserves required by [F41the Bank] to be held by an institution may be risk-weighted as exposures to [F42the Bank] provided:

[F43(a)the reserves are held in accordance with national requirements which are, in all material respects, equivalent to those in Regulation (EC) No 1745/2003 of the European Central Bank of 12 September 2003;]

(b)in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the institution where the reserves are held, the reserves are fully repaid to the institution in a timely manner and are not made available to meet other liabilities of the institution.

5.Exposures to financial institutions authorised and supervised by the competent authorities and subject to prudential requirements comparable to those applied to institutions in terms of robustness shall be treated as exposures to institutions.

[F446.For the purposes of paragraph 5, the requirements laid down in Part 9C rules are to be treated as being comparable to those applied to institutions in terms of robustness.]

Textual Amendments

Article 120 U.K. Exposures to rated institutions

1. Exposures to institutions with a residual maturity of more than three months for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 3 which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136.

Table 3
Credit quality step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 20 % 50 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 150 %

2. Exposures to an institution of up to three months residual maturity for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk-weight in accordance with Table 4 which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136:

Table 4
Credit quality step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 20 % 20 % 20 % 50 % 50 % 150 %

3. The interaction between the treatment of short term credit assessment under Article 131 and the general preferential treatment for short term exposures set out in paragraph 2 shall be as follows:

(a) If there is no short-term exposure assessment, the general preferential treatment for short-term exposures as specified in paragraph 2 shall apply to all exposures to institutions of up to three months residual maturity;

(b) If there is a short-term assessment and such an assessment determines the application of a more favourable or identical risk weight than the use of the general preferential treatment for short-term exposures, as specified in paragraph 2, then the short-term assessment shall be used for that specific exposure only. Other short-term exposures shall follow the general preferential treatment for short-term exposures, as specified in paragraph 2;

(c) If there is a short-term assessment and such an assessment determines a less favourable risk weight than the use of the general preferential treatment for short-term exposures, as specified in paragraph 2, then the general preferential treatment for short-term exposures shall not be used and all unrated short-term claims shall be assigned the same risk weight as that applied by the specific short-term assessment.

Article 121 U.K. Exposures to unrated institutions

1. Exposures to institutions for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is not available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with the credit quality step to which exposures to the central government of the jurisdiction in which the institution is incorporated are assigned in accordance with Table 5.

Table 5
Credit quality step to which central government is assigned 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight of exposure 20 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 150 %

2. For exposures to unrated institutions incorporated in countries where the central government is unrated, the risk weight shall be 100 %.

3. For exposures to unrated institutions with an original effective maturity of three months or less, the risk weight shall be 20 %.

4. Notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3, for trade finance exposures referred to in point (b) of the second subparagraph of Article 162(3) to unrated institutions, the risk weight shall be 50 % and where the residual maturity of these trade finance exposures to unrated institutions is three months or less, the risk weight shall be 20 %.

Article 122 U.K. Exposures to corporates

1. Exposures for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 6 which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136.

Table 6
Credit quality step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 20 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 150 % 150 %

2. Exposures for which such a credit assessment is not available shall be assigned a 100 % risk weight or the risk weight of exposures to the central government of the jurisdiction in which the corporate is incorporated, whichever is the higher.

Article 123 U.K. Retail exposures

Exposures that comply with the following criteria shall be assigned a risk weight of 75 %:

(a)

the exposure shall be either to a natural person or persons, or to a [F45SME];

(b)

the exposure shall be one of a significant number of exposures with similar characteristics such that the risks associated with such lending are substantially reduced;

(c)

the total amount owed to the institution and parent undertakings and its subsidiaries, including any exposure in default, by the obligor client or group of connected clients, but excluding exposures fully and completely secured on residential property collateral that have been assigned to the exposure class laid down in point (i) of Article 112, shall not, to the knowledge of the institution, exceed EUR 1 million. The institution shall take reasonable steps to acquire this knowledge.

Securities shall not be eligible for the retail exposure class.

Exposures that do not comply with the criteria referred to in points (a) to (c) of the first subparagraph shall not be eligible for the retail exposures class.

The present value of retail minimum lease payments is eligible for the retail exposure class.

[F36Exposures due to loans granted by a credit institution to pensioners or employees with a permanent contract against the unconditional transfer of part of the borrower's pension or salary to that credit institution shall be assigned a risk weight of 35 %, provided that all the following conditions are met:

(a)

in order to repay the loan, the borrower unconditionally authorises the pension fund or employer to make direct payments to the credit institution by deducting the monthly payments on the loan from the borrower's monthly pension or salary;

(b)

the risks of death, inability to work, unemployment or reduction of the net monthly pension or salary of the borrower are properly covered through an insurance policy underwritten by the borrower to the benefit of the credit institution;

(c)

the monthly payments to be made by the borrower on all loans that meet the conditions set out in points (a) and (b) do not in aggregate exceed 20 % of the borrower's net monthly pension or salary;

(d)

the maximum original maturity of the loan is equal to or less than ten years.]

Textual Amendments

[F35 Article 124U.K. Exposures secured by mortgages on immovable property

1.An exposure or any part of an exposure fully secured by mortgage on immovable property shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 %, where the conditions set out in Article 125 or 126 are not met, except for any part of the exposure which is assigned to another exposure class. The part of the exposure that exceeds the mortgage value of the immovable property shall be assigned the risk weight applicable to the unsecured exposures of the counterparty involved.

The part of an exposure that is treated as fully secured by immovable property shall not be greater than the pledged amount of the market value or [F46, if rigorous criteria are in force at the time in the United Kingdom for the assessment of the mortgage lending value], the mortgage lending value of the immovable property in question.

1a.F47...

[F48The PRA shall ensure that the Financial Policy Committee is duly informed of the PRA’s intention to make use of this Article, and is appropriately involved in the assessment of financial stability concerns in the United Kingdom in accordance with paragraph 2.]

F49...

2.Based on the data collected under Article 430a [F50of Chapter 4 of the Reporting (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] and on any other relevant indicators, the [F51PRA] shall periodically, and at least annually, assess whether the risk weight of 35 % for exposures to one or more property segments secured by mortgages on residential property referred to in Article 125 located in [F52the United Kingdom] and the risk weight of 50 % for exposures secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property referred to in Article 126 located in [F52the United Kingdom] are appropriately based on:

(a)the loss experience of exposures secured by immovable property;

(b)forward-looking immovable property markets developments.

Where, on the basis of the assessment referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the [F51PRA] concludes that the risk weights set out in Article 125(2) or 126(2) do not adequately reflect the actual risks related to exposures to one or more property segments fully secured by mortgages on residential property or on commercial immovable property located in [F52the United Kingdom], and if it considers that the inadequacy of the risk weights could adversely affect current or future financial stability in [F53the United Kingdom], it may increase the risk weights applicable to those exposures within the ranges determined in the fourth subparagraph of this paragraph or impose stricter criteria than those set out in Article 125(2) or 126(2).

F54...

For the purposes of the second subparagraph of this paragraph, the [F55PRA] may set the risk weights within the following ranges:

(a)35 % to 150 % for exposures secured by mortgages on residential property;

(b)50 % to 150 % for exposures secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property.

3.Where the [F56PRA] sets higher risk weights or stricter criteria pursuant to the second subparagraph of paragraph 2, institutions shall have a six-month transitional period to apply them.]

[F354.[F57The [F58PRA may] make] technical standards to specify the rigorous criteria for the assessment of the mortgage lending value referred to in paragraph 1 and the types of factors to be considered for the assessment of the appropriateness of the risk weights referred in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2.

F59...]

F605.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F616.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 125 U.K. Exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on residential property

1 . Unless otherwise decided by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 124(2), exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on residential property shall be treated as follows:

( a ) exposures or any part of an exposure fully and completely secured by mortgages on residential property which is or shall be occupied or let by the owner, or the beneficial owner in the case of personal investment companies, shall be assigned a risk weight of 35 %;

( b ) exposures to a tenant under a property leasing transaction concerning residential property under which the institution is the lessor and the tenant has an option to purchase, shall be assigned a risk weight of 35 % provided that the exposure of the institution is fully and completely secured by its ownership of the property.

2 . Institutions shall consider an exposure or any part of an exposure as fully and completely secured for the purposes of paragraph 1 only if the following conditions are met:

( a ) the value of the property shall not materially depend upon the credit quality of the borrower. Institutions may exclude situations where purely macro-economic factors affect both the value of the property and the performance of the borrower from their determination of the materiality of such dependence;

( b ) the risk of the borrower shall not materially depend upon the performance of the underlying property or project, but on the underlying capacity of the borrower to repay the debt from other sources, and as a consequence, the repayment of the facility shall not materially depend on any cash flow generated by the underlying property serving as collateral. For those other sources, institutions shall determine maximum loan-to-income ratios as part of their lending policy and obtain suitable evidence of the relevant income when granting the loan;

( c ) the requirements set out in Article 208 and the valuation rules set out in Article 229(1) are met;

( d ) unless otherwise determined under Article 124(2), the part of the loan to which the 35 % risk weight is assigned does not exceed 80 % of the market value of the property in question or 80 % of the mortgage lending value of the property in question [F62if rigorous criteria are in force at the time in the United Kingdom for the assessment of the mortgage lending value].

3 . Institutions may derogate from point (b) of paragraph 2 for exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on residential property which is situated within the territory of [F63the United Kingdom], where the competent authority [F64has determined that loss rates] do not exceed the following limits:

( a ) losses stemming from lending collateralised by residential property up to 80 % of the market value or 80 % of the mortgage lending value, unless otherwise decided under Article 124(2), do not exceed 0,3 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by residential property in any given year;

( b ) overall losses stemming from lending collateralised by residential property do not exceed 0,5 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by residential property in any given year.

4 . Where either of the limits referred to in paragraph 3 is not satisfied in a given year, the eligibility to use paragraph 3 shall cease and the condition contained in point (b) of paragraph 2 shall apply until the conditions in paragraph 3 are satisfied in a subsequent year.

Textual Amendments

Article 126 U.K. Exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property

1 . Unless otherwise decided by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 124(2), exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property shall be treated as follows:

( a ) exposures or any part of an exposure fully and completely secured by mortgages on offices or other commercial premises may be assigned a risk weight of 50 %;

( b ) exposures related to property leasing transactions concerning offices or other commercial premises under which the institution is the lessor and the tenant has an option to purchase may be assigned a risk weight of 50 % provided that the exposure of the institution is fully and completely secured by its ownership of the property.

2 . Institutions shall consider an exposure or any part of an exposure as fully and completely secured for the purposes of paragraph 1 only if the following conditions are met:

( a ) the value of the property shall not materially depend upon the credit quality of the borrower. Institutions may exclude situations where purely macro-economic factors affect both the value of the property and the performance of the borrower from their determination of the materiality of such dependence;

( b ) the risk of the borrower shall not materially depend upon the performance of the underlying property or project, but on the underlying capacity of the borrower to repay the debt from other sources, and as a consequence, the repayment of the facility shall not materially depend on any cash flow generated by the underlying property serving as collateral;

( c ) the requirements set out in Article 208 and the valuation rules set out in Article 229(1) are met;

( d ) the 50 % risk weight unless otherwise provided under Article 124(2) shall be assigned to the part of the loan that does not exceed 50 % of the market value of the property or 60 % of the mortgage lending value unless otherwise provided under Article 124(2) of the property in question [F65if rigorous criteria are in force at the time in the United Kingdom for the assessment of the mortgage lending value].

3 . Institutions may derogate from point (b) of paragraph 2 for exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property which is situated within the territory of [F66the United Kingdom], where the competent authority [F67has determined that loss rates] do not exceed the following limits:

( a ) losses stemming from lending collateralised by commercial immovable property up to 50 % of the market value or 60 % of the mortgage lending value, unless otherwise determined under Article 124(2), do not exceed 0,3 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by commercial immovable property;

( b ) overall losses stemming from lending collateralised by commercial immovable property do not exceed 0,5 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by commercial immovable property.

4 . Where either of the limits referred to in paragraph 3 is not satisfied in a given year, the eligibility to use paragraph 3 shall cease and the condition contained in point (b) of paragraph 2 shall apply until the conditions in paragraph 3 are satisfied in a subsequent year.

Textual Amendments

Article 127 U.K. Exposures in default

[F101. The unsecured part of any item where the obligor has defaulted in accordance with Article 178, or in the case of retail exposures, the unsecured part of any credit facility which has defaulted in accordance with Article 178 shall be assigned a risk weight of:

(a) 150 %, where the sum of specific credit risk adjustments and of the amounts deducted in accordance with point (m) Article 36(1) is less than 20 % of the unsecured part of the exposure value if those specific credit risk adjustments and deductions were not applied;

(b) 100 %, where the sum of the specific credit risk adjustments and of the amounts deducted in accordance with point (m) Article 36(1) is no less than 20 % of the unsecured part of the exposure value if those specific credit risk adjustments and deductions were not applied.]

2. For the purpose of determining the secured part of the past due item, eligible collateral and guarantees shall be those eligible for credit risk mitigation purposes under Chapter 4.

3. The exposure value remaining after specific credit risk adjustments of exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on residential property in accordance with Article 125 shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 % if a default has occurred in accordance with Article 178.

4. The exposure value remaining after specific credit risk adjustments of exposures fully and completely secured by mortgages on commercial immovable property in accordance with Article 126 shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 % if a default has occurred in accordance with Article 178.

Textual Amendments

F68 Article 128 U.K. Items associated with particular high risk

Textual Amendments

Article 129 U.K. Exposures in the form of covered bonds

1 . To be eligible for the preferential treatment set out in paragraphs 4 and 5, [F69CRR covered bonds] shall meet the requirements set out in paragraph 7 and shall be collateralised by any of the following eligible assets:

[F70( a )exposures to or guaranteed by—

(i)the central government of the United Kingdom;

(ii)the Bank;

(iii)a regional government of the United Kingdom; or

(iv)a public sector entity or local authority in the United Kingdom;]

( b ) exposures to or guaranteed by third country central governments, third-country central banks, multilateral development banks, international organisations that qualify for the credit quality step 1 as set out in this Chapter, and exposures to or guaranteed by third-country public sector entities, third-country regional governments or third-country local authorities that are risk weighted as exposures to institutions or central governments and central banks in accordance with Article 115(1) or (2), or Article 116(1), (2) or (4) respectively and that qualify for the credit quality step 1 as set out in this Chapter, and exposures within the meaning of this point that qualify as a minimum for the credit quality step 2 as set out in this Chapter, provided that they do not exceed 20 % of the nominal amount of outstanding covered bonds of the issuing institutions;

( c ) exposures to institutions that qualify for the credit quality step 1 as set out in this Chapter. The total exposure of this kind shall not exceed 15 % of the nominal amount of outstanding covered bonds of the issuing institution. Exposures to institutions in the [F71United Kingdom] with a maturity not exceeding 100 days shall not be comprised by the step 1 requirement but those institutions shall as a minimum qualify for credit quality step 2 as set out in this Chapter;

( d ) loans secured by:

(i)

residential property up to the lesser of the principal amount of the liens that are combined with any prior liens and 80 % of the value of the pledged properties; F72...

(ii)

F72. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F73( e ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

( f ) loans secured by:

(i)

commercial immovable property up to the lesser of the principal amount of the liens that are combined with any prior liens and 60 % of the value of the pledged properties; F74...

(ii)

F74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Loans secured by commercial immovable property are eligible where the loan to value ratio of 60 % is exceeded up to a maximum level of 70 % if the value of the total assets pledged as collateral for the covered bonds exceed the nominal amount outstanding on the covered bond by at least 10 %, and the bondholders' claim meets the legal certainty requirements set out in Chapter 4. The bondholders' claim shall take priority over all other claims on the collateral;

( g ) loans secured by maritime liens on ships up to the difference between 60 % of the value of the pledged ship and the value of any prior maritime liens.

For the purposes of [F75point (c)] of the first subparagraph, exposures caused by transmission and management of payments of the obligors of, or liquidation proceeds in respect of, loans secured by pledged properties of the senior units or debt securities shall not be comprised in calculating the limits referred to in those points.

The competent authorities may F76... partly waive the application of point (c) of the first subparagraph and allow credit quality step 2 for up to 10 % of the total exposure of the nominal amount of outstanding covered bonds of the issuing institution, provided that significant potential concentration problems in the [F77United Kingdom] can be documented due to the application of the credit quality step 1 requirement referred to in that point.

2 . The situations referred to in points (a) to (f) of paragraph 1 shall also include collateral that is exclusively restricted by legislation to the protection of the bond-holders against losses.

3 . Institutions shall for immovable property collateralising [F78CRR covered bonds] meet the requirements set out in Article 208 and the valuation rules set out in Article 229(1).

4 .[F78CRR covered bonds] for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 6a which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136.

Table 6a
Credit quality step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 10 % 20 % 20 % 50 % 50 % 100 %

5 .[F78CRR covered bonds] for which a credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is not available shall be assigned a risk weight on the basis of the risk weight assigned to senior unsecured exposures to the institution which issues them. The following correspondence between risk weights shall apply:

( a ) if the exposures to the institution are assigned a risk weight of 20 %, the [F79CRR covered bonds] shall be assigned a risk weight of 10 %;

( b ) if the exposures to the institution are assigned a risk weight of 50 %, the [F79CRR covered bonds] shall be assigned a risk weight of 20 %;

( c ) if the exposures to the institution are assigned a risk weight of 100 %, the [F79CRR covered bonds] shall be assigned a risk weight of 50 %;

( d ) if the exposures to the institution are assigned a risk weight of 150 %, the [F79CRR covered bonds] shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 %.

6 .[F78CRR covered bonds] issued before 31 December 2007 are not subject to the requirements of paragraphs 1 and 3. They are eligible for the preferential treatment under paragraphs 4 and 5 until their maturity.

7 . Exposures in the form of [F78CRR covered bonds] are eligible for preferential treatment, provided that the institution investing in the [F78CRR covered bonds] can demonstrate to the competent authorities that:

( a ) it receives portfolio information at least on:

(i)

the value of the cover pool and outstanding [F78CRR covered bonds];

(ii)

the geographical distribution and type of cover assets, loan size, interest rate and currency risks;

(iii)

the maturity structure of cover assets and [F78CRR covered bonds]; and

(iv)

the percentage of loans more than 90 days past due;

( b ) the issuer makes the information referred to in point (a) available to the institution at least semi-annually.

Textual Amendments

Article 130 U.K. Items representing securitisation positions

Risk-weighted exposure amounts for securitisation positions shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 5.

Article 131 U.K. Exposures to institutions and corporates with a short-term credit assessment

Exposures to institutions and exposures to corporates for which a short-term credit assessment by a nominated ECAI is available shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 7 which corresponds to the credit assessment of the ECAI in accordance with Article 136.

Table 7
Credit Quality Step 1 2 3 4 5 6
Risk weight 20 % 50 % 100 % 150 % 150 % 150 %
F80 Article 132U.K. Exposures in the form of units or shares in CIUs

Textual Amendments

F81 Article 132aU.K. Approaches for calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts of CIUs

Textual Amendments

Article 133 U.K. Equity exposures

1. The following exposures shall be considered equity exposures:

(a) non-debt exposures conveying a subordinated, residual claim on the assets or income of the issuer;

(b) debt exposures and other securities, partnerships, derivatives, or other vehicles, the economic substance of which is similar to the exposures specified in point (a).

2. Equity exposures shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 %, unless they are required to be deducted in accordance with Part Two, assigned a 250 % risk weight in accordance with Article 48(4), assigned a 1 250  % risk weight in accordance with Article 89(3) or treated as high risk items in accordance with Article 128.

3. Investments in equity or regulatory capital instruments issued by institutions shall be classified as equity claims, unless deducted from own funds or attracting a 250 % risk weight under Article 48(4) or treated as high risk items in accordance with Article 128.

Article 134 U.K. Other items

1 . Tangible assets within the meaning of item 10 under the heading 'Assets' in Article 4 of Directive 86/635/EEC shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 %.

2 . Prepayments and accrued income for which an institution is unable to determine the counterparty in accordance with [F82Directive 86/635/EEC UK law], shall be assigned a risk weight of 100 %.

3 . Cash items in the process of collection shall be assigned a 20 % risk weight. Cash in hand and equivalent cash items shall be assigned a 0 % risk weight.

4 . Gold bullion held in own vaults or on an allocated basis to the extent backed by bullion liabilities shall be assigned a 0 % risk weight.

5 . In the case of asset sale and repurchase agreements and outright forward purchases, the risk weight shall be that assigned to the assets in question and not to the counterparties to the transactions.

[F66 . Where an institution provides credit protection for a number of exposures subject to the condition that the nth default among the exposures shall trigger payment and that this credit event shall terminate the contract, the risk weights of the exposures included in the basket will be aggregated, excluding n-1 exposures, up to a maximum of 1 250  % and multiplied by the nominal amount of the protection provided by the credit derivative to obtain the risk-weighted exposure amount. The n-1 exposures to be excluded from the aggregation shall be determined on the basis that they shall include those exposures each of which produces a lower risk-weighted exposure amount than the risk-weighted exposure amount of any of the exposures included in the aggregation.]

7 . The exposure value for leases shall be the discounted minimum lease payments. Minimum lease payments are the payments over the lease term that the lessee is or can be required to make and any bargain option the exercise of which is reasonably certain. A party other than the lessee may be required to make a payment related to the residual value of a leased property and that payment obligation fulfils the set of conditions in Article 201 regarding the eligibility of protection providers as well as the requirements for recognising other types of guarantees provided in Articles 213 to 215, that payment obligation may be taken into account as unfunded credit protection under Chapter 4. These exposures shall be assigned to the relevant exposure class in accordance with Article 112. When the exposure is a residual value of leased assets, the risk-weighted exposure amounts shall be calculated as follows: 1/t * 100 % * residual value, where t is the greater of 1 and the nearest number of whole years of the lease remaining.

Textual Amendments

Section 3 U.K. Recognition and mapping of credit risk assessment

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Recognition of ECAIs
Article 135 U.K. Use of credit assessments by ECAIs

1 . An external credit assessment may be used to determine the risk weight of an exposure under this Chapter only if it has been issued by an ECAI or has been endorsed by an ECAI in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009.

2 .[F83The competent authorities must each publish a list] of ECAIs F84... on its website.

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Mapping of ECAI's credit assessments
Article 136 U.K. Mapping of ECAI's credit assessments

1.[F85[F86The PRA may] make technical standards] to specify for all ECAIs, with which of the credit quality steps set out in Section 2 the relevant credit assessments of the ECAI correspond ( ‘ mapping ’ ). Those determinations shall be objective and consistent.

F87...

2.When determining the mapping of credit assessments, [F88the PRA] shall comply with the following requirements:

(a)in order to differentiate between the relative degrees of risk expressed by each credit assessment, [F88the PRA] shall consider quantitative factors such as the long-term default rate associated with all items assigned the same credit assessment. For recently established ECAIs and for those that have compiled only a short record of default data, [F88the PRA] shall ask the ECAI what it believes to be the long-term default rate associated with all items assigned the same credit assessment;

(b)in order to differentiate between the relative degrees of risk expressed by each credit assessment, [F88the PRA] shall consider qualitative factors such as the pool of issuers that the ECAI covers, the range of credit assessments that the ECAI assigns, each credit assessment meaning and the ECAI's definition of default;

(c)[F88the PRA] shall compare default rates experienced for each credit assessment of a particular ECAI and compare them with a benchmark built on the basis of default rates experienced by other ECAIs on a population of issuers that present an equivalent level of credit risk;

(d)where the default rates experienced for the credit assessment of a particular ECAI are materially and systematically higher then the benchmark, [F88the PRA] shall assign a higher credit quality step in the credit quality assessment scale to the ECAI credit assessment;

(e)where [F88the PRA] [F89has] increased the associated risk weight for a specific credit assessment of a particular ECAI, and where default rates experienced for that ECAI's credit assessment are no longer materially and systematically higher than the benchmark, [F88the PRA] may restore the original credit quality step in the credit quality assessment scale for the ECAI credit assessment.

3.[F90[F91The PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the quantitative factors referred to in point (a), the qualitative factors referred to in point (b) and the benchmark referred to in point (c) of paragraph 2.

F92...

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 3 U.K. Use of credit assessments by Export Credit Agencies
Article 137 U.K. Use of credit assessments by export credit agencies

1. For the purpose of Article 114, institutions may use credit assessments of an Export Credit Agency that the institution has nominated, if either of the following conditions is met:

(a) it is a consensus risk score from export credit agencies participating in the OECD ‘ Arrangement on Guidelines for Officially Supported Export Credits ’ ;

(b) the Export Credit Agency publishes its credit assessments, and the Export Credit Agency subscribes to the OECD agreed methodology, and the credit assessment is associated with one of the eight minimum export insurance premiums that the OECD agreed methodology establishes. An institution may revoke its nomination of an Export Credit Agency. An institution shall substantiate the revocation if there are concrete indications that the intention underlying the revocation is to reduce the capital adequacy requirements.

2. Exposures for which a credit assessment by an Export Credit Agency is recognised for risk weighting purposes shall be assigned a risk weight in accordance with Table 9.

Table 9
MEIP 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Risk weight 0 % 0 % 20 % 50 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 150 %

Section 4 U.K. Use of the ECAI credit assessments for the determination of risk weights

Article 138 U.K. General requirements

An institution may nominate one or more ECAIs to be used for the determination of risk weights to be assigned to assets and off-balance sheet items. An institution may revoke its nomination of an ECAI. An institution shall substantiate the revocation if there are concrete indications that the intention underlying the revocation is to reduce the capital adequacy requirements. Credit assessments shall not be used selectively. An institution shall use solicited credit assessments. However it may use unsolicited credit assessments [F93if the competent authority has] confirmed that unsolicited credit assessments of an ECAI do not differ in quality from solicited credit assessments of this ECAI. [F94The competent authority must] refuse or revoke this confirmation in particular if the ECAI has used an unsolicited credit assessment to put pressure on the rated entity to place an order for a credit assessment or other services. In using credit assessment, institutions shall comply with the following requirements:

(a)

an institution which decides to use the credit assessments produced by an ECAI for a certain class of items shall use those credit assessments consistently for all exposures belonging to that class;

(b)

an institution which decides to use the credit assessments produced by an ECAI shall use them in a continuous and consistent way over time;

(c)

an institution shall only use ECAIs credit assessments that take into account all amounts both in principal and in interest owed to it;

(d)

where only one credit assessment is available from a nominated ECAI for a rated item, that credit assessment shall be used to determine the risk weight for that item;

(e)

where two credit assessments are available from nominated ECAIs and the two correspond to different risk weights for a rated item, the higher risk weight shall be assigned;

(f)

where more than two credit assessments are available from nominated ECAIs for a rated item, the two assessments generating the two lowest risk weights shall be referred to. If the two lowest risk weights are different, the higher risk weight shall be assigned. If the two lowest risk weights are the same, that risk weight shall be assigned.

Textual Amendments

Article 139 U.K. Issuer and issue credit assessment

1. Where a credit assessment exists for a specific issuing programme or facility to which the item constituting the exposure belongs, this credit assessment shall be used to determine the risk weight to be assigned to that item.

2. Where no directly applicable credit assessment exists for a certain item, but a credit assessment exists for a specific issuing programme or facility to which the item constituting the exposure does not belong or a general credit assessment exists for the issuer, then that credit assessment shall be used in either of the following cases:

(a) it produces a higher risk weight than would otherwise be the case and the exposure in question ranks pari passu or junior in all respects to the specific issuing program or facility or to senior unsecured exposures of that issuer, as relevant;

(b) it produces a lower risk weight and the exposure in question ranks pari passu or senior in all respects to the specific issuing programme or facility or to senior unsecured exposures of that issuer, as relevant.

In all other cases, the exposure shall be treated as unrated.

3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 are not to prevent the application of Article 129.

4. Credit assessments for issuers within a corporate group cannot be used as credit assessment of another issuer within the same corporate group.

Article 140 U.K. Long-term and short-term credit assessments

1. Short-term credit assessments may only be used for short-term asset and off-balance sheet items constituting exposures to institutions and corporates.

2. Any short-term credit assessment shall only apply to the item the short-term credit assessment refers to, and it shall not be used to derive risk weights for any other item, except in the following cases:

(a) if a short-term rated facility is assigned a 150 % risk weight, then all unrated unsecured exposures on that obligor whether short-term or long-term shall also be assigned a 150 % risk weight;

(b) if a short-term rated facility is assigned a 50 % risk-weight, no unrated short-term exposure shall be assigned a risk weight lower than 100 %.

Article 141 U.K. Domestic and foreign currency items

A credit assessment that refers to an item denominated in the obligor's domestic currency cannot be used to derive a risk weight for another exposure on that same obligor that is denominated in a foreign currency.

When an exposure arises through an institution's participation in a loan that has been extended by a multilateral development bank whose preferred creditor status is recognised in the market, the credit assessment on the obligors' domestic currency item may be used for risk weighting purposes.

CHAPTER 3 U.K. Internal Ratings Based Approach

Section 1 U.K. Permission by competent authorities to use the IRB approach

Article 142 U.K. Definitions

1 . For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(1)

‘ rating system ’ means all of the methods, processes, controls, data collection and IT systems that support the assessment of credit risk, the assignment of exposures to rating grades or pools, and the quantification of default and loss estimates that have been developed for a certain type of exposures;

(2)

‘ type of exposures ’ means a group of homogeneously managed exposures which are formed by a certain type of facilities and which may be limited to a single entity or a single sub-set of entities within a group provided that the same type of exposures is managed differently in other entities of the group;

(3)

‘ business unit ’ means any separate organisational or legal entities, business lines, geographical locations;

(4)

‘ large financial sector entity ’ means any financial sector entity which meets the following conditions:

(a)

its total assets, calculated on an individual or consolidated basis, are greater than or equal to a EUR 70 billion threshold, using the most recent audited financial statement or consolidated financial statement in order to determine asset size; and

(b)

it is, or one of its subsidiaries is, subject to prudential regulation in the [F95United Kingdom] or to the laws of a third country which applies prudential supervisory and regulatory requirements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F95United Kingdom];

(5)

‘ unregulated financial sector entity ’ means an entity that is not a regulated financial sector entity but that performs, as its main business, one or more [F96Annex 1 activities] or [F97the activities in Parts 1, 3 and 3A of Schedule 2 to the Regulated Activities Order];

(6)

‘ obligor grade ’ means a risk category within the obligor rating scale of a rating system, to which obligors are assigned on the basis of a specified and distinct set of rating criteria, from which estimates of probability of default (PD) are derived;

(7)

‘facility grade’ means a risk category within a rating system's facility scale, to which exposures are assigned on the basis of a specified and distinct set of rating criteria, from which own estimates of LGD are derived [F6.]

(8)

F98...

2 . For the purposes of point (4)(b) of paragraph 1 of this Article, [F99the Treasury may by regulations determine whether] a third country applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F100United Kingdom]. F101...

Textual Amendments

Article 143U.K. Permission to use the IRB Approach

1.Where the conditions set out in this Chapter are met, the competent authority shall permit institutions to calculate their risk-weighted exposure amounts using the Internal Ratings Based Approach (hereinafter referred to as ‘ IRB Approach ’ ).

2.Prior permission to use the IRB Approach, including own estimates of LGD and conversion factors, shall be required for each exposure class and for each rating system and internal models approaches to equity exposures and for each approach to estimating LGDs and conversion factors used.

3.Institutions shall obtain the prior permission of the competent authorities for the following:

(a)material changes to the range of application of a rating system or an internal models approach to equity exposures that the institution has received permission to use;

(b)material changes to a rating system or an internal models approach to equity exposures that the institution has received permission to use.

The range of application of a rating system shall comprise all exposures of the relevant type of exposure for which that rating system was developed.

4.Institutions shall notify the competent authorities of all changes to rating systems and internal models approaches to equity exposures.

5.[F102The [F103PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the conditions for assessing the materiality of the use of an existing rating system for other additional exposures not already covered by that rating system and changes to rating systems or internal models approaches to equity exposures under the IRB Approach.

F104...

Textual Amendments

Article 144U.K. Competent authorities' assessment of an application to use an IRB Approach

1.The competent authority shall grant permission pursuant to Article 143 for an institution to use the IRB Approach, including to use own estimates of LGD and conversion factors, only if the competent authority is satisfied that requirements laid down in this Chapter are met, in particular those laid down in Section 6, and that the systems of the institution for the management and rating of credit risk exposures are sound and implemented with integrity and, in particular, that the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the following standards are met:

(a)the institution's rating systems provide for a meaningful assessment of obligor and transaction characteristics, a meaningful differentiation of risk and accurate and consistent quantitative estimates of risk;

(b)internal ratings and default and loss estimates used in the calculation of own funds requirements and associated systems and processes play an essential role in the risk management and decision-making process, and in the credit approval, internal capital allocation and corporate governance functions of the institution;

(c)the institution has a credit risk control unit responsible for its rating systems that is appropriately independent and free from undue influence;

(d)the institution collects and stores all relevant data to provide effective support to its credit risk measurement and management process;

(e)the institution documents its rating systems and the rationale for their design and validates its rating systems;

(f)the institution has validated each rating system and each internal models approach for equity exposures during an appropriate time period prior to the permission to use this rating system or internal models approach to equity exposures, has assessed during this time period whether the rating system or internal models approaches for equity exposures are suited to the range of application of the rating system or internal models approach for equity exposures, and has made necessary changes to these rating systems or internal models approaches for equity exposures following from its assessment;

(g)the institution has calculated under the IRB Approach the own funds requirements resulting from its risk parameters estimates and is able to submit the reporting as required by [F105Article 430] [F106of Chapter 4 of the Reporting (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook];

(h)the institution has assigned and continues with assigning each exposure in the range of application of a rating system to a rating grade or pool of this rating system; the institution has assigned and continues with assigning each exposure in the range of application of an approach for equity exposures to this internal models approach.

The requirements to use an IRB Approach, including own estimates of LGD and conversion factors, apply also where an institution has implemented a rating system, or model used within a rating system, that it has purchased from a third-party vendor.

2.[F107The [F108PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the assessment methodology competent authorities shall follow in assessing the compliance of an institution with the requirements to use the IRB Approach.

F109...

Textual Amendments

Article 145 U.K. Prior experience of using IRB approaches

1. An institution applying to use the IRB Approach shall have been using for the IRB exposure classes in question rating systems that were broadly in line with the requirements set out in Section 6 for internal risk measurement and management purposes for at least three years prior to its qualification to use the IRB Approach.

2. An institution applying for the use of own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that it has been estimating and employing own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors in a manner that is broadly consistent with the requirements for use of own estimates of those parameters set out in Section 6 for at least three years prior to qualification to use own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors.

3. Where the institution extends the use of the IRB Approach subsequent to its initial permission, the experience of the institution shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2 in respect of the additional exposures covered. If the use of rating systems is extended to exposures that are significantly different from the scope of the existing coverage, such that the existing experience cannot be reasonably assumed to be sufficient to meet the requirements of these provisions in respect of the additional exposures, then the requirements of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply separately for the additional exposures.

Article 146 U.K. Measures to be taken where the requirements of this Chapter cease to be met

Where an institution ceases to comply with the requirements laid down in this Chapter, it shall notify the competent authority and do one of the following:

(a)

present to the satisfaction of the competent authority a plan for a timely return to compliance and realise this plan within a period agreed with the competent authority;

(b)

demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that the effect of non-compliance is immaterial.

Article 147 U.K. Methodology to assign exposures to exposure classes

1. The methodology used by the institution for assigning exposures to different exposure classes shall be appropriate and consistent over time.

2. Each exposure shall be assigned to one of the following exposure classes:

(a) exposures to central governments and central banks;

(b) exposures to institutions;

(c) exposures to corporates;

(d) retail exposures;

(e) equity exposures;

(f) items representing securitisation positions;

(g) other non credit-obligation assets.

3. The following exposures shall be assigned to the class laid down in point (a) of paragraph 2:

(a) exposures to regional governments, local authorities or public sector entities which are treated as exposures to central governments under Articles 115 and 116;

(b) exposures to multilateral development banks referred to in Article 117(2);

(c) exposures to International Organisations which attract a risk weight of 0 % under Article 118.

4. The following exposures shall be assigned to the class laid down in point (b) of paragraph 2:

(a) exposures to regional governments and local authorities which are not treated as exposures to central governments in accordance with Article 115(2) and (4);

(b) exposures to public sector entities which are not treated as exposures to central governments in accordance with Article 116(4);

(c) exposures to multilateral development banks which are not assigned a 0 % risk weight under Article 117; and

(d) exposures to financial institutions which are treated as exposures to institutions in accordance with Article 119(5).

5. To be eligible for the retail exposure class laid down in point (d) of paragraph 2, exposures shall meet the following criteria:

(a) they shall be one of the following:

(i)

exposures to one or more natural persons;

(ii)

exposures to an SME, provided in that case that the total amount owed to the institution and parent undertakings and its subsidiaries, including any past due exposure, by the obligor client or group of connected clients, but excluding exposures secured on residential property collateral, shall not, to the knowledge of the institution, which shall have taken reasonable steps to confirm the situation, exceed EUR 1 million;

(b) they are treated by the institution in its risk management consistently over time and in a similar manner;

(c) they are not managed just as individually as exposures in the corporate exposure class;

(d) they each represent one of a significant number of similarly managed exposures.

In addition to the exposures listed in the first subparagraph, the present value of retail minimum lease payments shall be included in the retail exposure class.

6. The following exposures shall be assigned to the equity exposure class laid down in point (e) of paragraph 2:

(a) non-debt exposures conveying a subordinated, residual claim on the assets or income of the issuer;

(b) debt exposures and other securities, partnerships, derivatives, or other vehicles, the economic substance of which is similar to the exposures specified in point (a).

7. Any credit obligation not assigned to the exposure classes laid down in points (a), (b), (d), (e) and (f) of paragraph 2 shall be assigned to the corporate exposure class referred to in point (c) of that paragraph.

8. Within the corporate exposure class laid down in point (c) of paragraph 2, institutions shall separately identify as specialised lending exposures, exposures which possess the following characteristics:

(a) the exposure is to an entity which was created specifically to finance or operate physical assets or is an economically comparable exposure;

(b) the contractual arrangements give the lender a substantial degree of control over the assets and the income that they generate;

(c) the primary source of repayment of the obligation is the income generated by the assets being financed, rather than the independent capacity of a broader commercial enterprise.

9. The residual value of leased properties shall be assigned to the exposure class laid down in point (g) of paragraph 2, except to the extent that residual value is already included in the lease exposure laid down in Article 166(4).

10. The exposure from providing protection under an nth-to-default basket credit derivative shall be assigned to the same class laid down in paragraph 2 to which the exposures in the basket would be assigned, except if the individual exposures in the basket would be assigned to various exposure classes in which case the exposure shall be assigned to the corporates exposure class laid down in point (c) of paragraph 2.

Article 148U.K. Conditions for implementing the IRB Approach across different classes of exposure and business units

1.Institutions and any parent undertaking and its subsidiaries shall implement the IRB Approach for all exposures, unless they have received the permission of the competent authorities to permanently use the Standardised Approach in accordance with Article 150.

Subject to the prior permission of the competent authorities, implementation may be carried out sequentially across the different exposure classes referred to in Article 147 within the same business unit, across different business units in the same group or for the use of own estimates of LGDs or conversion factors for the calculation of risk weights for exposures to corporates, institutions, and central governments and central banks.

In the case of the retail exposure class referred to in Article 147(5), implementation may be carried out sequentially across the categories of exposures to which the different correlations in Article 154 correspond.

2.Competent authorities shall determine the time period over which an institution and any parent undertaking and its subsidiaries shall be required to implement the IRB Approach for all exposures. This time period shall be one that competent authorities consider to be appropriate on the basis of the nature and scale of the activities of the institutions, or any parent undertaking and its subsidiaries, and the number and nature of rating systems to be implemented.

3.Institutions shall carry out implementation of the IRB Approach in accordance with conditions determined by the competent authorities. The competent authority shall design those conditions such that they ensure that the flexibility under paragraph 1 is not used selectively for the purposes of achieving reduced own funds requirements in respect of those exposure classes or business units that are yet to be included in the IRB Approach or in the use of own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors.

4.Institutions that have begun to use the IRB Approach only after 1 January 2013 or that have until that date been required by the competent authorities to be able to calculate their capital requirements using the Standardised Approach shall retain their ability to calculate capital requirements using the Standardised Approach for all their exposures during the implementation period until the competent authorities notify them that they are satisfied that the implementation of the IRB Approach will be completed with reasonable certainty.

5.An institution that is permitted to use the IRB Approach for any exposure class shall use the IRB Approach for the equity exposure class laid down in point (e) of Article 147(2), except where that institution is permitted to apply the Standardised Approach for equity exposures pursuant to Article 150 and for the other non credit-obligation assets exposure class laid down in point (g) of Article 147(2).

6.[F110The [F111PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the conditions according to which [F112it] shall determine the appropriate nature and timing of the sequential roll out of the IRB Approach across exposure classes referred to in paragraph 3.

F113...

Textual Amendments

Article 149 U.K. Conditions to revert to the use of less sophisticated approaches

1. An institution that uses the IRB Approach for a particular exposure class or type of exposure shall not stop using that approach and use instead the Standardised Approach for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts unless the following conditions are met:

(a) the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the use of the Standardised Approach is not proposed in order to reduce the own funds requirement of the institution, is necessary on the basis of nature and complexity of the institution's total exposures of this type and would not have a material adverse impact on the solvency of the institution or its ability to manage risk effectively;

(b) the institution has received the prior permission of the competent authority.

2. Institutions which have obtained permission under Article 151(9) to use own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors, shall not revert to the use of LGD values and conversion factors referred to in Article 151(8) unless the following conditions are met:

(a) the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the use of LGDs and conversion factors laid down in Article 151(8) for a certain exposure class or type of exposure is not proposed in order to reduce the own funds requirement of the institution, is necessary on the basis of nature and complexity of the institution's total exposures of this type and would not have a material adverse impact on the solvency of the institution or its ability to manage risk effectively;

(b) the institution has received the prior permission of the competent authority.

3. The application of paragraphs 1 and 2 is subject to the conditions for rolling out the IRB Approach determined by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 148 and the permission for permanent partial use referred to in Article 150.

Article 150U.K. Conditions for permanent partial use

1.Where institutions have received the prior permission of the competent authorities, institutions permitted to use the IRB Approach in the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts for one or more exposure classes may apply the Standardised Approach for the following exposures:

(a)the exposure class laid down in Article 147(2)(a), where the number of material counterparties is limited and it would be unduly burdensome for the institution to implement a rating system for these counterparties;

(b)the exposure class laid down in Article 147(2)(b), where the number of material counterparties is limited and it would be unduly burdensome for the institution to implement a rating system for these counterparties;

(c)exposures in non-significant business units as well as exposure classes or types of exposures that are immaterial in terms of size and perceived risk profile;

(d)[F114exposures to the central government of the United Kingdom, the Bank, a regional government of the United Kingdom, or a public sector entity or local authority in the United Kingdom, provided—]

(i)

there is no difference in risk between the exposures to [F115the central government and Bank] and those other exposures because of specific public arrangements; and

(ii)

[F116exposures to central governments and central banks are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Article 114(2) or (4);]

(e)exposures of an institution to a counterparty which is its parent undertaking, its subsidiary or a subsidiary of its parent undertaking provided that the counterparty is an institution or a financial holding company, mixed financial holding company, financial institution, asset management company or ancillary services undertaking subject to appropriate prudential requirements or an undertaking linked by a [F117common management relationship];

(f)exposures between institutions which meet the requirements set out in Article 113(7);

(g)equity exposures to entities whose credit obligations are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Chapter 2 including those publicly sponsored entities where a 0 % risk weight can be applied;

(h)equity exposures incurred under legislative programmes to promote specified sectors of the economy that provide significant subsidies for the investment to the institution and involve some form of government oversight and restrictions on the equity investments where such exposures may in aggregate be excluded from the IRB Approach only up to a limit of 10 % of own funds;

(i)the exposures identified in Article 119(4) meeting the conditions specified therein;

(j)State and State-reinsured guarantees referred to in Article 215(2).

F118...

2.For the purposes of paragraph 1, the equity exposure class of an institution shall be material if their aggregate value, excluding equity exposures incurred under legislative programmes as referred to in point (h) of paragraph 1, exceeds on average over the preceding year 10 % of the own funds of the institution. Where the number of those equity exposures is less than 10 individual holdings, that threshold shall be 5 % of the own funds of the institution.

3.[F119The [F120PRA may] make technical standards] to determine the conditions of application of points (a), (b) and (c) of paragraph 1.

F121...

F122 4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Section 2 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Treatment by type of exposure class
Article 151 U.K. Treatment by exposure class

1. The risk-weighted exposure amounts for credit risk for exposures belonging to one of the exposure classes referred to in points (a) to (e) and (g) of 147(2) shall, unless deducted from own funds, be calculated in accordance with Sub-section 2 except where those exposures are deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 items, Additional Tier 1 items or Tier 2 items.

2. The risk-weighted exposure amounts for dilution risk for purchased receivables shall be calculated in accordance with Article 157. Where an institution has full recourse to the seller of purchased receivables for default risk and for dilution risk, the provisions of this Article and Article 152 and Article 158(1) to (4) in relation to purchased receivables shall not apply and the exposure shall be treated as a collateralised exposure.

3. The calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts for credit risk and dilution risk shall be based on the relevant parameters associated with the exposure in question. These shall include PD, LGD, maturity (hereinafter referred to as ‘ M ’ ) and exposure value of the exposure. PD and LGD may be considered separately or jointly, in accordance with Section 4.

4. Institutions shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts for credit risk for all exposures belonging to the exposure class ‘ equity ’ referred to in point (e) of Article 147(2) in accordance with Article 155. Institutions may use the approaches set out in Article 155(3) and (4) where they have received the prior permission of the competent authorities. Competent authorities shall grant permission for an institution to use the internal models approach set out in Article 155(4) provided that the institution meets the requirements set out in Sub-section 4 of Section 6.

5. The calculation of risk weighted exposure amounts for credit risk for specialised lending exposures may be calculated in accordance with Article 153(5).

6. For exposures belonging to the exposure classes referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 147(2), institutions shall provide their own estimates of PDs in accordance with Article 143 and Section 6.

7. For exposures belonging to the exposure class referred to in point (d) of Article 147(2), institutions shall provide own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors in accordance with Article 143 and Section 6.

8. For exposures belonging to the exposure classes referred to in points (a) to (c) of Article 147(2), institutions shall apply the LGD values set out in Article 161(1), and the conversion factors set out in Article 166(8)(a) to (d), unless it has been permitted to use its own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors for those exposure classes in accordance with paragraph 9.

9. For all exposures belonging to the exposure classes referred to in points (a) to (c) of Article 147(2), the competent authority shall permit institutions to use own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors in accordance with Article 143 and Section 6.

10. The risk-weighted exposure amounts for securitised exposures and for exposures belonging to the exposure class referred to in point (f) of Article 147(2) shall be calculated in accordance with Chapter 5.

F123 Article 152U.K. Treatment of exposures in the form of units or shares in CIUs

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts for credit risk
Article 153U.K. Risk-weighted exposure amounts for exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks

1.Subject to the application of the specific treatments laid down in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, the risk-weighted exposure amounts for exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks shall be calculated according to the following formulae:

Risk – weighted exposure amount = RW · exposure value

where the risk weight RW is defined as

(i)

if PD = 0, RW shall be 0;

(ii)

if PD = 1, i.e., for defaulted exposures:

  • where institutions apply the LGD values set out in Article 161(1), RW shall be 0;

  • where institutions use own estimates of LGDs, RW shall be ;

where the expected loss best estimate (hereinafter referred to as ‘EL BE ’) shall be the institution's best estimate of expected loss for the defaulted exposure in accordance with Article 181(1)(h);

(iii)

if 0 < PD < 1

where:

N(x)

=

the cumulative distribution function for a standard normal random variable (i.e. the probability that a normal random variable with mean zero and variance of one is less than or equal to x);

G(Z)

=

denotes the inverse cumulative distribution function for a standard normal random variable (i.e. the value x such that N(x) = z)

R

=

denotes the coefficient of correlation, is defined as

b

=

the maturity adjustment factor, which is defined as

.

2.For all exposures to large financial sector entities, the co-efficient of correlation of paragraph 1(iii) is multiplied by 1,25. For all exposures to unregulated financial sector entities, the coefficients of correlation set out in paragraph 1(iii) and paragraph 4, as relevant, are multiplied by 1,25.

3.The risk-weighted exposure amount for each exposure which meets the requirements set out in Articles 202 and 217 may be adjusted in accordance with the following formula:

Risk – weighted exposure amount = RW · exposure value · (0.15 + 160 · PD pp )

where:

PD pp

=

PD of the protection provider.

RW shall be calculated using the relevant risk weight formula set out in point 1 for the exposure, the PD of the obligor and the LGD of a comparable direct exposure to the protection provider. The maturity factor (b) shall be calculated using the lower of the PD of the protection provider and the PD of the obligor.

4.For exposures to companies where the total annual sales for the consolidated group of which the firm is a part is less than EUR 50 million, institutions may use the following correlation formula in paragraph 1 (iii) for the calculation of risk weights for corporate exposures. In this formula S is expressed as total annual sales in millions of euro with EUR 5 million ≤ S ≤ EUR 50 million. Reported sales of less than EUR 5 million shall be treated as if they were equivalent to EUR 5 million. For purchased receivables the total annual sales shall be the weighted average by individual exposures of the pool.

Institutions shall substitute total assets of the consolidated group for total annual sales when total annual sales are not a meaningful indicator of firm size and total assets are a more meaningful indicator than total annual sales.

5.For specialised lending exposures in respect of which an institution is not able to estimate PDs or the institutions' PD estimates do not meet the requirements set out in Section 6, the institution shall assign risk weights to these exposures in accordance with Table 1, as follows:

Table 1
Remaining Maturity Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 Category 5
Less than 2,5 years 50 % 70 % 115 % 250 % 0 %
Equal or more than 2,5 years 70 % 90 % 115 % 250 % 0 %

In assigning risk weights to specialised lending exposures institutions shall take into account the following factors: financial strength, political and legal environment, transaction and/or asset characteristics, strength of the sponsor and developer, including any public private partnership income stream, and security package.

6.For their purchased corporate receivables institutions shall comply with the requirements set out in Article 184. For purchased corporate receivables that comply in addition with the conditions set out in Article 154(5), and where it would be unduly burdensome for an institution to use the risk quantification standards for corporate exposures as set out in Section 6 for these receivables, the risk quantification standards for retail exposures as set out in Section 6 may be used.

[F67.For purchased corporate receivables, refundable purchase price discounts, collaterals or partial guarantees that provide first loss protection for default losses, dilution losses, or both, may be treated as a first loss protection by the purchaser of the receivables or by the beneficiary of the collateral or of the partial guarantee in accordance with Subsections 2 and 3 of Section 3 of Chapter 5. The seller providing the refundable purchase price discount and the provider of a collateral or a partial guarantee shall treat those as an exposure to a first loss position in accordance with Subsections 2 and 3 of Section 3 of Chapter 5.

8.Where an institution provides credit protection for a number of exposures subject to the condition that the nth default among the exposures shall trigger payment and that this credit event shall terminate the contract, the risk weights of the exposures included in the basket will be aggregated, excluding n-1 exposures, where the sum of the expected loss amount multiplied by 12,5 and the risk-weighted exposure amount shall not exceed the nominal amount of the protection provided by the credit derivative multiplied by 12,5. The n-1 exposures to be excluded from the aggregation shall be determined on the basis that they shall include those exposures each of which produces a lower risk-weighted exposure amount than the risk-weighted exposure amount of any of the exposures included in the aggregation. A 1 250  % risk weight shall apply to positions in a basket for which an institution cannot determine the risk-weight under the IRB Approach.]

9.[F124The [F125PRA may] make technical standards] to specify how institutions shall take into account the factors referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 5 when assigning risk weights to specialised lending exposures.

F126...

Textual Amendments

Article 154 U.K. Risk-weighted exposure amounts for retail exposures

1 . The risk-weighted exposure amounts for retail exposures shall be calculated in accordance with the following formulae:

Risk – weighted exposure amount = RW · exposure value

where the risk weight RW is defined as follows:

(i)

if PD = 1, i.e., for defaulted exposures, RW shall be

;

where EL BE shall be the institution's best estimate of expected loss for the defaulted exposure in accordance with Article 181(1)(h);

(ii)

if 0 < PD < 1, i.e., for any possible value for PD other than under (i)

where:

N(x)

=

the cumulative distribution function for a standard normal random variable (i.e. the probability that a normal random variable with mean zero and variance of one is less than or equal to x);

G(Z)

=

the inverse cumulative distribution function for a standard normal random variable (i.e. the value x such that N(x) = z);

R

=

the coefficient of correlation defined as

2 . The risk-weighted exposure amount for each exposure to an SME as referred to in Article 147(5) which meets the requirements set out in Articles 202 and 217 may be calculated in accordance with Article 153(3).

3 . For retail exposures secured by immovable property collateral a coefficient of correlation R of 0,15 shall replace the figure produced by the correlation formula in paragraph 1.

4 . For qualifying revolving retail exposures in accordance with points (a) to (e), a coefficient of correlation R of 0,04 shall replace the figure produced by the correlation formula in paragraph 1.

Exposures shall qualify as qualifying revolving retail exposures if they meet the following conditions:

( a ) the exposures are to individuals;

( b ) the exposures are revolving, unsecured, and to the extent they are not drawn immediately and unconditionally, cancellable by the institution. In this context revolving exposures are defined as those where customers' outstanding balances are permitted to fluctuate based on their decisions to borrow and repay, up to a limit established by the institution. Undrawn commitments may be considered as unconditionally cancellable if the terms permit the institution to cancel them to the full extent allowable under consumer protection and related legislation;

( c ) the maximum exposure to a single individual in the sub-portfolio is EUR  100 000 or less;

( d ) the use of the correlation of this paragraph is limited to portfolios that have exhibited low volatility of loss rates, relative to their average level of loss rates, especially within the low PD bands;

( e ) the treatment as a qualifying revolving retail exposure shall be consistent with the underlying risk characteristics of the sub-portfolio.

By way of derogation from point (b), the requirement to be unsecured does not apply in respect of collateralised credit facilities linked to a wage account. In this case amounts recovered from the collateral shall not be taken into account in the LGD estimate.

Competent authorities shall review the relative volatility of loss rates across the qualifying revolving retail sub-portfolios, as well the aggregate qualifying revolving retail portfolio F127... .

5 . To be eligible for the retail treatment, purchased receivables shall comply with the requirements set out in Article 184 and the following conditions:

( a ) the institution has purchased the receivables from unrelated third party sellers, and its exposure to the obligor of the receivable does not include any exposures that are directly or indirectly originated by the institution itself;

( b ) the purchased receivables shall be generated on an arm's-length basis between the seller and the obligor. As such, inter-company accounts receivables and receivables subject to contra-accounts between firms that buy and sell to each other are ineligible;

( c ) the purchasing institution has a claim on all proceeds from the purchased receivables or a pro-rata interest in the proceeds; and

( d ) the portfolio of purchased receivables is sufficiently diversified.

[F66 . For purchased retail receivables, refundable purchase price discounts, collaterals or partial guarantees that provide first loss protection for default losses, dilution losses, or both, may be treated as a first loss protection by the purchaser of the receivables or by the beneficiary of the collateral or of the partial guarantee in accordance with Subsections 2 and 3 of Section 3 of Chapter 5. The seller providing the refundable purchase price discount and the provider of a collateral or a partial guarantee shall treat those as an exposure to a first loss position in accordance with Subsections 2 and 3 of Section 3 of Chapter 5.]

7 . For hybrid pools of purchased retail receivables where purchasing institutions cannot separate exposures secured by immovable property collateral and qualifying revolving retail exposures from other retail exposures, the retail risk weight function producing the highest capital requirements for those exposures shall apply.

Textual Amendments

Article 155 U.K. Risk-weighted exposure amounts for equity exposures

1. Institutions shall determine their risk-weighted exposure amounts for equity exposures, excluding those deducted in accordance with Part Two or subject to a 250 % risk weight in accordance with Article 48, in accordance with the approaches set out in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this Article. An institution may apply different approaches to different equity portfolios where the institution itself uses different approaches for internal risk management purposes. Where an institution uses different approaches, the choice of the PD/LGD approach or the internal models approach shall be made consistently, including over time and with the approach used for the internal risk management of the relevant equity exposure, and shall not be determined by regulatory arbitrage considerations.

Institutions may treat equity exposures to ancillary services undertakings in accordance with the treatment of other non credit- obligation assets.

2. Under the simple risk weight approach, the risk-weighted exposure amount shall be calculated in accordance with the formula:

Risk – weighted exposure amount = RW * exposure value ,

where:

Risk weight (RW)

=

190 % for private equity exposures in sufficiently diversified portfolios.

Risk weight (RW)

=

290 % for exchange traded equity exposures.

Risk weight (RW)

=

370 % for all other equity exposures.

Short cash positions and derivative instruments held in the non-trading book are permitted to offset long positions in the same individual stocks provided that these instruments have been explicitly designated as hedges of specific equity exposures and that they provide a hedge for at least another year. Other short positions are to be treated as if they are long positions with the relevant risk weight assigned to the absolute value of each position. In the context of maturity mismatched positions, the method is that for corporate exposures as set out in Article 162(5).

Institutions may recognise unfunded credit protection obtained on an equity exposure in accordance with the methods set out in Chapter 4.

3. Under the PD/LGD approach, risk-weighted exposure amounts shall be calculated according to the formulas in Article 153(1). If institutions do not have sufficient information to use the definition of default set out in Article 178, a scaling factor of 1,5 shall be assigned to the risk weights.

At the individual exposure level the sum of the expected loss amount multiplied by 12,5 and the risk-weighted exposure amount shall not exceed the exposure value multiplied by 12,5.

Institutions may recognise unfunded credit protection obtained on an equity exposure in accordance with the methods set out in Chapter 4. This shall be subject to an LGD of 90 % on the exposure to the provider of the hedge. For private equity exposures in sufficiently diversified portfolios an LGD of 65 % may be used. For these purposes M shall be five years.

4. Under the internal models approach, the risk-weighted exposure amount shall be the potential loss on the institution's equity exposures as derived using internal value-at-risk models subject to the 99th percentile, one-tailed confidence interval of the difference between quarterly returns and an appropriate risk-free rate computed over a long-term sample period, multiplied by 12,5. The risk-weighted exposure amounts at the equity portfolio level shall not be less than the total of the sums of the following:

(a) the risk-weighted exposure amounts required under the PD/LGD Approach; and

(b) the corresponding expected loss amounts multiplied by 12,5.

The amounts referred to in point (a) and (b) shall be calculated on the basis of the PD values set out in Article 165(1) and the corresponding LGD values set out in Article 165(2).

Institutions may recognise unfunded credit protection obtained on an equity position.

Article 156 U.K. Risk-weighted exposure amounts for other non credit-obligation assets

The risk-weighted exposure amounts for other non credit-obligation assets shall be calculated in accordance with the following formula:

Risk – weighted exposure amount = 100 % · exposure value ,

except for:

(a)

cash in hand and equivalent cash items as well as gold bullion held in own vault or on an allocated basis to the extent backed by bullion liabilities, in which case a 0 % risk-weight shall be assigned;

(b)

when the exposure is a residual value of leased assets in which case it shall be calculated as follows:

where t is the greater of 1 and the nearest number of whole years of the lease remaining.

Sub-Section 3 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts for dilution risk of purchased receivables
Article 157 U.K. Risk-weighted exposure amounts for dilution risk of purchased receivables

1. Institutions shall calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts for dilution risk of purchased corporate and retail receivables in accordance with the formula set out in Article 153(1).

2. Institutions shall determine the input parameters PD and LGD in accordance with Section 4.

3. Institutions shall determine the exposure value in accordance with Section 5.

4. For the purposes of this Article, the value of M is 1 year.

5. The competent authorities shall exempt an institution from calculating and recognising risk-weighted exposure amounts for dilution risk of a type of exposures caused by purchased corporate or retail receivables where the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that dilution risk for that institution is immaterial for this type of exposures.

Section 3 U.K. Expected loss amounts

F128 Article 158U.K. Treatment by exposure type

Textual Amendments

[F10Article 159 U.K. Treatment of expected loss amounts

Institutions shall subtract the expected loss amounts calculated in accordance with Article 158(5), (6) and (10) from the general and specific credit risk adjustments in accordance with Article 110, additional value adjustments in accordance with Articles 34 and 105 and other own funds reductions related to those exposures except for the deductions made in accordance with point (m) Article 36(1). Discounts on balance sheet exposures purchased when in default in accordance with Article 166(1) shall be treated in the same manner as specific credit risk adjustments. Specific credit risk adjustments on exposures in default shall not be used to cover expected loss amounts on other exposures. Expected loss amounts for securitised exposures and general and specific credit risk adjustments related to those exposures shall not be included in that calculation.]

Textual Amendments

Section 4 U.K. PD, LGD and maturity

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks
Article 160 U.K. Probability of default (PD)

1 . The PD of an exposure to a corporate or an institution shall be at least 0,03 %.

2 . For purchased corporate receivables in respect of which an institution is not able to estimate PDs or an institution's PD estimates do not meet the requirements set out in Section 6, the PDs for these exposures shall be determined in accordance with the following methods:

( a ) for senior claims on purchased corporate receivables PD shall be the institutions estimate of EL divided by LGD for these receivables;

( b ) for subordinated claims on purchased corporate receivables PD shall be the institution's estimate of EL;

( c ) an institution that has received the permission of the competent authority to use own LGD estimates for corporate exposures pursuant to Article 143 and that can decompose its EL estimates for purchased corporate receivables into PDs and LGDs in a manner that the competent authority considers to be reliable, may use the PD estimate that results from this decomposition.

3 . The PD of obligors in default shall be 100 %.

4 . Institutions may take into account unfunded credit protection in the PD in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4. For dilution risk, in addition to the protection providers referred to in Article 201(1)(g) the seller of the purchased receivables is eligible if the following conditions are met:

( a ) the corporate entity has a credit assessment by an ECAI which has been determined by [F129the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates under Chapter 2;

( b ) the corporate entity, in the case of institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach, does not have a credit assessment by a recognised ECAI and is internally rated as having a PD equivalent to that associated with the credit assessments of ECAIs determined by [F129the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates under Chapter 2.

5 . Institutions using own LGD estimates may recognise unfunded credit protection by adjusting PDs subject to Article 161(3).

6 . For dilution risk of purchased corporate receivables, PD shall be set equal to the EL estimate of the institution for dilution risk. An institution that has received permission from the competent authority pursuant to Article 143 to use own LGD estimates for corporate exposures that can decompose its EL estimates for dilution risk of purchased corporate receivables into PDs and LGDs in a manner that the competent authority considers to be reliable, may use the PD estimate that results from this decomposition. Institutions may recognise unfunded credit protection in the PD in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4. For dilution risk, in addition to the protection providers referred to in Article 201(1)(g), the seller of the purchased receivables is eligible provided that the conditions set out in paragraph 4 are met.

7 . By way of derogation from Article 201(1)(g), the corporate entities that meet the conditions set out in paragraph 4 are eligible.

An institution that has received the permission of the competent authority pursuant to Article 143 to use own LGD estimates for dilution risk of purchased corporate receivables, may recognise unfunded credit protection by adjusting PDs subject to Article 161(3).

Textual Amendments

Article 161 U.K. Loss Given Default (LGD)

1. Institutions shall use the following LGD values:

(a) senior exposures without eligible collateral: 45 %;

(b) subordinated exposures without eligible collateral: 75 %;

(c) institutions may recognise funded and unfunded credit protection in the LGD in accordance with Chapter 4;

(d) covered bonds eligible for the treatment set out in Article 129(4) or (5) may be assigned an LGD value of 11,25 %;

(e) for senior purchased corporate receivables exposures where an institution is not able to estimate PDs or the institution's PD estimates do not meet the requirements set out in Section 6: 45 %;

(f) for subordinated purchased corporate receivables exposures where an institution is not able to estimate PDs or the institution's PD estimates do not meet the requirements set out in Section 6: 100 %;

(g) for dilution risk of purchased corporate receivables: 75 %.

2. For dilution and default risk if an institution has received permission from the competent authority to use own LGD estimates for corporate exposures pursuant to Article 143 and it can decompose its EL estimates for purchased corporate receivables into PDs and LGDs in a manner the competent authority considers to be reliable, the LGD estimate for purchased corporate receivables may be used.

3. If an institution has received the permission of the competent authority to use own LGD estimates for exposures to corporates, institutions, central governments and central banks pursuant to Article 143, unfunded credit protection may be recognised by adjusting PD or LGD subject to requirements as specified in Section 6 and permission of the competent authorities. An institution shall not assign guaranteed exposures an adjusted PD or LGD such that the adjusted risk weight would be lower than that of a comparable, direct exposure to the guarantor.

4. For the purposes of the undertakings referred to in Article 153(3), the LGD of a comparable direct exposure to the protection provider shall either be the LGD associated with an unhedged facility to the guarantor or the unhedged facility of the obligor, depending upon whether in the event both the guarantor and obligor default during the life of the hedged transaction, available evidence and the structure of the guarantee indicate that the amount recovered would depend on the financial condition of the guarantor or obligor, respectively.

Article 162U.K. Maturity

1.Institutions that have not received permission to use own LGDs and own conversion factors for exposures to corporates, institutions or central governments and central banks shall assign to exposures arising from repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions a maturity value (M) of 0,5 years and to all other exposures M of 2,5 years.

Alternatively, as part of the permission referred to in Article 143, the competent authorities shall decide on whether the institution shall use maturity (M) for each exposure as set out under paragraph 2.

2.Institutions that have received the permission of the competent authority to use own LGDs and own conversion factors for exposures to corporates, institutions or central governments and central banks pursuant to Article 143 shall calculate M for each of these exposures as set out in points (a) to (e) of this paragraph and subject to paragraphs 3 to 5 of this Article. M shall be no greater than five years except in the cases specified in Article 384(1) where M as specified there shall be used:

(a)for an instrument subject to a cash flow schedule, M shall be calculated in accordance with the following formula:

where CF t denotes the cash flows (principal, interest payments and fees) contractually payable by the obligor in period t;

(b)for derivatives subject to a master netting agreement, M shall be the weighted average remaining maturity of the exposure, where M shall be at least 1 year, and the notional amount of each exposure shall be used for weighting the maturity;

(c)for exposures arising from fully or nearly-fully collateralised derivative instruments listed in Annex II and fully or nearly-fully collateralised margin lending transactions which are subject to a master netting agreement, M shall be the weighted average remaining maturity of the transactions where M shall be at least 10 days;

(d)for repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions which are subject to a master netting agreement, M shall be the weighted average remaining maturity of the transactions where M shall be at least five days. The notional amount of each transaction shall be used for weighting the maturity;

(e)an institution that has received the permission of the competent authority pursuant to Article 143 to use own PD estimates for purchased corporate receivables, for drawn amounts M shall equal the purchased receivables exposure weighted average maturity, where M shall be at least 90 days. This same value of M shall also be used for undrawn amounts under a committed purchase facility provided that the facility contains effective covenants, early amortisation triggers, or other features that protect the purchasing institution against a significant deterioration in the quality of the future receivables it is required to purchase over the facility's term. Absent such effective protections, M for undrawn amounts shall be calculated as the sum of the longest-dated potential receivable under the purchase agreement and the remaining maturity of the purchase facility, where M shall be at least 90 days;

(f)for any instrument other than those referred to in this paragraph or when an institution is not in a position to calculate M as set out in point (a), M shall be the maximum remaining time (in years) that the obligor is permitted to take to fully discharge its contractual obligations, where M shall be at least one year;

(g)for institutions using the Internal Model Method set out in Section 6 of Chapter 6 to calculate the exposure values, M shall be calculated for exposures to which they apply this method and for which the maturity of the longest-dated contract contained in the netting set is greater than one year in accordance with the following formula:

where:

=

a dummy variable whose value at future period t k is equal to 0 if t k > 1 year and to 1 if t k ≤ 1;

=

the expected exposure at the future period t k ;

=

the effective expected exposure at the future period t k ;

=

the risk-free discount factor for future time period t k ;

;

(h)an institution that uses an internal model to calculate a one-sided credit valuation adjustment (CVA) may use, subject to the permission of the competent authorities, the effective credit duration estimated by the internal model as M.

Subject to paragraph 2, for netting sets in which all contracts have an original maturity of less than one year the formula in point (a) shall apply;

(i)for institutions using the Internal Model Method set out in Section 6 of Chapter 6, to calculate the exposure values and having an internal model permission for specific risk associated with traded debt positions in accordance with Part Three, Title IV, Chapter 5, M shall be set to 1 in the formula laid out in Article 153(1), provided that an institution can demonstrate to the competent authorities that its internal model for Specific risk associated with traded debt positions applied in Article 383 contains effects of rating migrations;

(j)for the purposes of Article 153(3), M shall be the effective maturity of the credit protection but at least 1 year.

3.Where the documentation requires daily re-margining and daily revaluation and includes provisions that allow for the prompt liquidation or set off of collateral in the event of default or failure to remargin, M shall be at least one-day for:

(a)fully or nearly-fully collateralised derivative instruments listed in Annex II;

(b)fully or nearly-fully collateralised margin lending transactions;

(c)repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions.

In addition, for qualifying short-term exposures which are not part of the institution's ongoing financing of the obligor, M shall be at least one-day. Qualifying short term exposures shall include the following:

(a)exposures to institutions [F130or investment firms] arising from settlement of foreign exchange obligations;

(b)self-liquidating short-term trade finance transactions connected to the exchange of goods or services with a residual maturity of up to one year as referred to in point (80) of Article 4(1);

(c)exposures arising from settlement of securities purchases and sales within the usual delivery period or two business days;

(d)exposures arising from cash settlements by wire transfer and settlements of electronic payment transactions and prepaid cost, including overdrafts arising from failed transactions that do not exceed a short, fixed agreed number of business days.

4.For exposures to corporates situated in the [F131United Kingdom] and having consolidated sales and consolidated assets of less than EUR 500 million, institutions may choose to consistently set M as set out in paragraph 1 instead of applying paragraph 2. Institutions may replace EUR 500 million total assets with EUR  1 000  million total assets for corporates which primarily own and let non-speculative residential property.

5.Maturity mismatches shall be treated as specified in Chapter 4.

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Retail exposures
Article 163 U.K. Probability of default (PD)

1. The PD of an exposure shall be at least 0,03 %.

2. The PD of obligors or, where an obligation approach is used, of exposures in default shall be 100 %.

3. For dilution risk of purchased receivables PD shall be set equal to EL estimates for dilution risk. If an institution can decompose its EL estimates for dilution risk of purchased receivables into PDs and LGDs in a manner the competent authorities consider to be reliable, the PD estimate may be used.

4. Unfunded credit protection may be taken into account by adjusting PDs subject to Article 164(2). For dilution risk, in addition to the protection providers referred to in Article 201(1)(g), the seller of the purchased receivables is eligible if the conditions set out in Article 160(4) are met.

[F35 Article 164U.K. Loss Given Default (LGD)

1.Institutions shall provide own estimates of LGDs subject to the requirements specified in Section 6 of this Chapter and permission of the competent authorities granted in accordance with Article 143. For dilution risk of purchased receivables, an LGD value of 75 % shall be used. If an institution can decompose its EL estimates for dilution risk of purchased receivables into PDs and LGDs in a reliable manner, the institution may use its own LGD estimate.

2.Unfunded credit protection may be recognised as eligible by adjusting PD or LGD estimates subject to requirements as specified in Article 183(1), (2) and (3) and the permission of the competent authorities either in support of an individual exposure or a pool of exposures. An institution shall not assign guaranteed exposures an adjusted PD or LGD such that the adjusted risk weight would be lower than that of a comparable, direct exposure to the guarantor.

3.For the purposes of Article 154(2), the LGD of a comparable direct exposure to the protection provider referred to in Article 153(3) shall either be the LGD associated with an unhedged facility to the guarantor or the unhedged facility of the obligor, depending upon whether, in the event both the guarantor and obligor default during the life of the hedged transaction, available evidence and the structure of the guarantee indicate that the amount recovered would depend on the financial condition of the guarantor or obligor, respectively.

4.The exposure-weighted average LGD for all retail exposures secured by residential property and not benefiting from guarantees from central governments shall not be lower than 10 %.

The exposure-weighted average LGD for all retail exposures secured by commercial immovable property and not benefiting from guarantees from central governments shall not be lower than 15 %.

5.F132...

[F133The PRA shall ensure that the Financial Policy Committee is duly informed of the PRA’s intention to make use of this Article, and is appropriately involved in the assessment of financial stability concerns in the United Kingdom in accordance with paragraph 6.]

F134...

6.Based on the data collected under Article 430a [F135of Chapter 4 of the Reporting (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] and on any other relevant indicators, and taking into account forward-looking immovable property market developments the [F136PRA] shall periodically, and at least annually, assess whether the minimum LGD values referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article, are appropriate for exposures secured by mortgages on residential property or commercial immovable property located in [F137the United Kingdom].

Where, on the basis of the assessment referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the [F138PRA] concludes that the minimum LGD values referred to in paragraph 4 are not adequate, and if it considers that the inadequacy of LGD values could adversely affect current or future financial stability in [F139the United Kingdom], it may set higher minimum LGD values for those exposures located in [F140the United Kingdom]. Those higher minimum values may also be applied at the level of one or more property segments of such exposures.

F141...

7.Where the [F142PRA] sets higher minimum LGD values pursuant to paragraph 6, institutions shall have a six-month transitional period to apply them.

8.[F143The [F144PRA may] make] technical standards to specify the conditions that the [F145PRA] shall take into account when assessing the appropriateness of LGD values as part of the assessment referred to in paragraph 6.

F146...

F1479.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F14810.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 3 U.K. Equity exposures subject to PD/LGD method
Article 165 U.K. Equity exposures subject to the PD/LGD method

1. PDs shall be determined in accordance with the methods for corporate exposures.

The following minimum PDs shall apply:

(a) 0,09 % for exchange traded equity exposures where the investment is part of a long-term customer relationship;

(b) 0,09 % for non-exchange traded equity exposures where the returns on the investment are based on regular and periodic cash flows not derived from capital gains;

(c) 0,40 % for exchange traded equity exposures including other short positions as set out in Article 155(2);

(d) 1,25 % for all other equity exposures including other short positions as set out in Article 155(2).

2. Private equity exposures in sufficiently diversified portfolios may be assigned an LGD of 65 %. All other such exposures shall be assigned an LGD of 90 %.

3. M assigned to all exposures shall be five years.

Section 5 U.K. Exposure value

Article 166U.K. Exposures to corporates, institutions, central governments and central banks and retail exposures

1.Unless noted otherwise, the exposure value of on-balance sheet exposures shall be the accounting value measured without taking into account any credit risk adjustments made.

This rule also applies to assets purchased at a price different than the amount owed.

For purchased assets, the difference between the amount owed and the accounting value remaining after specific credit risk adjustments have been applied that has been recorded on the balance-sheet of the institutions when purchasing the asset is denoted discount if the amount owed is larger, and premium if it is smaller.

2.Where institutions use master netting agreements in relation to repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, the exposure value shall be calculated in accordance with Chapter 4 or 6.

3.In order to calculate the exposure value for on-balance sheet netting of loans and deposits, institutions shall apply the methods set out in Chapter 4.

4.The exposure value for leases shall be the discounted minimum lease payments. Minimum lease payments shall comprise the payments over the lease term that the lessee is or can be required to make and any bargain option (i.e. option the exercise of which is reasonably certain). If a party other than the lessee may be required to make a payment related to the residual value of a leased asset and this payment obligation fulfils the set of conditions in Article 201 regarding the eligibility of protection providers as well as the requirements for recognising other types of guarantees provided in Article 213, the payment obligation may be taken into account as unfunded credit protection in accordance with Chapter 4.

5.In the case of any contract listed in Annex II, the exposure value shall be determined by the methods set out in Chapter 6 [F149of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] and shall not take into account any credit risk adjustment made.

6.The exposure value for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts of purchased receivables shall be the value determined in accordance with paragraph 1 minus the own funds requirements for dilution risk prior to credit risk mitigation.

7.Where an exposure takes the form of securities or commodities sold, posted or lent under repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, long settlement transactions and margin lending transactions, the exposure value shall be the value of the securities or commodities determined in accordance with Article 24. Where the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method as set out under Article 223 is used, the exposure value shall be increased by the volatility adjustment appropriate to such securities or commodities, as set out therein. The exposure value of repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, long settlement transactions and margin lending transactions may be determined either in accordance with Chapter 6 [F150of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] or Article 220(2).

8.The exposure value for the following items shall be calculated as the committed but undrawn amount multiplied by a conversion factor. Institutions shall use the following conversion factors in accordance with Article 151(8) for exposures to corporates, institutions, central governments and central banks:

(a)for credit lines that are unconditionally cancellable at any time by the institution without prior notice, or that effectively provide for automatic cancellation due to deterioration in a borrower's creditworthiness, a conversion factor of 0 % shall apply. To apply a conversion factor of 0 %, institutions shall actively monitor the financial condition of the obligor, and their internal control systems shall enable them to immediately detect deterioration in the credit quality of the obligor. Undrawn credit lines may be considered as unconditionally cancellable if the terms permit the institution to cancel them to the full extent allowable under consumer protection and related legislation;

(b)for short-term letters of credit arising from the movement of goods, a conversion factor of 20 % shall apply for both the issuing and confirming institutions;

(c)for undrawn purchase commitments for revolving purchased receivables that are able to be unconditionally cancelled or that effectively provide for automatic cancellation at any time by the institution without prior notice, a conversion factor of 0 % shall apply. To apply a conversion factor of 0 %, institutions shall actively monitor the financial condition of the obligor, and their internal control systems shall enable them to immediately detect a deterioration in the credit quality of the obligor;

(d)for other credit lines, note issuance facilities (NIFs), and revolving underwriting facilities (RUFs), a conversion factor of 75 % shall apply.

Institutions which meet the requirements for the use of own estimates of conversion factors as specified in Section 6 may use their own estimates of conversion factors across different product types as mentioned in points (a) to (d), subject to permission of the competent authorities.

9.Where a commitment refers to the extension of another commitment, the lower of the two conversion factors associated with the individual commitment shall be used.

10.For all off-balance sheet items other than those mentioned in paragraphs 1 to 8, the exposure value shall be the following percentage of its value:

(a)100 % if it is a full risk item;

(b)50 % if it is a medium-risk item;

(c)20 % if it is a medium/low-risk item;

(d)0 % if it is a low-risk item.

For the purposes of this paragraph the off-balance sheet items shall be assigned to risk categories as indicated in Annex I.

Textual Amendments

Article 167 U.K. Equity exposures

1. The exposure value of equity exposures shall be the accounting value remaining after specific credit risk adjustment have been applied.

2. The exposure value of off-balance sheet equity exposures shall be its nominal value after reducing its nominal value by specific credit risk adjustments for this exposure.

Article 168 U.K. Other non credit-obligation assets

The exposure value of other non credit-obligation assets shall be the accounting value remaining after specific credit risk adjustment have been applied

Section 6 U.K. Requirements for the IRB approach

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Rating systems
Article 169 U.K. General principles

1. Where an institution uses multiple rating systems, the rationale for assigning an obligor or a transaction to a rating system shall be documented and applied in a manner that appropriately reflects the level of risk.

2. Assignment criteria and processes shall be periodically reviewed to determine whether they remain appropriate for the current portfolio and external conditions.

3. Where an institution uses direct estimates of risk parameters for individual obligors or exposures these may be seen as estimates assigned to grades on a continuous rating scale.

Article 170 U.K. Structure of rating systems

1. The structure of rating systems for exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) a rating system shall take into account obligor and transaction risk characteristics;

(b) a rating system shall have an obligor rating scale which reflects exclusively quantification of the risk of obligor default. The obligor rating scale shall have a minimum of 7 grades for non-defaulted obligors and one for defaulted obligors;

(c) an institution shall document the relationship between obligor grades in terms of the level of default risk each grade implies and the criteria used to distinguish that level of default risk;

(d) institutions with portfolios concentrated in a particular market segment and range of default risk shall have enough obligor grades within that range to avoid undue concentrations of obligors in a particular grade. Significant concentrations within a single grade shall be supported by convincing empirical evidence that the obligor grade covers a reasonably narrow PD band and that the default risk posed by all obligors in the grade falls within that band;

(e) to be permitted by the competent authority to use own estimates of LGDs for own funds requirement calculation, a rating system shall incorporate a distinct facility rating scale which exclusively reflects LGD related transaction characteristics. The facility grade definition shall include both a description of how exposures are assigned to the grade and of the criteria used to distinguish the level of risk across grades;

(f) significant concentrations within a single facility grade shall be supported by convincing empirical evidence that the facility grade covers a reasonably narrow LGD band, respectively, and that the risk posed by all exposures in the grade falls within that band.

2. Institutions using the methods set out in Article 153(5) for assigning risk weights for specialised lending exposures are exempt from the requirement to have an obligor rating scale which reflects exclusively quantification of the risk of obligor default for these exposures. These institutions shall have for these exposures at least four grades for non-defaulted obligors and at least one grade for defaulted obligors.

3. The structure of rating systems for retail exposures shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) rating systems shall reflect both obligor and transaction risk, and shall capture all relevant obligor and transaction characteristics;

(b) the level of risk differentiation shall ensure that the number of exposures in a given grade or pool is sufficient to allow for meaningful quantification and validation of the loss characteristics at the grade or pool level. The distribution of exposures and obligors across grades or pools shall be such as to avoid excessive concentrations;

(c) the process of assigning exposures to grades or pools shall provide for a meaningful differentiation of risk, for a grouping of sufficiently homogenous exposures, and shall allow for accurate and consistent estimation of loss characteristics at grade or pool level. For purchased receivables the grouping shall reflect the seller's underwriting practices and the heterogeneity of its customers.

4. Institutions shall consider the following risk drivers when assigning exposures to grades or pools:

(a) obligor risk characteristics;

(b) transaction risk characteristics, including product or collateral types or both. Institutions shall explicitly address cases where several exposures benefit from the same collateral;

(c) delinquency, except where an institution demonstrates to the satisfaction of its competent authority that delinquency is not a material driver of risk for the exposure.

Article 171 U.K. Assignment to grades or pools

1. An institution shall have specific definitions, processes and criteria for assigning exposures to grades or pools within a rating system that comply with the following requirements:

(a) the grade or pool definitions and criteria shall be sufficiently detailed to allow those charged with assigning ratings to consistently assign obligors or facilities posing similar risk to the same grade or pool. This consistency shall exist across lines of business, departments and geographic locations;

(b) the documentation of the rating process shall allow third parties to understand the assignments of exposures to grades or pools, to replicate grade and pool assignments and to evaluate the appropriateness of the assignments to a grade or a pool;

(c) the criteria shall also be consistent with the institution's internal lending standards and its policies for handling troubled obligors and facilities.

2. An institution shall take all relevant information into account in assigning obligors and facilities to grades or pools. Information shall be current and shall enable the institution to forecast the future performance of the exposure. The less information an institution has, the more conservative shall be its assignments of exposures to obligor and facility grades or pools. If an institution uses an external rating as a primary factor determining an internal rating assignment, the institution shall ensure that it considers other relevant information.

Article 172 U.K. Assignment of exposures

1. For exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks, and for equity exposures where an institution uses the PD/LGD approach set out in Article 155(3), assignment of exposures shall be carried out in accordance with the following criteria:

(a) each obligor shall be assigned to an obligor grade as part of the credit approval process;

(b) for those exposures for which an institution has received the permission of the competent authority to use own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors pursuant to Article 143, each exposure shall also be assigned to a facility grade as part of the credit approval process;

(c) institutions using the methods set out in Article 153(5) for assigning risk weights for specialised lending exposures shall assign each of these exposures to a grade in accordance with Article 170(2);

(d) each separate legal entity to which the institution is exposed shall be separately rated. An institution shall have appropriate policies regarding the treatment of individual obligor clients and groups of connected clients;

(e) separate exposures to the same obligor shall be assigned to the same obligor grade, irrespective of any differences in the nature of each specific transaction. However, where separate exposures are allowed to result in multiple grades for the same obligor, the following shall apply:

(i)

country transfer risk, this being dependent on whether the exposures are denominated in local or foreign currency;

(ii)

the treatment of associated guarantees to an exposure may be reflected in an adjusted assignment to an obligor grade;

(iii)

consumer protection, bank secrecy or other legislation prohibit the exchange of client data.

2. For retail exposures, each exposure shall be assigned to a grade or a pool as part of the credit approval process.

3. For grade and pool assignments institutions shall document the situations in which human judgement may override the inputs or outputs of the assignment process and the personnel responsible for approving these overrides. Institutions shall document these overrides and note down the personnel responsible. Institutions shall analyse the performance of the exposures whose assignments have been overridden. This analysis shall include an assessment of the performance of exposures whose rating has been overridden by a particular person, accounting for all the responsible personnel.

Article 173U.K. Integrity of assignment process

1.For exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks, and for equity exposures where an institution uses the PD/LGD approach set out in Article 155(3), the assignment process shall meet the following requirements of integrity:

(a)Assignments and periodic reviews of assignments shall be completed or approved by an independent party that does not directly benefit from decisions to extend the credit;

(b)Institutions shall review assignments at least annually and adjust the assignment where the result of the review does not justify carrying forward the current assignment. High risk obligors and problem exposures shall be subject to more frequent review. Institutions shall undertake a new assignment if material information on the obligor or exposure becomes available;

(c)An institution shall have an effective process to obtain and update relevant information on obligor characteristics that affect PDs, and on transaction characteristics that affect LGDs or conversion factors.

2.For retail exposures, an institution shall at least annually review obligor and facility assignments and adjust the assignment where the result of the review does not justify carrying forward the current assignment, or review the loss characteristics and delinquency status of each identified risk pool, whichever applicable. An institution shall also at least annually review in a representative sample the status of individual exposures within each pool as a means of ensuring that exposures continue to be assigned to the correct pool, and adjust the assignment where the result of the review does not justify carrying forward the current assignment.

3.[F151The [F152PRA may] make technical standards] for the methodologies [F153it may use] to assess the integrity of the assignment process and the regular and independent assessment of risks.

F154...

Textual Amendments

Article 174 U.K. Use of models

If an institution uses statistical models and other mechanical methods to assign exposures to obligors or facilities grades or pools, the following requirements shall be met:

(a)

the model shall have good predictive power and capital requirements shall not be distorted as a result of its use. The input variables shall form a reasonable and effective basis for the resulting predictions. The model shall not have material biases;

(b)

the institution shall have in place a process for vetting data inputs into the model, which includes an assessment of the accuracy, completeness and appropriateness of the data;

(c)

the data used to build the model shall be representative of the population of the institution's actual obligors or exposures;

(d)

the institution shall have a regular cycle of model validation that includes monitoring of model performance and stability; review of model specification; and testing of model outputs against outcomes;

(e)

the institution shall complement the statistical model by human judgement and human oversight to review model-based assignments and to ensure that the models are used appropriately. Review procedures shall aim at finding and limiting errors associated with model weaknesses. Human judgements shall take into account all relevant information not considered by the model. The institution shall document how human judgement and model results are to be combined.

Article 175 U.K. Documentation of rating systems

1. The institutions shall document the design and operational details of its rating systems. The documentation shall provide evidence of compliance with the requirements in this Section, and address topics including portfolio differentiation, rating criteria, responsibilities of parties that rate obligors and exposures, frequency of assignment reviews, and management oversight of the rating process.

2. The institution shall document the rationale for and analysis supporting its choice of rating criteria. An institution shall document all major changes in the risk rating process, and such documentation shall support identification of changes made to the risk rating process subsequent to the last review by the competent authorities. The organisation of rating assignment including the rating assignment process and the internal control structure shall also be documented.

3. The institutions shall document the specific definitions of default and loss used internally and ensure consistency with the definitions set out in this Regulation.

4. Where the institution employs statistical models in the rating process, the institution shall document their methodologies. This material shall:

(a) provide a detailed outline of the theory, assumptions and mathematical and empirical basis of the assignment of estimates to grades, individual obligors, exposures, or pools, and the data source(s) used to estimate the model;

(b) establish a rigorous statistical process including out-of-time and out-of-sample performance tests for validating the model;

(c) indicate any circumstances under which the model does not work effectively.

5. An institution shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the requirements of this Article are met, where an institution has obtained a rating system, or model used within a rating system, from a third-party vendor and that vendor refuses or restricts the access of the institution to information pertaining to the methodology of that rating system or model, or underlying data used to develop that methodology or model, on the basis that such information is proprietary.

Article 176U.K. Data maintenance

1.Institutions shall collect and store data on aspects of their internal ratings as required under [F155the Disclosure (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook].

2.For exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks, and for equity exposures where an institution uses the PD/LGD approach set out in Article 155(3), institutions shall collect and store:

(a)complete rating histories on obligors and recognised guarantors;

(b)the dates the ratings were assigned;

(c)the key data and methodology used to derive the rating;

(d)the person responsible for the rating assignment;

(e)the identity of obligors and exposures that defaulted;

(f)the date and circumstances of such defaults;

(g)data on the PDs and realised default rates associated with rating grades and ratings migration.

3.Institutions not using own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors shall collect and store data on comparisons of realised LGDs to the values as set out in Article 161(1) and realised conversion factors to the values as set out in Article 166(8).

4.Institutions using own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors shall collect and store:

(a)complete histories of data on the facility ratings and LGD and conversion factor estimates associated with each rating scale;

(b)the dates on which the ratings were assigned and the estimates were made;

(c)the key data and methodology used to derive the facility ratings and LGD and conversion factor estimates;

(d)the person who assigned the facility rating and the person who provided LGD and conversion factor estimates;

(e)data on the estimated and realised LGDs and conversion factors associated with each defaulted exposure;

(f)data on the LGD of the exposure before and after evaluation of the effects of a guarantee/or credit derivative, for those institutions that reflect the credit risk mitigating effects of guarantees or credit derivatives through LGD;

(g)data on the components of loss for each defaulted exposure.

5.For retail exposures, institutions shall collect and store:

(a)data used in the process of allocating exposures to grades or pools;

(b)data on the estimated PDs, LGDs and conversion factors associated with grades or pools of exposures;

(c)the identity of obligors and exposures that defaulted;

(d)for defaulted exposures, data on the grades or pools to which the exposure was assigned over the year prior to default and the realised outcomes on LGD and conversion factor;

(e)data on loss rates for qualifying revolving retail exposures.

Textual Amendments

Article 177 U.K. Stress tests used in assessment of capital adequacy

1. An institution shall have in place sound stress testing processes for use in the assessment of its capital adequacy. Stress testing shall involve identifying possible events or future changes in economic conditions that could have unfavourable effects on an institution's credit exposures and assessment of the institution's ability to withstand such changes.

2. An institution shall regularly perform a credit risk stress test to assess the effect of certain specific conditions on its total capital requirements for credit risk. The test shall be one chosen by the institution, subject to supervisory review. The test to be employed shall be meaningful and consider the effects of severe, but plausible, recession scenarios. An institution shall assess migration in its ratings under the stress test scenarios. Stressed portfolios shall contain the vast majority of an institution's total exposure.

3. Institutions using the treatment set out in Article 153(3) shall consider as part of their stress testing framework the impact of a deterioration in the credit quality of protection providers, in particular the impact of protection providers falling outside the eligibility criteria.

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Risk quantification
Article 178U.K. Default of an obligor

1.A default shall be considered to have occurred with regard to a particular obligor when either or both of the following have taken place:

(a)the institution considers that the obligor is unlikely to pay its credit obligations to the institution, the parent undertaking or any of its subsidiaries in full, without recourse by the institution to actions such as realising security;

[F10(b)the obligor is more than 90 days past due on any material credit obligation to the institution, the parent undertaking or any of its subsidiaries. Competent authorities may replace the 90 days with 180 days for exposures secured by residential property or SME commercial immovable property in the retail exposure class, as well as exposures to public sector entities. The 180 days shall not apply for the purposes of point (m) Article 36(1) or Article 127.]

In the case of retail exposures, institutions may apply the definition of default laid down in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph at the level of an individual credit facility rather than in relation to the total obligations of a borrower.

2.The following shall apply for the purposes of point (b) of paragraph 1:

(a)for overdrafts, days past due commence once an obligor has breached an advised limit, has been advised a limit smaller than current outstandings, or has drawn credit without authorisation and the underlying amount is material;

(b)for the purposes of point (a), an advised limit comprises any credit limit determined by the institution and about which the obligor has been informed by the institution;

(c)days past due for credit cards commence on the minimum payment due date;

(d)materiality of a credit obligation past due shall be assessed against a threshold, defined by the competent authorities. This threshold shall reflect a level of risk that the competent authority considers to be reasonable;

(e)institutions shall have documented policies in respect of the counting of days past due, in particular in respect of the re-ageing of the facilities and the granting of extensions, amendments or deferrals, renewals, and netting of existing accounts. These policies shall be applied consistently over time, and shall be in line with the internal risk management and decision processes of the institution.

3.For the purpose of point (a) of paragraph 1, elements to be taken as indications of unlikeliness to pay shall include the following:

(a)the institution puts the credit obligation on non-accrued status;

(b)the institution recognises a specific credit adjustment resulting from a significant perceived decline in credit quality subsequent to the institution taking on the exposure;

(c)the institution sells the credit obligation at a material credit-related economic loss;

(d)the institution consents to a distressed restructuring of the credit obligation where this is likely to result in a diminished financial obligation caused by the material forgiveness, or postponement, of principal, interest or, where relevant fees. This includes, in the case of equity exposures assessed under a PD/LGD Approach, distressed restructuring of the equity itself;

(e)the institution has filed for the obligor's bankruptcy or a similar order in respect of an obligor's credit obligation to the institution, the parent undertaking or any of its subsidiaries;

(f)the obligor has sought or has been placed in bankruptcy or similar protection where this would avoid or delay repayment of a credit obligation to the institution, the parent undertaking or any of its subsidiaries.

4.Institutions that use external data that is not itself consistent with the definition of default laid down in paragraph 1, shall make appropriate adjustments to achieve broad equivalence with the definition of default.

5.If the institution considers that a previously defaulted exposure is such that no trigger of default continues to apply, the institution shall rate the obligor or facility as they would for a non-defaulted exposure. Where the definition of default is subsequently triggered, another default would be deemed to have occurred.

6.[F156The [F157PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the conditions according to which a [F158it] shall set the threshold referred to in paragraph 2(d).

F159...

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Textual Amendments

Article 179 U.K. Overall requirements for estimation

1. In quantifying the risk parameters to be associated with rating grades or pools, institutions shall apply the following requirements:

(a) an institution's own estimates of the risk parameters PD, LGD, conversion factor and EL shall incorporate all relevant data, information and methods. The estimates shall be derived using both historical experience and empirical evidence, and not based purely on judgemental considerations. The estimates shall be plausible and intuitive and shall be based on the material drivers of the respective risk parameters. The less data an institution has, the more conservative it shall be in its estimation;

(b) an institution shall be able to provide a breakdown of its loss experience in terms of default frequency, LGD, conversion factor, or loss where EL estimates are used, by the factors it sees as the drivers of the respective risk parameters. The institution's estimates shall be representative of long run experience;

(c) any changes in lending practice or the process for pursuing recoveries over the observation periods referred to in Article 180(1)(h) and (2)(e), Article 181(1)(j) and (2), and Article 182(2) and (3) shall be taken into account. An institution's estimates shall reflect the implications of technical advances and new data and other information, as it becomes available. Institutions shall review their estimates when new information comes to light but at least on an annual basis;

(d) the population of exposures represented in the data used for estimation, the lending standards used when the data was generated and other relevant characteristics shall be comparable with those of the institution's exposures and standards. The economic or market conditions that underlie the data shall be relevant to current and foreseeable conditions. The number of exposures in the sample and the data period used for quantification shall be sufficient to provide the institution with confidence in the accuracy and robustness of its estimates;

(e) for purchased receivables the estimates shall reflect all relevant information available to the purchasing institution regarding the quality of the underlying receivables, including data for similar pools provided by the seller, by the purchasing institution, or by external sources. The purchasing institution shall evaluate any data relied upon which is provided by the seller;

(f) an institution shall add to its estimates a margin of conservatism that is related to the expected range of estimation errors. Where methods and data are considered to be less satisfactory, the expected range of errors is larger, the margin of conservatism shall be larger.

Where institutions use different estimates for the calculation of risk weights and for internal purposes, it shall be documented and be reasonable. If institutions can demonstrate to their competent authorities that for data that have been collected prior to 1 January 2007 appropriate adjustments have been made to achieve broad equivalence with the definition of default laid down in Article 178 or with loss, competent authorities may permit the institutions some flexibility in the application of the required standards for data.

2. Where an institution uses data that is pooled across institutions it shall meet the following requirements:

(a) the rating systems and criteria of other institutions in the pool are similar to its own;

(b) the pool is representative of the portfolio for which the pooled data is used;

(c) the pooled data is used consistently over time by the institution for its estimates;

(d) the institution shall remain responsible for the integrity of its rating systems;

(e) the institution shall maintain sufficient in-house understanding of its rating systems, including the ability to effectively monitor and audit the rating process.

Article 180U.K. Requirements specific to PD estimation

1.In quantifying the risk parameters to be associated with rating grades or pools, institutions shall apply the following requirements specific to PD estimation to exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks and for equity exposures where an institution uses the PD/LGD approach set out in Article 155(3):

(a)institutions shall estimate PDs by obligor grade from long run averages of one-year default rates. PD estimates for obligors that are highly leveraged or for obligors whose assets are predominantly traded assets shall reflect the performance of the underlying assets based on periods of stressed volatilities;

(b)for purchased corporate receivables institutions may estimate the EL by obligor grade from long run averages of one-year realised default rates;

(c)if an institution derives long run average estimates of PDs and LGDs for purchased corporate receivables from an estimate of EL, and an appropriate estimate of PD or LGD, the process for estimating total losses shall meet the overall standards for estimation of PD and LGD set out in this part, and the outcome shall be consistent with the concept of LGD as set out in Article 181(1)(a);

(d)institutions shall use PD estimation techniques only with supporting analysis. Institutions shall recognise the importance of judgmental considerations in combining results of techniques and in making adjustments for limitations of techniques and information;

(e)to the extent that an institution uses data on internal default experience for the estimation of PDs, the estimates shall be reflective of underwriting standards and of any differences in the rating system that generated the data and the current rating system. Where underwriting standards or rating systems have changed, the institution shall add a greater margin of conservatism in its estimate of PD;

(f)to the extent that an institution associates or maps its internal grades to the scale used by an ECAI or similar organisations and then attributes the default rate observed for the external organisation's grades to the institution's grades, mappings shall be based on a comparison of internal rating criteria to the criteria used by the external organisation and on a comparison of the internal and external ratings of any common obligors. Biases or inconsistencies in the mapping approach or underlying data shall be avoided. The criteria of the external organisation underlying the data used for quantification shall be oriented to default risk only and not reflect transaction characteristics. The analysis undertaken by the institution shall include a comparison of the default definitions used, subject to the requirements in Article 178. The institution shall document the basis for the mapping;

(g)to the extent that an institution uses statistical default prediction models it is allowed to estimate PDs as the simple average of default-probability estimates for individual obligors in a given grade. The institution's use of default probability models for this purpose shall meet the standards specified in Article 174;

(h)irrespective of whether an institution is using external, internal, or pooled data sources, or a combination of the three, for its PD estimation, the length of the underlying historical observation period used shall be at least five years for at least one source. If the available observation period spans a longer period for any source, and this data is relevant, this longer period shall be used. This point also applies to the PD/LGD Approach to equity. Subject to the permission of competent authorities, institutions which have not received the permission of the competent authority pursuant to Article 143 to use own estimates of LGDs or conversion factors may use, when they implement the IRB Approach, relevant data covering a period of two years. The period to be covered shall increase by one year each year until relevant data cover a period of five years.

2.For retail exposures, the following requirements shall apply:

(a)institutions shall estimate PDs by obligor grade or pool from long run averages of one-year default rates;

(b)PD estimates may also be derived from an estimate of total losses and appropriate estimates of LGDs;

(c)institutions shall regard internal data for assigning exposures to grades or pools as the primary source of information for estimating loss characteristics. Institutions may use external data (including pooled data) or statistical models for quantification provided that the following strong links both exist:

(i)

between the institution's process of assigning exposures to grades or pools and the process used by the external data source; and

(ii)

between the institution's internal risk profile and the composition of the external data;

(d)if an institution derives long run average estimates of PD and LGD for retail exposures from an estimate of total losses and an appropriate estimate of PD or LGD, the process for estimating total losses shall meet the overall standards for estimation of PD and LGD set out in this part, and the outcome shall be consistent with the concept of LGD as set out in point (a) of Article 181(1);

(e)irrespective of whether an institution is using external, internal or pooled data sources or a combination of the three, for their estimation of loss characteristics, the length of the underlying historical observation period used shall be at least five years for at least one source. If the available observation spans a longer period for any source, and these data are relevant, this longer period shall be used. An institution need not give equal importance to historic data if more recent data is a better predictor of loss rates. Subject to the permission of the competent authorities, institutions may use, when they implement the IRB Approach, relevant data covering a period of two years. The period to be covered shall increase by one year each year until relevant data cover a period of five years;

(f)institutions shall identify and analyse expected changes of risk parameters over the life of credit exposures (seasoning effects).

For purchased retail receivables, institutions may use external and internal reference data. Institutions shall use all relevant data sources as points of comparison.

3.[F161The [F162PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the following:

(a)the conditions according to which [F163it] may grant the permissions referred to in point (h) of paragraph 1 and point (e) of paragraph 2;

(b)the methodologies according to which [F163it] shall assess the methodology of an institution for estimating PD pursuant to Article 143.

F164...

Textual Amendments

Article 181U.K. Requirements specific to own-LGD estimates

1.In quantifying the risk parameters to be associated with rating grades or pools, institutions shall apply the following requirements specific to own-LGD estimates:

(a)institutions shall estimate LGDs by facility grade or pool on the basis of the average realised LGDs by facility grade or pool using all observed defaults within the data sources (default weighted average);

(b)institutions shall use LGD estimates that are appropriate for an economic downturn if those are more conservative than the long-run average. To the extent a rating system is expected to deliver realised LGDs at a constant level by grade or pool over time, institutions shall make adjustments to their estimates of risk parameters by grade or pool to limit the capital impact of an economic downturn;

(c)an institution shall consider the extent of any dependence between the risk of the obligor and that of the collateral or collateral provider. Cases where there is a significant degree of dependence shall be addressed in a conservative manner;

(d)currency mismatches between the underlying obligation and the collateral shall be treated conservatively in the institution's assessment of LGD;

(e)to the extent that LGD estimates take into account the existence of collateral, these estimates shall not solely be based on the collateral's estimated market value. LGD estimates shall take into account the effect of the potential inability of institutions to expeditiously gain control of their collateral and liquidate it;

(f)to the extent that LGD estimates take into account the existence of collateral, institutions shall establish internal requirements for collateral management, legal certainty and risk management that are generally consistent with those set out in Chapter 4, Section 3;

(g)to the extent that an institution recognises collateral for determining the exposure value for counterparty credit risk in accordance with [F165Chapter 6, Section 6 of this Regulation or Section 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook], any amount expected to be recovered from the collateral shall not be taken into account in the LGD estimates;

(h)for the specific case of exposures already in default, the institution shall use the sum of its best estimate of expected loss for each exposure given current economic circumstances and exposure status and its estimate of the increase of loss rate caused by possible additional unexpected losses during the recovery period, i.e. between date of default and final liquidation of the exposure;

(i)to the extent that unpaid late fees have been capitalised in the institution's income statement, they shall be added to the institution's measure of exposure and loss;

(j)for exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks, estimates of LGD shall be based on data over a minimum of five years, increasing by one year each year after implementation until a minimum of seven years is reached, for at least one data source. If the available observation period spans a longer period for any source, and the data is relevant, this longer period shall be used.

2.For retail exposures, institutions may do the following:

(a)derive LGD estimates from realised losses and appropriate estimates of PDs;

(b)reflect future drawings either in their conversion factors or in their LGD estimates;

(c)For purchased retail receivables use external and internal reference data to estimate LGDs.

For retail exposures, estimates of LGD shall be based on data over a minimum of five years. An institution need not give equal importance to historic data if more recent data is a better predictor of loss rates. Subject to the permission of the competent authorities, institutions may use, when they implement the IRB Approach, relevant data covering a period of two years. The period to be covered shall increase by one year each year until relevant data cover a period of five years.

3.[F166The [F167PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the following:

(a)the nature, severity and duration of an economic downturn referred to in paragraph 1;

(b)the conditions according to which a [F168it] may permit an institution pursuant to paragraph 2 to use relevant data covering a period of two years when the institution implements the IRB Approach.

F169...

Textual Amendments

Article 182U.K. Requirements specific to own-conversion factor estimates

1.In quantifying the risk parameters to be associated with rating grades or pools, institutions shall apply the following requirements specific to own-conversion factor estimates:

(a)institutions shall estimate conversion factors by facility grade or pool on the basis of the average realised conversion factors by facility grade or pool using the default weighted average resulting from all observed defaults within the data sources;

(b)institutions shall use conversion factor estimates that are appropriate for an economic downturn if those are more conservative than the long-run average. To the extent a rating system is expected to deliver realised conversion factors at a constant level by grade or pool over time, institutions shall make adjustments to their estimates of risk parameters by grade or pool to limit the capital impact of an economic downturn;

(c)institutions' estimates of conversion factors shall reflect the possibility of additional drawings by the obligor up to and after the time a default event is triggered. The conversion factor estimate shall incorporate a larger margin of conservatism where a stronger positive correlation can reasonably be expected between the default frequency and the magnitude of conversion factor;

(d)in arriving at estimates of conversion factors institutions shall consider their specific policies and strategies adopted in respect of account monitoring and payment processing. Institutions shall also consider their ability and willingness to prevent further drawings in circumstances short of payment default, such as covenant violations or other technical default events;

(e)institutions shall have adequate systems and procedures in place to monitor facility amounts, current outstandings against committed lines and changes in outstandings per obligor and per grade. The institution shall be able to monitor outstanding balances on a daily basis;

(f)if institutions use different estimates of conversion factors for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and internal purposes it shall be documented and be reasonable.

2.For exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks, estimates of conversion factors shall be based on data over a minimum of five years, increasing by one year each year after implementation until a minimum of seven years is reached, for at least one data source. If the available observation period spans a longer period for any source, and the data is relevant, this longer period shall be used.

3.For retail exposures, institutions may reflect future drawings either in their conversion factors or in their LGD estimates.

For retail exposures, estimates of conversion factors shall be based on data over a minimum of five years. By way of derogation from point (a) of paragraph 1, an institution need not give equal importance to historic data if more recent data is a better predictor of draw downs. Subject to the permission of competent authorities, institutions may use, when they implement the IRB Approach, relevant data covering a period of two years. The period to be covered shall increase by one year each year until relevant data cover a period of five years.

4.[F170The [F171PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the following:

(a)the nature, severity and duration of an economic downturn referred to in paragraph 1;

(b)conditions according to which a [F172it] may permit and institution to use relevant data covering a period of two years at the time an institution first implements the IRB Approach.

F173...

Textual Amendments

Article 183U.K. Requirements for assessing the effect of guarantees and credit derivatives for exposures to corporates, institutions and central governments and central banks where own estimates of LGD are used and for retail exposures

1.The following requirements shall apply in relation to eligible guarantors and guarantees:

(a)institutions shall have clearly specified criteria for the types of guarantors they recognise for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts;

(b)for recognised guarantors the same rules as for obligors as set out in Articles 171, 172 and 173 shall apply;

(c)the guarantee shall be evidenced in writing, non-cancellable on the part of the guarantor, in force until the obligation is satisfied in full (to the extent of the amount and tenor of the guarantee) and legally enforceable against the guarantor in a jurisdiction where the guarantor has assets to attach and enforce a judgement. Conditional guarantees prescribing conditions under which the guarantor may not be obliged to perform may be recognised subject to permission of the competent authorities. The assignment criteria shall adequately address any potential reduction in the risk mitigation effect.

2.An institution shall have clearly specified criteria for adjusting grades, pools or LGD estimates, and, in the case of retail and eligible purchased receivables, the process of allocating exposures to grades or pools, to reflect the impact of guarantees for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts. These criteria shall comply with the requirements set out in Articles 171, 172 and 173.

The criteria shall be plausible and intuitive. They shall address the guarantor's ability and willingness to perform under the guarantee, the likely timing of any payments from the guarantor, the degree to which the guarantor's ability to perform under the guarantee is correlated with the obligor's ability to repay, and the extent to which residual risk to the obligor remains.

3.The requirements for guarantees in this Article shall apply also for single-name credit derivatives. In relation to a mismatch between the underlying obligation and the reference obligation of the credit derivative or the obligation used for determining whether a credit event has occurred, the requirements set out under Article 216(2) shall apply. For retail exposures and eligible purchased receivables, this paragraph applies to the process of allocating exposures to grades or pools.

The criteria shall address the payout structure of the credit derivative and conservatively assess the impact this has on the level and timing of recoveries. The institution shall consider the extent to which other forms of residual risk remain.

4.The requirements set out in paragraphs 1 to 3 shall not apply for guarantees provided by institutions, central governments and central banks, and corporate entities which meet the requirements laid down in Article 201(1)(g) if the institution has received permission to apply the Standardised Approach for exposures to such entities pursuant to Articles 148 and 150. In this case the requirements of Chapter 4 shall apply.

5.For retail guarantees, the requirements set out in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall also apply to the assignment of exposures to grades or pools, and the estimation of PD.

6.[F174The [F175PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the conditions according to which [F176it] may permit conditional guarantees to be recognised.

F177...

Textual Amendments

Article 184 U.K. Requirements for purchased receivables

1. In quantifying the risk parameters to be associated with rating grades or pools for purchased receivables, institutions shall ensure the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 to 6 are met.

2. The structure of the facility shall ensure that under all foreseeable circumstances the institution has effective ownership and control of all cash remittances from the receivables. When the obligor makes payments directly to a seller or servicer, the institution shall verify regularly that payments are forwarded completely and within the contractually agreed terms. Institutions shall have procedures to ensure that ownership over the receivables and cash receipts is protected against bankruptcy stays or legal challenges that could materially delay the lender's ability to liquidate or assign the receivables or retain control over cash receipts.

3. The institution shall monitor both the quality of the purchased receivables and the financial condition of the seller and servicer. The following shall apply:

(a) the institution shall assess the correlation among the quality of the purchased receivables and the financial condition of both the seller and servicer, and have in place internal policies and procedures that provide adequate safeguards to protect against any contingencies, including the assignment of an internal risk rating for each seller and servicer;

(b) the institution shall have clear and effective policies and procedures for determining seller and servicer eligibility. The institution or its agent shall conduct periodic reviews of sellers and servicers in order to verify the accuracy of reports from the seller or servicer, detect fraud or operational weaknesses, and verify the quality of the seller's credit policies and servicer's collection policies and procedures. The findings of these reviews shall be documented;

(c) the institution shall assess the characteristics of the purchased receivables pools, including over-advances; history of the seller's arrears, bad debts, and bad debt allowances; payment terms, and potential contra accounts;

(d) the institution shall have effective policies and procedures for monitoring on an aggregate basis single-obligor concentrations both within and across purchased receivables pools;

(e) the institution shall ensure that it receives from the servicer timely and sufficiently detailed reports of receivables ageings and dilutions to ensure compliance with the institution's eligibility criteria and advancing policies governing purchased receivables, and provide an effective means with which to monitor and confirm the seller's terms of sale and dilution.

4. The institution shall have systems and procedures for detecting deteriorations in the seller's financial condition and purchased receivables quality at an early stage, and for addressing emerging problems pro-actively. In particular, the institution shall have clear and effective policies, procedures, and information systems to monitor covenant violations, and clear and effective policies and procedures for initiating legal actions and dealing with problem purchased receivables.

5. The institution shall have clear and effective policies and procedures governing the control of purchased receivables, credit, and cash. In particular, written internal policies shall specify all material elements of the receivables purchase programme, including the advancing rates, eligible collateral, necessary documentation, concentration limits, and the way cash receipts are to be handled. These elements shall take appropriate account of all relevant and material factors, including the seller and servicer's financial condition, risk concentrations, and trends in the quality of the purchased receivables and the seller's customer base, and internal systems shall ensure that funds are advanced only against specified supporting collateral and documentation.

6. The institution shall have an effective internal process for assessing compliance with all internal policies and procedures. The process shall include regular audits of all critical phases of the institution's receivables purchase programme, verification of the separation of duties between firstly the assessment of the seller and servicer and the assessment of the obligor and secondly between the assessment of the seller and servicer and the field audit of the seller and servicer, and evaluations of back office operations, with particular focus on qualifications, experience, staffing levels, and supporting automation systems.

Sub-Section 3 U.K. Validation of internal estimates
Article 185 U.K. Validation of internal estimates

Institutions shall validate their internal estimates subject to the following requirements:

(a)

institutions shall have robust systems in place to validate the accuracy and consistency of rating systems, processes, and the estimation of all relevant risk parameters. The internal validation process shall enable the institution to assess the performance of internal rating and risk estimation systems consistently and meaningfully;

(b)

institutions shall regularly compare realised default rates with estimated PDs for each grade and, where realised default rates are outside the expected range for that grade, institutions shall specifically analyse the reasons for the deviation. Institutions using own estimates of LGDs and conversion factors shall also perform analogous analysis for these estimates. Such comparisons shall make use of historical data that cover as long a period as possible. The institution shall document the methods and data used in such comparisons. This analysis and documentation shall be updated at least annually;

(c)

institutions shall also use other quantitative validation tools and comparisons with relevant external data sources. The analysis shall be based on data that are appropriate to the portfolio, are updated regularly, and cover a relevant observation period. Institutions' internal assessments of the performance of their rating systems shall be based on as long a period as possible;

(d)

the methods and data used for quantitative validation shall be consistent through time. Changes in estimation and validation methods and data (both data sources and periods covered) shall be documented;

(e)

institutions shall have sound internal standards for situations where deviations in realised PDs, LGDs, conversion factors and total losses, where EL is used, from expectations, become significant enough to call the validity of the estimates into question. These standards shall take account of business cycles and similar systematic variability in default experience. Where realised values continue to be higher than expected values, institutions shall revise estimates upward to reflect their default and loss experience;

Sub-Section 4 U.K. Requirements for equity exposures under the internal models approach
Article 186 U.K. Own funds requirement and risk quantification

For the purpose of calculating own funds requirements institutions shall meet the following standards:

(a)

the estimate of potential loss shall be robust to adverse market movements relevant to the long-term risk profile of the institution's specific holdings. The data used to represent return distributions shall reflect the longest sample period for which data is available and meaningful in representing the risk profile of the institution's specific equity exposures. The data used shall be sufficient to provide conservative, statistically reliable and robust loss estimates that are not based purely on subjective or judgmental considerations. The shock employed shall provide a conservative estimate of potential losses over a relevant long-term market or business cycle. The institution shall combine empirical analysis of available data with adjustments based on a variety of factors in order to attain model outputs that achieve appropriate realism and conservatism. In constructing value at risk (VaR) models estimating potential quarterly losses, institutions may use quarterly data or convert shorter horizon period data to a quarterly equivalent using an analytically appropriate method supported by empirical evidence and through a well-developed and documented thought process and analysis. Such an approach shall be applied conservatively and consistently over time. Where only limited relevant data is available the institution shall add appropriate margins of conservatism;

(b)

the models used shall capture adequately all of the material risks embodied in equity returns including both the general market risk and specific risk exposure of the institution's equity portfolio. The internal models shall adequately explain historical price variation, capture both the magnitude and changes in the composition of potential concentrations, and be robust to adverse market environments. The population of risk exposures represented in the data used for estimation shall be closely matched to or at least comparable with those of the institution's equity exposures;

(c)

the internal model shall be appropriate for the risk profile and complexity of an institution's equity portfolio. Where an institution has material holdings with values that are highly non-linear in nature the internal models shall be designed to capture appropriately the risks associated with such instruments;

(d)

mapping of individual positions to proxies, market indices, and risk factors shall be plausible, intuitive, and conceptually sound;

(e)

institutions shall demonstrate through empirical analyses the appropriateness of risk factors, including their ability to cover both general and specific risk;

(f)

the estimates of the return volatility of equity exposures shall incorporate relevant and available data, information, and methods. Independently reviewed internal data or data from external sources including pooled data shall be used;

(g)

a rigorous and comprehensive stress-testing programme shall be in place.

Article 187 U.K. Risk management process and controls

With regard to the development and use of internal models for own funds requirement purposes, institutions shall establish policies, procedures, and controls to ensure the integrity of the model and modelling process. These policies, procedures, and controls shall include the following:

(a)

full integration of the internal model into the overall management information systems of the institution and in the management of the non-trading book equity portfolio. Internal models shall be fully integrated into the institution's risk management infrastructure if they are particularly used in measuring and assessing equity portfolio performance including the risk-adjusted performance, allocating economic capital to equity exposures and evaluating overall capital adequacy and the investment management process;

(b)

established management systems, procedures, and control functions for ensuring the periodic and independent review of all elements of the internal modelling process, including approval of model revisions, vetting of model inputs, and review of model results, such as direct verification of risk computations. These reviews shall assess the accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness of model inputs and results and focus on both finding and limiting potential errors associated with known weaknesses and identifying unknown model weaknesses. Such reviews may be conducted by an internal independent unit, or by an independent external third party;

(c)

adequate systems and procedures for monitoring investment limits and the risk exposures of equity exposures;

(d)

the units responsible for the design and application of the model shall be functionally independent from the units responsible for managing individual investments;

(e)

parties responsible for any aspect of the modelling process shall be adequately qualified. Management shall allocate sufficient skilled and competent resources to the modelling function.

Article 188 U.K. Validation and documentation

Institutions shall have robust systems in place to validate the accuracy and consistency of their internal models and modelling processes. All material elements of the internal models and the modelling process and validation shall be documented.

The validation and documentation of institutions' internal models and modelling processes shall be subject to the following requirements:

(a)

institutions shall use the internal validation process to assess the performance of its internal models and processes in a consistent and meaningful way;

(b)

the methods and data used for quantitative validation shall be consistent over time. Changes in estimation and validation methods and changes to data sources and periods covered, shall be documented;

(c)

institutions shall regularly compare actual equity returns computed using realised and unrealised gains and losses with modelled estimates. Such comparisons shall make use of historical data that cover as long a period as possible. The institution shall document the methods and data used in such comparisons. This analysis and documentation shall be updated at least annually;

(d)

institutions shall make use of other quantitative validation tools and comparisons with external data sources. The analysis shall be based on data that are appropriate to the portfolio, are updated regularly, and cover a relevant observation period. Institutions' internal assessments of the performance of their models shall be based on as long a period as possible;

(e)

institutions shall have sound internal standards for addressing situations where comparison of actual equity returns with the models estimates calls the validity of the estimates or of the models as such into question. These standards shall take account of business cycles and similar systematic variability in equity returns. All adjustments made to internal models in response to model reviews shall be documented and consistent with the institution's model review standards;

(f)

the internal model and the modelling process shall be documented, including the responsibilities of parties involved in the modelling, and the model approval and model review processes.

Sub-Section 5 U.K. Internal governance and oversight
Article 189 U.K. Corporate Governance

1. All material aspects of the rating and estimation processes shall be approved by the institution's management body or a designated committee thereof and senior management. These parties shall possess a general understanding of the rating systems of the institution and detailed comprehension of its associated management reports.

2. Senior management shall be subject to the following requirements:

(a) they shall provide notice to the management body or a designated committee thereof of material changes or exceptions from established policies that will materially impact the operations of the institution's rating systems;

(b) they shall have a good understanding of the rating systems designs and operations;

(c) they shall ensure, on an ongoing basis that the rating systems are operating properly.

Senior management shall be regularly informed by the credit risk control units about the performance of the rating process, areas needing improvement, and the status of efforts to improve previously identified deficiencies.

3. Internal ratings-based analysis of the institution's credit risk profile shall be an essential part of the management reporting to these parties. Reporting shall include at least risk profile by grade, migration across grades, estimation of the relevant parameters per grade, and comparison of realised default rates, and to the extent that own estimates are used of realised LGDs and realised conversion factors against expectations and stress-test results. Reporting frequencies shall depend on the significance and type of information and the level of the recipient.

Article 190 U.K. Credit risk control

1. The credit risk control unit shall be independent from the personnel and management functions responsible for originating or renewing exposures and report directly to senior management. The unit shall be responsible for the design or selection, implementation, oversight and performance of the rating systems. It shall regularly produce and analyse reports on the output of the rating systems.

2. The areas of responsibility for the credit risk control unit or units shall include:

(a) testing and monitoring grades and pools;

(b) production and analysis of summary reports of the institution's rating systems;

(c) implementing procedures to verify that grade and pool definitions are consistently applied across departments and geographic areas;

(d) reviewing and documenting any changes to the rating process, including the reasons for the changes;

(e) reviewing the rating criteria to evaluate if they remain predictive of risk. Changes to the rating process, criteria or individual rating parameters shall be documented and retained;

(f) active participation in the design or selection, implementation and validation of models used in the rating process;

(g) oversight and supervision of models used in the rating process;

(h) ongoing review and alterations to models used in the rating process.

3. Institutions using pooled data in accordance with Article 179(2) may outsource the following tasks:

(a) production of information relevant to testing and monitoring grades and pools;

(b) production of summary reports of the institution's rating systems;

(c) production of information relevant to a review of the rating criteria to evaluate if they remain predictive of risk;

(d) documentation of changes to the rating process, criteria or individual rating parameters;

(e) production of information relevant to ongoing review and alterations to models used in the rating process.

4. Institutions making use of paragraph 3 shall ensure that the competent authorities have access to all relevant information from the third party that is necessary for examining compliance with the requirements and that the competent authorities may perform on-site examinations to the same extent as within the institution.

Article 191 U.K. Internal Audit

Internal audit or another comparable independent auditing unit shall review at least annually the institution's rating systems and its operations, including the operations of the credit function and the estimation of PDs, LGDs, ELs and conversion factors. Areas of review shall include adherence to all applicable requirements.

CHAPTER 4 U.K. Credit risk mitigation

Section 1 U.K. Definitions and general requirements

Article 192 U.K. Definitions

[F1781.] For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply:

(1)

‘ lending institution ’ means the institution which has the exposure in question;

(2)

‘ secured lending transaction ’ means any transaction giving rise to an exposure secured by collateral which does not include a provision conferring upon the institution the right to receive margin at least daily;

(3)

‘ capital market-driven transaction ’ means any transaction giving rise to an exposure secured by collateral which includes a provision conferring upon the institution the right to receive margin at least daily;

(4)

‘ underlying CIU ’ means a CIU in the shares or units of which another CIU has invested.

[F1792.For the purposes of this Chapter, references to “institutions” as issuers or eligible credit providers shall also include undertakings established in third countries which would fall within the definition in Article 4 of this Regulation, if they were established in the United Kingdom.]

Textual Amendments

Article 193U.K. Principles for recognising the effect of credit risk mitigation techniques

1.No exposure in respect of which an institution obtains credit risk mitigation shall produce a higher risk-weighted exposure amount or expected loss amount than an otherwise identical exposure in respect of which an institution has no credit risk mitigation.

2.Where the risk-weighted exposure amount already takes account of credit protection under Chapter 2 or Chapter 3, as applicable, institutions shall not take into account that credit protection in the calculations under this Chapter.

3.Where the provisions in Sections 2 and 3 are met, institutions may amend the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach and the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach in accordance with the provisions of Sections 4, 5 and 6.

4.Institutions shall treat cash, securities or commodities purchased, borrowed or received under a repurchase transaction or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transaction as collateral.

5.Where an institution calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach has more than one form of credit risk mitigation covering a single exposure it shall do both of the following:

(a)subdivide the exposure into parts covered by each type of credit risk mitigation tool;

(b)calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount for each part obtained in point (a) separately in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2 [F180of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] and this Chapter.

6.When an institution calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach covers a single exposure with credit protection provided by a single protection provider and that protection has differing maturities, it shall do both of the following:

(a)subdivide the exposure into parts covered by each credit risk mitigation tool;

(b)calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount for each part obtained in point (a) separately in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2 [F181of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] and this Chapter.

Textual Amendments

Article 194U.K. Principles governing the eligibility of credit risk mitigation techniques

1.The technique used to provide the credit protection together with the actions and steps taken and procedures and policies implemented by the lending institution shall be such as to result in credit protection arrangements which are legally effective and enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions.

The lending institution shall provide, upon request of the competent authority, the most recent version of the independent, written and reasoned legal opinion or opinions that it used to establish whether its credit protection arrangement or arrangements meet the condition laid down in the first subparagraph.

2.The lending institution shall take all appropriate steps to ensure the effectiveness of the credit protection arrangement and to address the risks related to that arrangement.

3.Institutions may recognise funded credit protection in the calculation of the effect of credit risk mitigation only where the assets relied upon for protection meet both of the following conditions:

(a)they are included in the list of eligible assets set out in Articles 197 to 200, as applicable;

(b)they are sufficiently liquid and their value over time sufficiently stable to provide appropriate certainty as to the credit protection achieved having regard to the approach used to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and to the degree of recognition allowed.

4.Institutions may recognise funded credit protection in the calculation of the effect of credit risk mitigation only where the lending institution has the right to liquidate or retain, in a timely manner, the assets from which the protection derives in the event of the default, insolvency or bankruptcy — or other credit event set out in the transaction documentation — of the obligor and, where applicable, of the custodian holding the collateral. The degree of correlation between the value of the assets relied upon for protection and the credit quality of the obligor shall not be too high.

5.In the case of unfunded credit protection, a protection provider shall qualify as an eligible protection provider only where the protection provider is included in the list of eligible protection providers set out in Article 201 or 202, as applicable.

6.In the case of unfunded credit protection, a protection agreement shall qualify as an eligible protection agreement only where it meets both the following conditions:

(a)it is included in the list of eligible protection agreements set out in Articles 203 and 204(1);

(b)it is legally effective and enforceable in the relevant jurisdictions, to provide appropriate certainty as to the credit protection achieved having regard to the approach used to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and to the degree of recognition allowed;

(c)the protection provider meets the criteria laid down in paragraph 5.

7.Credit protection shall comply with the requirements set out in Section 3, as applicable.

8.An institution shall be able to demonstrate to competent authorities that it has adequate risk management processes to control those risks to which it may be exposed as a result of carrying out credit risk mitigation practices.

9.Notwithstanding the fact that credit risk mitigation has been taken into account for the purposes of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and, where applicable, expected loss amounts, institutions shall continue to undertake a full credit risk assessment of the underlying exposure and be in a position to demonstrate the fulfilment of this requirement to the competent authorities. In the case of repurchase transactions and securities lending or commodities lending or borrowing transactions the underlying exposure shall, for the purposes of this paragraph only, be deemed to be the net amount of the exposure.

10.[F182The [F183PRA may] make technical standards] to specify what constitutes sufficiently liquid assets and when asset values can be considered as sufficiently stable for the purpose of paragraph 3.

F184...

Textual Amendments

Section 2 U.K. Eligible forms of credit risk mitigation

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Funded credit protection
Article 195 U.K. On-balance sheet netting

An institution may use on-balance sheet netting of mutual claims between itself and its counterparty as an eligible form of credit risk mitigation.

Without prejudice to Article 196, eligibility is limited to reciprocal cash balances between the institution and the counterparty. Institutions may amend risk-weighted exposure amounts and, as relevant, expected loss amounts only for loans and deposits that they have received themselves and that are subject to an on-balance sheet netting agreement.

Article 196 U.K. Master netting agreements covering repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market-driven transactions

Institutions adopting the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method set out in Article 223 may take into account the effects of bilateral netting contracts covering repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, or other capital market-driven transactions with a counterparty. Without prejudice to Article 299, the collateral taken and securities or commodities borrowed within such agreements or transactions shall comply with the eligibility requirements for collateral set out in Articles 197 and 198.

Article 197U.K. Eligibility of collateral under all approaches and methods

1.Institutions may use the following items as eligible collateral under all approaches and methods:

(a)cash on deposit with, or cash assimilated instruments held by, the lending institution;

(b)debt securities issued by central governments or central banks, which securities have a credit assessment by an ECAI or export credit agency recognised as eligible for the purposes of Chapter 2 which has been determined by [F185the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 4 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to central governments and central banks under Chapter 2;

(c)debt securities issued by institutions [F186or investment firms], which securities have a credit assessment by an ECAI which has been determined by [F185the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to institutions under Chapter 2;

(d)debt securities issued by other entities which securities have a credit assessment by an ECAI which has been determined by [F185the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates under Chapter 2;

(e) debt securities with a short-term credit assessment by an ECAI which has been determined by [F185the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of short term exposures under Chapter 2;

(f)equities or convertible bonds that are included in a main index;

(g)gold;

[F6(h)securitisation positions that are not resecuritisation positions and which are subject to a 100 % risk weight or lower in accordance with Article 261 to Article 264.]

2.For the purposes of point (b) of paragraph 1, ‘ debt securities issued by central governments or central banks ’ shall include all the following:

(a)debt securities issued by regional governments or local authorities, exposures to which are treated as exposures to the central government in whose jurisdiction they are established under Article 115(2);

(b)debt securities issued by public sector entities which are treated as exposures to central governments in accordance with Article 116(4);

(c)debt securities issued by multilateral development banks to which a 0 % risk weight is assigned under Article 117(2);

(d)debt securities issued by international organisations which are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Article 118.

3.For the purposes of point (c) of paragraph 1, ‘ debt securities issued by institutions ’ shall include all the following:

(a)debt securities issued by regional governments or local authorities other than those debt securities referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2;

(b)debt securities issued by public sector entities, exposures to which are treated in accordance with Article 116(1) and (2);

(c)debt securities issued by multilateral development banks other than those to which a 0 % risk weight is assigned under Article 117(2).

4.An institution may use debt securities that are issued by other institutions [F187or investment firms] and that do not have a credit assessment by an ECAI as eligible collateral where those debt securities fulfil all the following criteria:

(a)they are listed on a recognised exchange;

(b)they qualify as senior debt;

(c)all other rated issues by the issuing institution of the same seniority have a credit assessment by an ECAI which has been determined by [F188the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above under the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to institutions or short term exposures under Chapter 2;

(d)the lending institution has no information to suggest that the issue would justify a credit assessment below that indicated in point (c);

(e)the market liquidity of the instrument is sufficient for these purposes.

5.Institutions may use units or shares in CIUs as eligible collateral where all the following conditions are satisfied:

(a)the units or shares have a daily public price quote;

(b)the CIUs are limited to investing in instruments that are eligible for recognition under paragraphs 1 and 4;

(c)the CIUs meet the conditions laid down in Article 132(3).

Where a CIU invests in shares or units of another CIU, conditions laid down in points (a) to (c) of the first subparagraph shall apply equally to any such underlying CIU.

The use by a CIU of derivative instruments to hedge permitted investments shall not prevent units or shares in that undertaking from being eligible as collateral.

6.For the purposes of paragraph 5, where a CIU ( ‘ the original CIU ’ ) or any of its underlying CIUs are not limited to investing in instruments that are eligible under paragraphs 1 and 4, institutions may use units or shares in that CIU as collateral to an amount equal to the value of the eligible assets held by that CIU under the assumption that that CIU or any of its underlying CIUs have invested in non-eligible assets to the maximum extent allowed under their respective mandates.

Where any underlying CIU has underlying CIUs of its own, institutions may use units or shares in the original CIU as eligible collateral provided that they apply the methodology laid down in the first subparagraph.

Where non-eligible assets can have a negative value due to liabilities or contingent liabilities resulting from ownership, institutions shall do both of the following:

(a)calculate the total value of the non-eligible assets;

(b)where the amount obtained under point (a) is negative, subtract the absolute value of that amount from the total value of the eligible assets.

7.With regard to points (b) to (e) of paragraph 1, where a security has two credit assessments by ECAIs, institutions shall apply the less favourable assessment. Where a security has more than two credit assessments by ECAIs, institutions shall apply the two most favourable assessments. Where the two most favourable credit assessments are different, institutions shall apply the less favourable of the two.

8.[F189The [F190PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the following:

(a)the main indices referred to in point (f) of paragraph 1 of this Article, in point (a) of Article 198(1), in Article 224(1) and (4), and in point (e) of Article 299(2);

(b)the recognised exchanges referred to in point (a) of paragraph 4 of this Article, in point (a) of Article 198(1), in Article 224(1) and (4), in point (e) of Article 299(2), F191... in point (c) of Article 428(1), and in point 12 of Annex III in accordance with the conditions laid down in point (72) of Article 4(1).

F192...

Textual Amendments

Article 198 U.K. Additional eligibility of collateral under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

1. In addition to the collateral established in Article 197, where an institution uses the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method set out in Article 223, that institution may use the following items as eligible collateral:

(a) equities or convertible bonds not included in a main index but traded on a recognised exchange;

(b) units or shares in CIUs where both the following conditions are met:

(i)

the units or shares have a daily public price quote;

(ii)

the CIU is limited to investing in instruments that are eligible for recognition under Article 197(1) and (4) and the items mentioned in point (a) of this subparagraph.

In the case a CIU invests in units or shares of another CIU, conditions (a) and (b) of this paragraph equally apply to any such underlying CIU.

The use by a CIU of derivative instruments to hedge permitted investments shall not prevent units or shares in that undertaking from being eligible as collateral.

2. Where the CIU or any underlying CIU are not limited to investing in instruments that are eligible for recognition under Article 197(1) and (4) and the items mentioned in point (a) of paragraph 1 of this Article, institutions may use units or shares in that CIU as collateral to an amount equal to the value of the eligible assets held by that CIU under the assumption that that CIU or any of its underlying CIUs have invested in non-eligible assets to the maximum extent allowed under their respective mandates.

Where non-eligible assets can have a negative value due to liabilities or contingent liabilities resulting from ownership, institutions shall do both of the following:

(a) calculate the total value of the non-eligible assets;

(b) where the amount obtained under point (a) is negative, subtract the absolute value of that amount from the total value of the eligible assets.

Article 199U.K. Additional eligibility for collateral under the IRB Approach

1.In addition to the collateral referred to in Articles 197 and 198, institutions that calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach may also use the following forms of collateral:

(a)immovable property collateral in accordance with paragraphs 2, 3 and 4;

(b)receivables in accordance with paragraph 5;

(c)other physical collateral in accordance with paragraphs 6 and 8;

(d)leasing in accordance with paragraph 7.

2.Unless otherwise specified under Article 124(2), institutions may use as eligible collateral residential property which is or will be occupied or let by the owner, or the beneficial owner in the case of personal investment companies, and commercial immovable property, including offices and other commercial premises, where both the following conditions are met:

(a)the value of the property does not materially depend upon the credit quality of the obligor. Institutions may exclude situations where purely macro-economic factors affect both the value of the property and the performance of the borrower from their determination of the materiality of such dependence;

(b)the risk of the borrower does not materially depend upon the performance of the underlying property or project, but on the underlying capacity of the borrower to repay the debt from other sources, and as a consequence the repayment of the facility does not materially depend on any cash flow generated by the underlying property serving as collateral.

3.Institutions may derogate from point (b) of paragraph 2 for exposures secured by residential property situated within the territory of [F193the United Kingdom], where the competent authority F194... has published evidence showing that a well-developed and long-established residential property market is present in that territory with loss rates that do not exceed any of the following limits:

[X2(a) losses stemming from loans collateralised by residential property up to 80 % of the market value or 80 % of the mortgage lending value, unless] otherwise provided under Article 124(2), do not exceed 0,3 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by residential property in any given year;

(b)overall losses stemming from loans collateralised by residential property do not exceed 0,5 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by residential property in any given year.

Where either of the conditions in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph is not met in a given year, institutions shall not use the treatment set out in that subparagraph until both conditions are satisfied in a subsequent year.

4.Institutions may derogate from point (b) of paragraph 2 for commercial immovable property situated within the territory of [F195the United Kingdom], where the competent authority F196... has published evidence showing that a well-developed and long-established commercial immovable property market is present in that territory with loss rates that do not exceed any of the following limits:

[X2(a) losses stemming from loans collateralised by commercial immovable property up to 50 % of the market value or 60 % of the mortgage lending value do not exceed] 0,3 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by commercial immovable property in any given year;

(b)overall losses stemming from loans collateralised by commercial immovable property do not exceed 0,5 % of the outstanding loans collateralised by commercial immovable property in any given year.

Where either of the conditions in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph is not met in a given year, institutions shall not use the treatment set out in that subparagraph until both conditions are satisfied in a subsequent year.

5.Institutions may use as eligible collateral amounts receivable linked to a commercial transaction or transactions with an original maturity of less than or equal to one year. Eligible receivables do not include those associated with securitisations, sub-participations or credit derivatives or amounts owed by affiliated parties.

6.Competent authorities shall permit an institution to use as eligible collateral physical collateral of a type other than those indicated in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 where all the following conditions are met:

(a)there are liquid markets, evidenced by frequent transactions taking into account the asset type, for the disposal of the collateral in an expeditious and economically efficient manner. Institutions shall carry out the assessment of this condition periodically and where information indicates material changes in the market;

(b)there are well-established, publicly available market prices for the collateral. Institutions may consider market prices as well-established where they come from reliable sources of information such as public indices and reflect the price of the transactions under normal conditions. Institutions may consider market prices as publicly available, where these prices are disclosed, easily accessible, and obtainable regularly and without any undue administrative or financial burden;

(c)the institution analyses the market prices, time and costs required to realise the collateral and the realised proceeds from the collateral;

(d)the institution demonstrates that the realised proceeds from the collateral are not below 70 % of the collateral value in more than 10 % of all liquidations for a given type of collateral. Where there is material volatility in the market prices, the institution demonstrates to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that its valuation of the collateral is sufficiently conservative.

Institutions shall document the fulfilment of the conditions specified in points (a) to (d) of the first subparagraph and those specified in Article 210.

7.Subject to the provisions of Article 230(2), where the requirements set out in Article 211 are met, exposures arising from transactions whereby an institution leases property to a third party may be treated in the same manner as loans collateralised by the type of property leased.

8.[F197The PRA F198...] shall disclose a list of types of physical collateral for which institutions can assume that the conditions referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 6 are met.

Editorial Information

Textual Amendments

Article 200U.K. Other funded credit protection

Institutions may use the following other funded credit protection as eligible collateral:

(a)

cash on deposit with, or cash assimilated instruments held by, a third party institution in a non-custodial arrangement and pledged to the lending institution;

(b)

life insurance policies pledged to the lending institution;

(c)

[F199instruments issued by a third party institution, or an investment firm, which will be repurchased by that institution, or that investment firm, on request.]

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Unfunded credit protection
Article 201U.K. Eligibility of protection providers under all approaches

1.Institutions may use the following parties as eligible providers of unfunded credit protection:

(a)central governments and central banks;

(b)regional governments or local authorities;

(c)multilateral development banks;

(d)international organisations exposures to which a 0 % risk weight under Article 117 is assigned;

(e)public sector entities, claims on which are treated in accordance with Article 116;

(f)institutions, and financial institutions for which exposures to the financial institution are treated as exposures to institutions in accordance with Article 119(5);

(g)other corporate entities, including parent undertakings, subsidiaries and affiliated corporate entities of the institution, where either of the following conditions is met:

(i)

those other corporate entities have a credit assessment by an ECAI;

(ii)

in the case of institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach, those other corporate entities do not have a credit assessment by a recognised ECAI and are internally rated by the institution;

(h)[F200qualifying central counterparties.]

2.Where institutions calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach, to be eligible as a provider of unfunded credit protection a guarantor shall be internally rated by the institution in accordance with the provisions of Section 6 of Chapter 3.

Competent authorities shall publish and maintain the list of those financial institutions that are eligible providers of unfunded credit protection under point (f) of paragraph 1, or the guiding criteria for identifying such eligible providers of unfunded credit protection, together with a description of the applicable prudential requirements F201...

Textual Amendments

Article 202U.K. Eligibility of protection providers under the IRB Approach which qualify for the treatment set out in Article 153(3)

An institution may use institutions, [F202investment firms,] insurance and reinsurance undertakings and export credit agencies as eligible providers of unfunded credit protection which qualify for the treatment set out in Article 153(3) where they meet all the following conditions:

(a)

they have sufficient expertise in providing unfunded credit protection;

(b)

they are regulated in a manner equivalent to the rules laid down in this Regulation, or had, at the time the credit protection was provided, a credit assessment by a recognised ECAI which had been determined by [F203the competent authority] to be associated with credit quality step 3 or above in accordance with the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates set out in Chapter 2;

(c)

they had, at the time the credit protection was provided, or for any period of time thereafter, an internal rating with a PD equivalent to or lower than that associated with credit quality step 2 or above in accordance with the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates set out in Chapter 2;

(d)

they have an internal rating with a PD equivalent to or lower than that associated with credit quality step 3 or above in accordance with the rules for the risk weighting of exposures to corporates set out in Chapter 2.

For the purpose of this Article, credit protection provided by export credit agencies shall not benefit from any explicit central government counter-guarantee.

Textual Amendments

Article 203 U.K. Eligibility of guarantees as unfunded credit protection

Institutions may use guarantees as eligible unfunded credit protection.

Sub-Section 3 U.K. Types of derivatives
Article 204 U.K. Eligible types of credit derivatives

1. Institutions may use the following types of credit derivatives, and instruments that may be composed of such credit derivatives or that are economically effectively similar, as eligible credit protection:

(a) credit default swaps;

(b) total return swaps;

(c) credit linked notes to the extent of their cash funding.

Where an institution buys credit protection through a total return swap and records the net payments received on the swap as net income, but does not record the offsetting deterioration in the value of the asset that is protected either through reductions in fair value or by an addition to reserves, that credit protection does not qualify as eligible credit protection.

2. Where an institution conducts an internal hedge using a credit derivative, in order for the credit protection to qualify as eligible credit protection for the purposes of this Chapter, the credit risk transferred to the trading book shall be transferred out to a third party or parties.

Where an internal hedge has been conducted in accordance with the first subparagraph and the requirements in this Chapter have been met, institutions shall apply the rules set out in Sections 4 to 6 for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts where they acquire unfunded credit protection.

Section 3 U.K. Requirements

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Funded credit protection
Article 205 U.K. Requirements for on-balance sheet netting agreements other than master netting agreements referred to in Article 206

On-balance sheet netting agreements other than master netting agreements referred to in Article 206 shall qualify as an eligible form of credit risk mitigation where all the following conditions are met:

(a)

those agreements are legally effective and enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions, including in the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a counterparty;

(b)

institutions are able to determine at any time the assets and liabilities that are subject to those agreements;

(c)

institutions monitor and control the risks associated with the termination of the credit protection on an ongoing basis;

(d)

institutions monitor and control the relevant exposures on a net basis and do so on an ongoing basis.

Article 206 U.K. Requirements for master netting agreements covering repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market driven transactions

Master netting agreements covering repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market driven transactions shall qualify as an eligible form of credit risk mitigation where the collateral provided under those agreements meets all the requirements laid down in Article 207(2) to (4) and where all the following conditions are met:

(a)

they are legally effective and enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions, including in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty;

(b)

they give the non-defaulting party the right to terminate and close-out in a timely manner all transactions under the agreement upon the event of default, including in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the counterparty;

(c)

they provide for the netting of gains and losses on transactions closed out under an agreement so that a single net amount is owed by one party to the other.

Article 207 U.K. Requirements for financial collateral

1. Under all approaches and methods, financial collateral and gold shall qualify as eligible collateral where all the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 to 4 are met.

2. The credit quality of the obligor and the value of the collateral shall not have a material positive correlation. Where the value of the collateral is reduced significantly, this shall not alone imply a significant deterioration of the credit quality of the obligor. Where the credit quality of the obligor becomes critical, this shall not alone imply a significant reduction in the value of the collateral.

Securities issued by the obligor, or any related group entity, shall not qualify as eligible collateral. This notwithstanding, the obligor's own issues of covered bonds falling within the terms of Article 129 qualify as eligible collateral when they are posted as collateral for a repurchase transaction, provided that they comply with the condition set out in the first subparagraph.

3. Institutions shall fulfil any contractual and statutory requirements in respect of, and take all steps necessary to ensure, the enforceability of the collateral arrangements under the law applicable to their interest in the collateral.

Institutions shall have conducted sufficient legal review confirming the enforceability of the collateral arrangements in all relevant jurisdictions. They shall re-conduct such review as necessary to ensure continuing enforceability.

4. Institutions shall fulfil all the following operational requirements:

(a) they shall properly document the collateral arrangements and have in place clear and robust procedures for the timely liquidation of collateral;

(b) they shall use robust procedures and processes to control risks arising from the use of collateral, including risks of failed or reduced credit protection, valuation risks, risks associated with the termination of the credit protection, concentration risk arising from the use of collateral and the interaction with the institution's overall risk profile;

(c) they shall have in place documented policies and practices concerning the types and amounts of collateral accepted;

(d) they shall calculate the market value of the collateral, and revalue it accordingly, at least once every six months and whenever they have reason to believe that a significant decrease in the market value of the collateral has occurred;

(e) where the collateral is held by a third party, they shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the third party segregates the collateral from its own assets;

(f) they shall ensure that they devote sufficient resources to the orderly operation of margin agreements with OTC derivatives and securities-financing counterparties, as measured by the timeliness and accuracy of their outgoing margin calls and response time to incoming margin calls;

(g) they shall have in place collateral management policies to control, monitor and report the following:

(i)

the risks to which margin agreements expose them;

(ii)

the concentration risk to particular types of collateral assets;

(iii)

the reuse of collateral including the potential liquidity shortfalls resulting from the reuse of collateral received from counterparties;

(iv)

the surrender of rights on collateral posted to counterparties.

5. In addition to meeting all the requirements set out in paragraphs 2 to 4, for financial collateral to qualify as eligible collateral under the Financial Collateral Simple Method the residual maturity of the protection shall be at least as long as the residual maturity of the exposure.

Article 208 U.K. Requirements for immovable property collateral

1. Immovable property shall qualify as eligible collateral only where all the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 to 5 are met.

2. The following requirements on legal certainly shall be met:

(a) a mortgage or charge is enforceable in all jurisdictions which are relevant at the time of the conclusion of the credit agreement and shall be properly filed on a timely basis;

(b) all legal requirements for establishing the pledge have been fulfilled;

(c) the protection agreement and the legal process underpinning it enable the institution to realise the value of the protection within a reasonable timeframe.

3. The following requirements on monitoring of property values and on property valuation shall be met:

(a) institutions monitor the value of the property on a frequent basis and at a minimum once every year for commercial immovable property and once every three years for residential property. Institutions carry out more frequent monitoring where the market is subject to significant changes in conditions;

(b) the property valuation is reviewed when information available to institutions indicates that the value of the property may have declined materially relative to general market prices and that review is carried out by a valuer who possesses the necessary qualifications, ability and experience to execute a valuation and who is independent from the credit decision process. For loans exceeding EUR 3 million or 5 % of the own funds of an institution, the property valuation shall be reviewed by such valuer at least every three years.

Institutions may use statistical methods to monitor the value of the immovable property and to identify immovable property that needs revaluation.

4. Institutions shall clearly document the types of residential property and commercial immovable property they accept and their lending policies in this regard.

5. Institutions shall have in place procedures to monitor that the immovable property taken as credit protection is adequately insured against the risk of damage.

Article 209 U.K. Requirements for receivables

1. Receivables shall qualify as eligible collateral where all the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 are met.

2. The following requirements on legal certainty shall be met:

(a) the legal mechanism by which the collateral is provided to a lending institution shall be robust and effective and ensure that that institution has clear rights over the collateral including the right to the proceeds from the sale of the collateral;

(b) institutions shall take all steps necessary to fulfil local requirements in respect of the enforceability of security interest. Lending institutions shall have a first priority claim over the collateral although such claims may still be subject to the claims of preferential creditors provided for in legislative provisions;

(c) institutions shall have conducted sufficient legal review confirming the enforceability of the collateral arrangements in all relevant jurisdictions;

(d) institutions shall properly document their collateral arrangements and shall have in place clear and robust procedures for the timely collection of collateral;

(e) institutions shall have in place procedures that ensure that any legal conditions required for declaring the default of a borrower and timely collection of collateral are observed;

(f) in the event of a borrower's financial distress or default, institutions shall have legal authority to sell or assign the receivables to other parties without consent of the receivables obligors.

3. The following requirements on risk management shall be met:

(a) an institution shall have in place a sound process for determining the credit risk associated with the receivables. Such a process shall include analyses of a borrower's business and industry and the types of customers with whom that borrower does business. Where the institution relies on its borrowers to ascertain the credit risk of the customers, the institution shall review the borrowers' credit practices to ascertain their soundness and credibility;

(b) the difference between the amount of the exposure and the value of the receivables shall reflect all appropriate factors, including the cost of collection, concentration within the receivables pool pledged by an individual borrower, and potential concentration risk within the institution's total exposures beyond that controlled by the institution's general methodology. Institutions shall maintain a continuous monitoring process appropriate to the receivables. They shall also review, on a regular basis, compliance with loan covenants, environmental restrictions, and other legal requirements;

(c) receivables pledged by a borrower shall be diversified and not be unduly correlated with that borrower. Where there is material positive correlation, institutions shall take into account the attendant risks in the setting of margins for the collateral pool as a whole;

(d) institutions shall not use receivables from affiliates of a borrower, including subsidiaries and employees, as eligible credit protection;

(e) institution shall have in place a documented process for collecting receivable payments in distressed situations. Institutions shall have in place the requisite facilities for collection even when they normally rely on their borrowers for collections.

Article 210 U.K. Requirements for other physical collateral

Physical collateral other than immovable property collateral shall qualify as eligible collateral under the IRB Approach where all the following conditions are met:

(a)

the collateral arrangement under which the physical collateral is provided to an institution shall be legally effective and enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions and shall enable that institution to realise the value of the collateral within a reasonable timeframe;

(b)

with the sole exception of permissible first priority claims referred to in Article 209(2)(b), only first liens on, or charges over, collateral shall qualify as eligible collateral and an institution shall have priority over all other lenders to the realised proceeds of the collateral;

(c)

institutions shall monitor the value of the collateral on a frequent basis and at least once every year. Institutions shall carry out more frequent monitoring where the market is subject to significant changes in conditions;

(d)

the loan agreement shall include detailed descriptions of the collateral as well as detailed specifications of the manner and frequency of revaluation;

(e)

institutions shall clearly document in internal credit policies and procedures available for examination the types of physical collateral they accept and the policies and practices they have in place in respect of the appropriate amount of each type of collateral relative to the exposure amount;

(f)

institutions' credit policies with regard to the transaction structure shall address the following:

(i)

appropriate collateral requirements relative to the exposure amount;

(ii)

the ability to liquidate the collateral readily;

(iii)

the ability to establish objectively a price or market value;

(iv)

the frequency with which the value can readily be obtained, including a professional appraisal or valuation;

(v)

the volatility or a proxy of the volatility of the value of the collateral.

(g)

when conducting valuation and revaluation, institutions shall take fully into account any deterioration or obsolescence of the collateral, paying particular attention to the effects of the passage of time on fashion- or date-sensitive collateral;

(h)

institutions shall have the right to physically inspect the collateral. They shall also have in place policies and procedures addressing their exercise of the right to physical inspection;

(i)

the collateral taken as protection shall be adequately insured against the risk of damage and institutions shall have in place procedures to monitor this.

Article 211 U.K. Requirements for treating lease exposures as collateralised

Institutions shall treat exposures arising from leasing transactions as collateralised by the type of property leased, where all the following conditions are met:

(a)

the conditions set out in Article 208 or 210, as applicable, for the type of property leased to qualify as eligible collateral are met;

(b)

the lessor has in place robust risk management with respect to the use to which the leased asset is put, its location, its age and the planned duration of its use, including appropriate monitoring of the value of the security;

(c)

the lessor has legal ownership of the asset and is able to exercise its rights as owner in a timely fashion;

(d)

where this has not already been ascertained in calculating the LGD level, the difference between the value of the unamortised amount and the market value of the security is not so large as to overstate the credit risk mitigation attributed to the leased assets.

Article 212 U.K. Requirements for other funded credit protection

1 . Cash on deposit with, or cash assimilated instruments held by, a third party institution shall be eligible for the treatment set out in Article 232(1), where all the following conditions are met:

( a ) the borrower's claim against the third party institution is openly pledged or assigned to the lending institution and such pledge or assignment is legally effective and enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions and is unconditional and irrevocable;

( b ) the third party institution is notified of the pledge or assignment;

( c ) as a result of the notification, the third party institution is able to make payments solely to the lending institution or to other parties only with the lending institution's prior consent.

2 . Life insurance policies pledged to the lending institution shall qualify as eligible collateral where all the following conditions are met:

( a ) the life insurance policy is openly pledged or assigned to the lending institution;

( b ) the company providing the life insurance is notified of the pledge or assignment and, as a result of the notification, may not pay amounts payable under the contract without the prior consent of the lending institution;

( c ) the lending institution has the right to cancel the policy and receive the surrender value in the event of the default of the borrower;

( d ) the lending institution is informed of any non-payments under the policy by the policy-holder;

( e ) the credit protection is provided for the maturity of the loan. Where this is not possible because the insurance relationship ends before the loan relationship expires, the institution shall ensure that the amount deriving from the insurance contract serves the institution as security until the end of the duration of the credit agreement;

( f ) the pledge or assignment is legally effective and enforceable in all jurisdictions which are relevant at the time of the conclusion of the credit agreement;

( g ) the surrender value is declared by the company providing the life insurance and is non-reducible;

( h ) the surrender value is to be paid by the company providing the life insurance in a timely manner upon request;

( i ) the surrender value shall not be requested without the prior consent of the institution;

( j ) the company providing the life insurance [F204is an insurance undertaking or reinsurance undertaking] or is subject to supervision by a competent authority of a third country which applies supervisory and regulatory arrangements at least equivalent to those applied in the [F205United Kingdom].

Textual Amendments

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Unfunded credit protection and credit linked notes
Article 213 U.K. Requirements common to guarantees and credit derivatives

1. Subject to Article 214(1), credit protection deriving from a guarantee or credit derivative shall qualify as eligible unfunded credit protection where all the following conditions are met:

(a) the credit protection is direct;

(b) the extent of the credit protection is clearly defined and incontrovertible;

(c) the credit protection contract does not contain any clause, the fulfilment of which is outside the direct control of the lender, that:

(i)

would allow the protection provider to cancel the protection unilaterally;

(ii)

would increase the effective cost of protection as a result of a deterioration in the credit quality of the protected exposure;

(iii)

could prevent the protection provider from being obliged to pay out in a timely manner in the event that the original obligor fails to make any payments due, or when the leasing contract has expired for the purposes of recognising guaranteed residual value under Articles 134(7) and 166(4);

(iv)

could allow the maturity of the credit protection to be reduced by the protection provider;

(d) the credit protection contract is legally effective and enforceable in all jurisdictions which are relevant at the time of the conclusion of the credit agreement.

2. An institution shall demonstrate to competent authorities that it has in place systems to manage potential concentration of risk arising from its use of guarantees and credit derivatives. An institution shall be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities how its strategy in respect of its use of credit derivatives and guarantees interacts with its management of its overall risk profile.

3. An institution shall fulfil any contractual and statutory requirements in respect of, and take all steps necessary to ensure, the enforceability of its unfunded credit protection under the law applicable to its interest in the credit protection.

An institution shall have conducted sufficient legal review confirming the enforceability of the unfunded credit protection in all relevant jurisdictions. It shall repeat such review as necessary to ensure continuing enforceability.

Article 214 U.K. Sovereign and other public sector counter-guarantees

1. Institutions may treat the exposures referred to in paragraph 2 as protected by a guarantee provided by the entities listed in that paragraph, provided that all the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) the counter-guarantee covers all credit risk elements of the claim;

(b) both the original guarantee and the counter-guarantee meet the requirements for guarantees set out in Articles 213 and 215(1), except that the counter-guarantee need not be direct;

(c) the cover is robust and nothing in the historical evidence suggests that the coverage of the counter-guarantee is less than effectively equivalent to that of a direct guarantee by the entity in question.

2. The treatment set out in paragraph 1 shall apply to exposures protected by a guarantee which is counter-guaranteed by any of the following entities:

(a) a central government or a central bank;

(b) a regional government or a local authority;

(c) a public sector entity, claims on which are treated as claims on the central government in accordance with Article 116(4);

(d) a multilateral development bank or an international organisation, to which a 0 % risk weight is assigned under or by virtue of Articles 117(2) and 118 respectively;

(e) a public sector entity, claims on which are treated in accordance with Article 116(1) and (2).

3. Institutions shall apply the treatment set out in paragraph 1 also to an exposure which is not counter-guaranteed by any entity listed in paragraph 2 where that exposure's counter-guarantee is in turn directly guaranteed by one of those entities and the conditions listed in paragraph 1 are satisfied.

Article 215 U.K. Additional requirements for guarantees

1. Guarantees shall qualify as eligible unfunded credit protection where all the conditions in Article 213 and all the following conditions are met:

(a) on the qualifying default of or non-payment by the counterparty, the lending institution has the right to pursue, in a timely manner, the guarantor for any monies due under the claim in respect of which the protection is provided and the payment by the guarantor shall not be subject to the lending institution first having to pursue the obligor;

In the case of unfunded credit protection covering residential mortgage loans, the requirements in Article 213(1)(c)(iii) and in the first subparagraph of this point have only to be satisfied within 24 months;

(b) the guarantee is an explicitly documented obligation assumed by the guarantor;

(c) either of the following conditions is met:

(i)

the guarantee covers all types of payments the obligor is expected to make in respect of the claim;

(ii)

where certain types of payment are excluded from the guarantee, the lending institution has adjusted the value of the guarantee to reflect the limited coverage.

2. In the case of guarantees provided in the context of mutual guarantee schemes or provided by or counter-guaranteed by entities listed in Article 214(2), the requirements in point (a) of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be considered to be satisfied where either of the following conditions is met:

(a) the lending institution has the right to obtain in a timely manner a provisional payment by the guarantor that meets both the following conditions:

(i)

it represents a robust estimate of the amount of the loss, including losses resulting from the non-payment of interest and other types of payment which the borrower is obliged to make, that the lending institution is likely to incur;

(ii)

it is proportional to the coverage of the guarantee;

(b) the lending institution can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that the effects of the guarantee, which shall also cover losses resulting from the non-payment of interest and other types of payments which the borrower is obliged to make, justify such treatment.

Article 216 U.K. Additional requirements for credit derivatives

1. Credit derivatives shall qualify as eligible unfunded credit protection where all the conditions in Article 213 and all the following conditions are met:

(a) the credit events specified in the credit derivative contract include:

(i)

the failure to pay the amounts due under the terms of the underlying obligation that are in effect at the time of such failure, with a grace period that is equal to or shorter than the grace period in the underlying obligation;

(ii)

the bankruptcy, insolvency or inability of the obligor to pay its debts, or its failure or admission in writing of its inability generally to pay its debts as they become due, and analogous events;

(iii)

the restructuring of the underlying obligation involving forgiveness or postponement of principal, interest or fees that results in a credit loss event;

(b) where credit derivatives allow for cash settlement:

(i)

institutions have in place a robust valuation process in order to estimate loss reliably;

(ii)

there is a clearly specified period for obtaining post-credit-event valuations of the underlying obligation;

(c) where the protection purchaser's right and ability to transfer the underlying obligation to the protection provider is required for settlement, the terms of the underlying obligation provide that any required consent to such transfer shall not be unreasonably withheld;

(d) the identity of the parties responsible for determining whether a credit event has occurred is clearly defined;

(e) the determination of the credit event is not the sole responsibility of the protection provider;

(f) the protection buyer has the right or ability to inform the protection provider of the occurrence of a credit event.

Where the credit events do not include restructuring of the underlying obligation as described in point (a)(iii), the credit protection may nonetheless be eligible subject to a reduction in the value as specified in Article 233(2);

2. A mismatch between the underlying obligation and the reference obligation under the credit derivative or between the underlying obligation and the obligation used for purposes of determining whether a credit event has occurred is permissible only where both the following conditions are met:

(a) the reference obligation or the obligation used for the purpose of determining whether a credit event has occurred, as the case may be, ranks pari passu with or is junior to the underlying obligation;

(b) the underlying obligation and the reference obligation or the obligation used for the purpose of determining whether a credit event has occurred, as the case may be, share the same obligor and legally enforceable cross-default or cross-acceleration clauses are in place.

Article 217 U.K. Requirements to qualify for the treatment set out in Article 153(3)

1. To be eligible for the treatment set out in Article 153(3), credit protection deriving from a guarantee or credit derivative shall meet the following conditions:

(a) the underlying obligation is to one of the following exposures:

(i)

a corporate exposure as referred to in Article 147, excluding insurance and reinsurance undertakings;

(ii)

an exposure to a regional government, local authority or public sector entity which is not treated as an exposure to a central government or a central bank in accordance with Article 147;

(iii)

an exposure to an SME, classified as a retail exposure in accordance with Article 147(5);

(b) the underlying obligors are not members of the same group as the protection provider;

(c) the exposure is hedged by one of the following instruments:

(i)

single-name unfunded credit derivatives or single-name guarantees;

(ii)

first-to-default basket products;

(iii)

nth-to-default basket products;

(d) the credit protection meets the requirements set out in Articles 213, 215 and 216, as applicable;

(e) the risk weight that is associated with the exposure prior to the application of the treatment set out in Article 153(3), does not already factor in any aspect of the credit protection;

(f) an institution has the right and expectation to receive payment from the protection provider without having to take legal action in order to pursue the counterparty for payment. To the extent possible, the institution shall take steps to satisfy itself that the protection provider is willing to pay promptly should a credit event occur;

(g) the purchased credit protection absorbs all credit losses incurred on the hedged portion of an exposure that arise due to the occurrence of credit events outlined in the contract;

(h) where the payout structure of the credit protection provides for physical settlement, there is legal certainty with respect to the deliverability of a loan, bond, or contingent liability;

(i) where an institution intends to deliver an obligation other than the underlying exposure, it shall ensure that the deliverable obligation is sufficiently liquid so that the institution would have the ability to purchase it for delivery in accordance with the contract;

(j) the terms and conditions of credit protection arrangements are legally confirmed in writing by both the protection provider and the institution;

(k) institutions have in place a process to detect excessive correlation between the creditworthiness of a protection provider and the obligor of the underlying exposure due to their performance being dependent on common factors beyond the systematic risk factor;

(l) in the case of protection against dilution risk, the seller of purchased receivables is not a member of the same group as the protection provider.

2. For the purpose of point (c)(ii) of paragraph 1, institutions shall apply the treatment set out in Article 153(3) to the asset within the basket with the lowest risk-weighted exposure amount.

3. For the purpose of point (c)(iii) of paragraph 1, the protection obtained is only eligible for consideration under this framework where eligible (n-1)th default protection has also been obtained or where (n-1) of the assets within the basket has or have already defaulted. Where this is the case, institutions shall apply the treatment set out in Article 153(3) to the asset within the basket with the lowest risk-weighted exposure amount.

Section 4 U.K. Calculating the effects of credit risk mitigation

Sub-Section 1 U.K. Funded credit protection
Article 218 U.K. Credit linked notes

Investments in credit linked notes issued by the lending institution may be treated as cash collateral for the purpose of calculating the effect of funded credit protection in accordance with this Sub-section, provided that the credit default swap embedded in the credit linked note qualifies as eligible unfunded credit protection. For the purpose of determining whether the credit default swap embedded in a credit linked note qualifies as eligible unfunded credit protection, the institution may consider the condition in point (c) of Article 194(6) to be met.

Article 219 U.K. On-balance sheet netting

Loans to and deposits with the lending institution subject to on-balance sheet netting are to be treated by that institution as cash collateral for the purpose of calculating the effect of funded credit protection for those loans and deposits of the lending institution subject to on-balance sheet netting which are denominated in the same currency.

Article 220 U.K. Using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Volatility Adjustments Approach for master netting agreements

1. When institutions calculate the 'fully adjusted exposure value' (E*) for the exposures subject to an eligible master netting agreement covering repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market-driven transactions, they shall calculate the volatility adjustments that they need to apply either by using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Volatility Adjustments Approach ('Own Estimates Approach') as set out in Articles 223 to 226 for the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method.

The use of the Own Estimates Approach shall be subject to the same conditions and requirements as apply under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method.

2. For the purpose of calculating E*, institutions shall:

(a) calculate the net position in each group of securities or in each type of commodity by subtracting the amount in point (ii) from the amount in point (i):

(i)

the total value of a group of securities or of commodities of the same type lent, sold or provided under the master netting agreement;

(ii)

the total value of a group of securities or of commodities of the same type borrowed, purchased or received under the master netting agreement;

(b) calculate the net position in each currency, other than the settlement currency of the master netting agreement, by subtracting the amount in point (ii) from the amount in point (i):

(i)

the sum of the total value of securities denominated in that currency lent, sold or provided under the master netting agreement and the amount of cash in that currency lent or transferred under that agreement;

(ii)

the sum of the total value of securities denominated in that currency borrowed, purchased or received under the master netting agreement and the amount of cash in that currency borrowed or received under that agreement;

(c) apply the volatility adjustment appropriate to a given group of securities or to a cash position to the absolute value of the positive or negative net position in the securities in that group;

(d) apply the foreign exchange risk (fx) volatility adjustment to the net positive or negative position in each currency other than the settlement currency of the master netting agreement.

3. Institutions shall calculate E* in accordance with the following formula:

where:

E i

=

the exposure value for each separate exposure i under the agreement that would apply in the absence of the credit protection, where institutions calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach or where they calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach;

C i

=

the value of securities in each group or commodities of the same type borrowed, purchased or received or the cash borrowed or received in respect of each exposure i;

=

the net position (positive or negative) in a given group of securities j;

=

the net position (positive or negative) in a given currency k other than the settlement currency of the agreement as calculated under point (b) of paragraph 2;

=

the volatility adjustment appropriate to a particular group of securities j;

=

the foreign exchange volatility adjustment for currency k.

4. For the purpose of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts for repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market-driven transactions covered by master netting agreements, institutions shall use E* as calculated under paragraph 3 as the exposure value of the exposure to the counterparty arising from the transactions subject to the master netting agreement for the purposes of Article 113 under the Standardised Approach or Chapter 3 under the IRB Approach.

5. For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3, ‘ group of securities ’ means securities which are issued by the same entity, have the same issue date, the same maturity, are subject to the same terms and conditions, and are subject to the same liquidation periods as indicated in Articles 224 and 225, as applicable.

Article 221U.K. Using the internal models approach for master netting agreements

1.Subject to permission of competent authorities, institutions may, as an alternative to using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Approach in calculating the fully adjusted exposure value (E*) resulting from the application of an eligible master netting agreement covering repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, or other capital market driven transactions other than derivative transactions, use an internal models approach which takes into account correlation effects between security positions subject to the master netting agreement as well as the liquidity of the instruments concerned.

2.Subject to the permission of the competent authorities, institutions may also use their internal models for margin lending transactions, where the transactions are covered under a bilateral master netting agreement that meets the requirements set out in Chapter 6, Section 7.

3.An institution may choose to use an internal models approach independently of the choice it has made between the Standardised Approach and the IRB Approach for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts. However, where an institution seeks to use an internal models approach, it shall do so for all counterparties and securities, excluding immaterial portfolios where it may use the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Approach as laid down in Article 220.

Institutions that have received permission for an internal risk-measurement model under Title IV, Chapter 5 may use the internal models approach. Where an institution has not received such permission, it may still apply for permission to the competent authorities to use an internal models approach for the purposes of this Article.

4.Competent authorities shall permit an institution to use an internal models approach only where they are satisfied that the institution's system for managing the risks arising from the transactions covered by the master netting agreement is conceptually sound and implemented with integrity and where the following qualitative standards are met:

(a)the internal risk-measurement model used for calculating the potential price volatility for the transactions is closely integrated into the daily risk-management process of the institution and serves as the basis for reporting risk exposures to the senior management of the institution;

(b)the institution has a risk control unit that meets all the following requirements:

(i)

it is independent from business trading units and reports directly to senior management;

(ii)

it is responsible for designing and implementing the institution's risk-management system;

(iii)

it produces and analyses daily reports on the output of the risk-measurement model and on the appropriate measures to be taken in terms of position limits;

(c)the daily reports produced by the risk-control unit are reviewed by a level of management with sufficient authority to enforce reductions of positions taken and of overall risk exposure;

(d)the institution has sufficient staff skilled in the use of sophisticated models in the risk control unit;

(e)the institution has established procedures for monitoring and ensuring compliance with a documented set of internal policies and controls concerning the overall operation of the risk-measurement system;

(f)the institution's models have a proven track record of reasonable accuracy in measuring risks demonstrated through the back-testing of its output using at least one year of data;

(g)the institution frequently conducts a rigorous programme of stress testing and the results of these tests are reviewed by senior management and reflected in the policies and limits it sets;

(h)the institution conducts, as part of its regular internal auditing process, an independent review of its risk-measurement system. This review shall include both the activities of the business trading units and of the independent risk-control unit;

(i)at least once a year, the institution conducts a review of its risk-management system;

(j)the internal model meets the requirements set out in Article 292(8) and (9) and in Article 294.

5.An institution's internal risk-measurement model shall capture a sufficient number of risk factors in order to capture all material price risks.

An institution may use empirical correlations within risk categories and across risk categories where its system for measuring correlations is sound and implemented with integrity.

6.Institutions using the internal models approach shall calculate E* in accordance with the following formula:

where:

E i

=

the exposure value for each separate exposure i under the agreement that would apply in the absence of the credit protection, where institutions calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach or where they calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach;

C i

=

the value of the securities borrowed, purchased or received or the cash borrowed or received in respect of each such exposure i.

When calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts using internal models, institutions shall use the previous business day's model output.

7.The calculation of the potential change in value referred to in paragraph 6 shall be subject to all the following standards:

(a)it shall be carried out at least daily;

(b)it shall be based on a 99th percentile, one-tailed confidence interval;

(c)it shall be based on a 5-day equivalent liquidation period, except in the case of transactions other than securities repurchase transactions or securities lending or borrowing transactions where a 10-day equivalent liquidation period shall be used;

(d)it shall be based on an effective historical observation period of at least one year except where a shorter observation period is justified by a significant upsurge in price volatility;

(e)the data set used in the calculation shall be updated every three months.

Where an institution has a repurchase transaction, a securities or commodities lending or borrowing transaction and margin lending or similar transaction or netting set which meets the criteria set out in Article 285(2), (3) and (4), the minimum holding period shall be brought in line with the margin period of risk that would apply under those paragraphs, in combination with Article 285(5).

8.For the purpose of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts for repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions or other capital market-driven transactions covered by master netting agreements, institutions shall use E* as calculated under paragraph 6 as the exposure value of the exposure to the counterparty arising from the transactions subject to the master netting agreement for the purposes of Article 113 under the Standardised Approach or Chapter 3 under the IRB Approach.

9.[F206The [F207PRA may] make technical standards] to specify the following:

(a)what constitutes an immaterial portfolio for the purpose of paragraph 3;

(b)the criteria for determining whether an internal model is sound and implemented with integrity for the purpose of paragraphs 4 and 5 and master netting agreements.

F208...

Textual Amendments

Article 222U.K. Financial Collateral Simple Method

1.Institutions may use the Financial Collateral Simple Method only where they calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach. Institution shall not use both the Financial Collateral Simple Method and the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method, except for the purposes of Articles 148(1) and 150(1). Institutions shall not use this exception selectively with the purpose of achieving reduced own funds requirements or with the purpose of conducting regulatory arbitrage.

2.Under the Financial Collateral Simple Method institutions shall assign to eligible financial collateral a value equal to its market value as determined in accordance with point (d) of Article 207(4).

3.Institutions shall assign to those portions of exposure values that are collateralised by the market value of eligible collateral the risk weight that they would assign under Chapter 2 [F209of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] where the lending institution had a direct exposure to the collateral instrument. For this purpose, the exposure value of an off-balance sheet item listed in Annex I shall be equal to 100 % of the item's value rather than the exposure value indicated in Article 111(1).

The risk weight of the collateralised portion shall be at least 20 % except as specified in paragraphs 4 to 6. Institutions shall apply to the remainder of the exposure value the risk weight that they would assign to an unsecured exposure to the counterparty under Chapter 2 [F209of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook].

4.Institutions shall assign a risk weight of 0 % to the collateralised portion of the exposure arising from repurchase transaction and securities lending or borrowing transactions which fulfil the criteria in Article 227. Where the counterparty to the transaction is not a core market participant, institutions shall assign a risk weight of 10 %.

5.Institutions shall assign a risk weight of 0 %, to the extent of the collateralisation, to the exposure values determined under Chapter 6 [F210of this Regulation and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] for the derivative instruments listed in Annex II and subject to daily marking-to-market, collateralised by cash or cash assimilated instruments where there is no currency mismatch.

Institutions shall assign a risk weight of 10 %, to the extent of the collateralisation, to the exposure values of such transactions collateralised by debt securities issued by central governments or central banks which are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Chapter 2.

6.For transactions other than those referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5, institutions may assign a 0 % risk weight where the exposure and the collateral are denominated in the same currency, and either of the following conditions is met:

(a)the collateral is cash on deposit or a cash assimilated instrument;

(b)the collateral is in the form of debt securities issued by central governments or central banks eligible for a 0 % risk weight under Article 114, and its market value has been discounted by 20 %.

7.For the purpose of paragraphs 5 and 6 debt securities issued by central governments or central banks shall include:

(a)debt securities issued by regional governments or local authorities exposures to which are treated as exposures to the central government in whose jurisdiction they are established under Article 115;

(b)debt securities issued by multilateral development banks to which a 0 % risk weight is assigned under or by virtue of Article 117(2);

(c)debt securities issued by international organisations which are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Article 118;

(d)debt securities issued by public sector entities which are treated as exposures to central governments in accordance with Article 116(4).

Textual Amendments

Article 223 U.K. Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

1 . In order to take account of price volatility, institutions shall apply volatility adjustments to the market value of collateral, as set out in Articles 224 to 227, when valuing financial collateral for the purposes of the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method.

Where collateral is denominated in a currency that differs from the currency in which the underlying exposure is denominated, institutions shall add an adjustment reflecting currency volatility to the volatility adjustment appropriate to the collateral as set out in Articles 224 to 227.

In the case of OTC derivatives transactions covered by netting agreements recognised by the competent authorities under Chapter 6, institutions shall apply a volatility adjustment reflecting currency volatility when there is a mismatch between the collateral currency and the settlement currency. Even where multiple currencies are involved in the transactions covered by the netting agreement, institutions shall apply a single volatility adjustment.

2 . Institutions shall calculate the volatility-adjusted value of the collateral (C VA ) they need to take into account as follows:

where:

C

=

the value of the collateral;

H C

=

the volatility adjustment appropriate to the collateral, as calculated under Articles 224 and 227;

H fx

=

the volatility adjustment appropriate to currency mismatch, as calculated under Articles 224 and 227.

Institutions shall use the formula in this paragraph when calculating the volatility-adjusted value of the collateral for all transactions except for those transactions subject to recognised master netting agreements to which the provisions set out in Articles 220 and 221 apply.

3 . Institutions shall calculate the volatility-adjusted value of the exposure (E VA ) they need to take into account as follows:

where:

E

=

the exposure value as would be determined under Chapter 2 or Chapter 3, as applicable, where the exposure was not collateralised;

H E

=

the volatility adjustment appropriate to the exposure, as calculated under Articles 224 and 227.

In the case of OTC derivative transactions [F211, institutions using the method laid down in Section 6 of Chapter 6] shall calculate E VA as follows:

.

4 . For the purpose of calculating E in paragraph 3, the following shall apply:

(a) for institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach, the exposure value of an off-balance sheet item listed in Annex I shall be 100 % of that item's value rather than the exposure value indicated in Article 111(1);

(b) for institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts under the IRB Approach, they shall calculate the exposure value of the items listed in Article 166(8) to (10) by using a conversion factor of 100 % rather than the conversion factors or percentages indicated in those paragraphs.

5 . Institutions shall calculate the fully adjusted value of the exposure (E*), taking into account both volatility and the risk-mitigating effects of collateral as follows:

where:

E VA

=

the volatility adjusted value of the exposure as calculated in paragraph 3;

C VAM

=

C VA further adjusted for any maturity mismatch in accordance with the provisions of Section 5;

[F2125A.For the purposes of the calculation under paragraph 5, in the case of OTC derivative transactions, institutions using the methods laid down in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of [F213Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] shall take into account the risk-mitigating effects of collateral in accordance with the provisions laid down in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of [F213Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook], as applicable.]

6 . Institutions may calculate volatility adjustments either by using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach referred to in Article 224 or the Own Estimates Approach referred to in Article 225.

An institution may choose to use the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Approach independently of the choice it has made between the Standardised Approach and the IRB Approach for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts.

However, where an institution uses the Own Estimates Approach, it shall do so for the full range of instrument types, excluding immaterial portfolios where it may use the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach.

7 . Where the collateral consists of a number of eligible items, institutions shall calculate the volatility adjustment (H) as follows:

where:

a i

=

the proportion of the value of an eligible item i in the total value of collateral;

H i

=

the volatility adjustment applicable to eligible item i .

Textual Amendments

Article 224 U.K. Supervisory volatility adjustment under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

1 . The volatility adjustments to be applied by institutions under the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach, assuming daily revaluation, shall be those set out in Tables 1 to 4 of this paragraph.

VOLATILITY ADJUSTMENTS
Table 1
Credit quality step with which the credit assessment of the debt security is associated Residual Maturity Volatility adjustments for debt securities issued by entities described in Article 197(1)(b) Volatility adjustments for debt securities issued by entities described in Article 197(1) (c) and (d) Volatility adjustments for securitisation positions and meeting the criteria in Article 197(1) (h)
20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%) 20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%) 20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%)
1 ≤ 1 year 0,707 0,5 0,354 1,414 1 0,707 2,829 2 1,414
>1 ≤ 5 years 2,828 2 1,414 5,657 4 2,828 11,314 8 5,657
> 5 years 5,657 4 2,828 11,314 8 5,657 22,628 16 11,313
2-3 ≤ 1 year 1,414 1 0,707 2,828 2 1,414 5,657 4 2,828
>1 ≤ 5 years 4,243 3 2,121 8,485 6 4,243 16,971 12 8,485
> 5 years 8,485 6 4,243 16,971 12 8,485 33,942 24 16,970
4 ≤ 1 year 21,213 15 10,607 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
>1 ≤ 5 years 21,213 15 10,607 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
> 5 years 21,213 15 10,607 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Table 2
Credit quality step with which the credit assessment of a short term debt security is associated Volatility adjustments for debt securities issued by entities described in Article 197(1)(b) with short-term credit assessments Volatility adjustments for debt securities issued by entities described in Article 197(1) (c) and (d) with short-term credit assessments Volatility adjustments for securitisation positions and meeting the criteria in Article 197(1)(h)
20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%) 20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%) 20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%)
1 0,707 0,5 0,354 1,414 1 0,707 2,829 2 1,414
2-3 1,414 1 0,707 2,828 2 1,414 5,657 4 2,828
Table 3
Other collateral or exposure types
20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period (%)
Main Index Equities, Main Index Convertible Bonds 21,213 15 10,607
Other Equities or Convertible Bonds listed on a recognised exchange 35,355 25 17,678
Cash 0 0 0
Gold 21,213 15 10,607
Table 4
Volatility adjustment for currency mismatch
20-day liquidation period (%) 10-day liquidation period (%) 5-day liquidation period %)
11,314 8 5,657

2 . The calculation of volatility adjustments in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be subject to the following conditions:

( a ) for secured lending transactions the liquidation period shall be 20 business days;

( b ) for repurchase transactions, except insofar as such transactions involve the transfer of commodities or guaranteed rights relating to title to commodities, and securities lending or borrowing transactions the liquidation period shall be 5 business days;

( c ) for other capital market driven transactions, the liquidation period shall be 10 business days.

Where an institution has a transaction or netting set which meets the criteria set out in Article 285(2), (3) and (4), the minimum holding period shall be brought in line with the margin period of risk that would apply under those paragraphs.

3 . In Tables 1 to 4 of paragraph 1 and in paragraphs 4 to 6, the credit quality step with which a credit assessment of the debt security is associated is the credit quality step with which the credit assessment is determined by [F214the competent authority] to be associated under Chapter 2.

For the purpose of determining the credit quality step with which a credit assessment of the debt security is associated referred to in the first subparagraph, Article 197(7) also applies.

4 . For non-eligible securities or for commodities lent or sold under repurchase transactions or securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, the volatility adjustment is the same as for non-main index equities listed on a recognised exchange.

5 . For eligible units in CIUs the volatility adjustment is the weighted average volatility adjustments that would apply, having regard to the liquidation period of the transaction as specified in paragraph 2, to the assets in which the fund has invested.

Where the assets in which the fund has invested are not known to the institution, the volatility adjustment is the highest volatility adjustment that would apply to any of the assets in which the fund has the right to invest.

6 . For unrated debt securities issued by institutions [F215or investment firms] and satisfying the eligibility criteria in Article 197(4) the volatility adjustments is the same as for securities issued by institutions or corporates with an external credit assessment associated with credit quality step 2 or 3.

Textual Amendments

Article 225 U.K. Own estimates of volatility adjustments under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

1. The competent authorities shall permit institutions to use their own volatility estimates for calculating the volatility adjustments to be applied to collateral and exposures where those institutions comply with the requirements set out in paragraphs 2 and 3. Institutions which have obtained permission to use their own volatility estimates shall not revert to the use of other methods except for demonstrated good cause and subject to the permission of the competent authorities.

For debt securities that have a credit assessment from an ECAI equivalent to investment grade or better, institutions may calculate a volatility estimate for each category of security.

For debt securities that have a credit assessment from an ECAI equivalent to below investment grade, and for other eligible collateral, institutions shall calculate the volatility adjustments for each individual item.

Institutions using the Own Estimates Approach shall estimate volatility of the collateral or foreign exchange mismatch without taking into account any correlations between the unsecured exposure, collateral or exchange rates.

In determining relevant categories, institutions shall take into account the type of issuer of the security, the external credit assessment of the securities, their residual maturity, and their modified duration. Volatility estimates shall be representative of the securities included in the category by the institution.

2. The calculation of the volatility adjustments shall be subject to all the following criteria:

(a) institutions shall base the calculation on a 99th percentile, one-tailed confidence interval;

(b) institutions shall base the calculation on the following liquidation periods:

(i)

20 business days for secured lending transactions;

(ii)

5 business days for repurchase transactions, except insofar as such transactions involve the transfer of commodities or guaranteed rights relating to title to commodities and securities lending or borrowing transactions;

(iii)

10 business days for other capital market driven transactions;

(c) institutions may use volatility adjustment numbers calculated in accordance with shorter or longer liquidation periods, scaled up or down to the liquidation period set out in point (b) for the type of transaction in question, using the square root of time formula:

where:

T M

=

the relevant liquidation period;

H M

=

the volatility adjustment based on the liquidation period T M ;

H N

=

the volatility adjustment based on the liquidation period T N .

(d) institutions shall take into account the illiquidity of lower-quality assets. They shall adjust the liquidation period upwards in cases where there is doubt concerning the liquidity of the collateral. They shall also identify where historical data may understate potential volatility. Such cases shall be dealt with by means of a stress scenario;

(e) the length of the historical observation period institutions use for calculating volatility adjustments shall be at least one year. For institutions that use a weighting scheme or other methods for the historical observation period, the length of the effective observation period shall be at least one year. The competent authorities may also require an institution to calculate its volatility adjustments using a shorter observation period where, in the competent authorities' judgement, this is justified by a significant upsurge in price volatility;

(f) institutions shall update their data sets and calculate volatility adjustments at least once every three months. They shall also reassess their data sets whenever market prices are subject to material changes.

3. The estimation of volatility adjustments shall meet all the following qualitative criteria:

(a) an institutions shall use the volatility estimates in the day-to-day risk management process including in relation to its internal exposure limits;

(b) where the liquidation period used by an institution in its day-to-day risk management process is longer than that set out in this Section for the type of transaction in question, that institution shall scale up its volatility adjustments in accordance with the square root of time formula set out in point (c) of paragraph 2;

(c) an institution shall have in place established procedures for monitoring and ensuring compliance with a documented set of policies and controls for the operation of its system for the estimation of volatility adjustments and for the integration of such estimations into its risk management process;

(d) an independent review of the institution's system for the estimation of volatility adjustments shall be carried out regularly within the institution's own internal auditing process. A review of the overall system for the estimation of volatility adjustments and for the integration of those adjustments into the institution's risk management process shall take place at least once a year. The subject of that review shall include at least the following:

(i)

the integration of estimated volatility adjustments into daily risk management;

(ii)

the validation of any significant change in the process for the estimation of volatility adjustments;

(iii)

the verification of the consistency, timeliness and reliability of data sources used to run the system for the estimation of volatility adjustments, including the independence of such data sources;

(iv)

the accuracy and appropriateness of the volatility assumptions.

Article 226 U.K. Scaling up of volatility adjustment under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

The volatility adjustments set out in Article 224 are the volatility adjustments an institution shall apply where there is daily revaluation. Similarly, where an institution uses its own estimates of the volatility adjustments in accordance with Article 225, it shall calculate them in the first instance on the basis of daily revaluation. Where the frequency of revaluation is less than daily, institutions shall apply larger volatility adjustments. Institutions shall calculate them by scaling up the daily revaluation volatility adjustments, using the following square-root-of-time formula:

where:

H

=

the volatility adjustment to be applied;

H M

=

the volatility adjustment where there is daily revaluation;

N R

=

the actual number of business days between revaluations;

T M

=

the liquidation period for the type of transaction in question.

Article 227U.K. Conditions for applying a 0 % volatility adjustment under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method

1.In relation to repurchase transactions and securities lending or borrowing transactions, where an institution uses the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach under Article 224 or the Own Estimates Approach under Article 225 and where the conditions set out in points (a) to (h) of paragraph 2 are satisfied, institutions may, instead of applying the volatility adjustments calculated under Articles 224 to 226, apply a 0 % volatility adjustment. Institutions using the internal models approach set out in Article 221 shall not use the treatment set out in this Article.

2.Institutions may apply a 0 % volatility adjustment where all the following conditions are met:

(a)both the exposure and the collateral are cash or debt securities issued by central governments or central banks within the meaning of Article 197(1)(b) and eligible for a 0 % risk weight under Chapter 2;

(b)both the exposure and the collateral are denominated in the same currency;

(c)either the maturity of the transaction is no more than one day or both the exposure and the collateral are subject to daily marking-to-market or daily re-margining;

(d)the time between the last marking-to-market before a failure to re-margin by the counterparty and the liquidation of the collateral is no more than four business days;

(e)the transaction is settled in a settlement system proven for that type of transaction;

(f)the documentation covering the agreement or transaction is standard market documentation for repurchase transactions or securities lending or borrowing transactions in the securities concerned;

(g)the transaction is governed by documentation specifying that where the counterparty fails to satisfy an obligation to deliver cash or securities or to deliver margin or otherwise defaults, then the transaction is immediately terminable;

(h)the counterparty is considered a core market participant by the competent authorities.

3.The core market participants referred to in point (h) of paragraph 2 shall include the following entities:

(a)the entities mentioned in Article 197(1)(b) exposures to which are assigned a 0 % risk weight under Chapter 2;

(b)institutions;

[F216(ba)investment firms;]

(c)other financial undertakings [F217that are an insurance undertaking or reinsurance undertaking, an insurance holding company (as defined in the Solvency 2 Regulations 2015), or a mixed financial holding company] exposures to which are assigned a 20 % risk weight under the Standardised Approach or which, in the case of institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach, do not have a credit assessment by a recognised ECAI and are internally rated by the institution;

(d)regulated CIUs that are subject to capital or leverage requirements;

(e)regulated pension funds;

(f)recognised clearing organisations.

Textual Amendments

Article 228 U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive method

1. Under the Standardised Approach, institutions shall use E* as calculated under Article 223(5) as the exposure value for the purposes of Article 113. In the case of off-balance sheet items listed in Annex I, institutions shall use E* as the value to which the percentages indicated in Article 111(1) shall be applied to arrive at the exposure value.

2. Under the IRB Approach, institutions shall use the effective LGD (LGD*) as the LGD for the purposes of Chapter 3. Institutions shall calculate LGD* as follows:

where:

LGD

=

the LGD that would apply to the exposure under Chapter 3 where the exposure was not collateralised;

E

=

the exposure value in accordance with Article 223(3);

E*

=

the fully adjusted exposure value in accordance with Article 223(5).

Article 229 U.K. Valuation principles for other eligible collateral under the IRB Approach

1 . For immovable property collateral, the collateral shall be valued by an independent valuer at or at less than the market value. An institution shall require the independent valuer to document the market value in a transparent and clear manner.

[F218If rigorous criteria are in force at the time in the United Kingdom for the assessment of the mortgage lending value] the immovable property may instead be valued by an independent valuer at or at less than the mortgage lending value. Institutions shall require the independent valuer not to take into account speculative elements in the assessment of the mortgage lending value and to document that value in a transparent and clear manner.

The value of the collateral shall be the market value or mortgage lending value reduced as appropriate to reflect the results of the monitoring required under Article 208(3) and to take account of any prior claims on the immovable property.

2 . For receivables, the value of receivables shall be the amount receivable.

3 . Institutions shall value physical collateral other than immovable property at its market value. For the purposes of this Article, the market value is the estimated amount for which the property would exchange on the date of valuation between a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm's-length transaction.

Textual Amendments

Article 230 U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts for other eligible collateral under the IRB Approach

1 . Institutions shall use LGD* calculated in accordance with this paragraph and paragraph 2 as the LGD for the purposes of Chapter 3.

Where the ratio of the value of the collateral (C) to the exposure value (E) is below the required minimum collateralisation level of the exposure (C*) as laid down in Table 5, LGD* shall be the LGD laid down in Chapter 3 for uncollateralised exposures to the counterparty. For this purpose, institutions shall calculate the exposure value of the items listed in Article 166(8) to (10) by using a conversion factor or percentage of 100 % rather than the conversion factors or percentages indicated in those paragraphs.

Where the ratio of the value of the collateral to the exposure value exceeds a second, higher threshold level of C** as laid down in Table 5, LGD* shall be that prescribed in Table 5.

Where the required level of collateralisation C** is not achieved in respect of the exposure as a whole, institutions shall consider the exposure to be two exposures — one corresponding to the part in respect of which the required level of collateralisation C** is achieved and one corresponding to the remainder.

2 . The applicable LGD* and required collateralisation levels for the secured parts of exposures are set out in Table 5 of this paragraph.

Table 5

Minimum LGD for secured parts of exposures

LGD* for senior exposure LGD* for subordinated exposures Required minimum collateralisation level of the exposure (C*) Required minimum collateralisation level of the exposure (C**)
Receivables 35 % 65 % 0 % 125 %
Residential property/commercial immovable property 35 % 65 % 30 % 140 %
Other collateral 40 % 70 % 30 % 140 %

3 . As an alternative to the treatment set out in paragraphs 1 and 2, and subject to Article 124(2), institutions may assign a 50 % risk weight to the part of the exposure that is, within the limits set out in Article 125(2)(d) and Article 126(2)(d) respectively, fully collateralised by residential property or commercial immovable property situated within the territory of [F219the United Kingdom] where all the conditions in Article 199(3) or (4) are met.

Textual Amendments

Article 231 U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts in the case of mixed pools of collateral

1. An institution shall calculate the value of LGD* that it shall use as the LGD for the purposes of Chapter 3 in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 where both the following conditions are met:

(a) the institution uses the IRB Approach to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts;

(b) an exposure is collateralised by both financial collateral and other eligible collateral.

2. Institutions shall be required to subdivide the volatility-adjusted value of the exposure, obtained by applying the volatility adjustment as set out in Article 223(5) to the value of the exposure, into parts so as to obtain a part covered by eligible financial collateral, a part covered by receivables, a part covered by commercial immovable property collateral or residential property collateral, a part covered by other eligible collateral, and the unsecured part, as applicable.

3. Institutions shall calculate LGD* for each part of the exposure obtained in paragraph 2 separately in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Chapter.

Article 232 U.K. Other funded credit protection

1. Where the conditions set out in Article 212(1) are met, a deposit with a third party institution may be treated as a guarantee by the third party institution.

2. Where the conditions set out in Article 212(2) are met, institutions shall subject the portion of the exposure collateralised by the current surrender value of life insurance policies pledged to the lending institution to the following treatment:

(a) where the exposure is subject to the Standardised Approach, it shall be risk-weighted by using the risk weights specified in paragraph 3;

(b) where the exposure is subject to the IRB Approach but not subject to the institution's own estimates of LGD, it shall be assigned an LGD of 40 %.

In the event of a currency mismatch, institutions shall reduce the current surrender value in accordance with Article 233(3), the value of the credit protection being the current surrender value of the life insurance policy.

3. For the purposes of point (a) of paragraph 2, institutions shall assign the following risk weights on the basis of the risk weight assigned to a senior unsecured exposure to the undertaking providing the life insurance:

(a) a risk weight of 20 %, where the senior unsecured exposure to the undertaking providing the life insurance is assigned a risk weight of 20 %;

(b) a risk weight of 35 %, where the senior unsecured exposure to the undertaking providing the life insurance is assigned a risk weight of 50 %;

(c) a risk weight of 70 %, where the senior unsecured exposure to the undertaking providing the life insurance is assigned a risk weight of 100 %;

(d) a risk weight of 150 %, where the senior unsecured exposure to the undertaking providing the life insurance is assigned a risk weight of 150 %.

4. Institutions may treat instruments repurchased on request that are eligible under Article 200(c) as a guarantee by the issuing institution. The value of the eligible credit protection shall be the following:

(a) where the instrument will be repurchased at its face value, the value of the protection shall be that amount;

(b) where the instrument will be repurchased at market price, the value of the protection shall be the value of the instrument valued in the same way as the debt securities that meet the conditions in Article 197(4).

Sub-Section 2 U.K. Unfunded credit protection
Article 233 U.K. Valuation

1. For the purpose of calculating the effects of unfunded credit protection in accordance with this Sub-section, the value of unfunded credit protection (G) shall be the amount that the protection provider has undertaken to pay in the event of the default or non-payment of the borrower or on the occurrence of other specified credit events.

2. In the case of credit derivatives which do not include as a credit event restructuring of the underlying obligation involving forgiveness or postponement of principal, interest or fees that result in a credit loss event the following shall apply:

(a) where the amount that the protection provider has undertaken to pay is not higher than the exposure value, institutions shall reduce the value of the credit protection calculated under paragraph 1 by 40 %;

(b) where the amount that the protection provider has undertaken to pay is higher than the exposure value, the value of the credit protection shall be no higher than 60 % of the exposure value.

3. Where unfunded credit protection is denominated in a currency different from that in which the exposure is denominated, institutions shall reduce the value of the credit protection by the application of a volatility adjustment as follows:

where:

G*

=

the amount of credit protection adjusted for foreign exchange risk,

G

=

the nominal amount of the credit protection;

H fx

=

the volatility adjustment for any currency mismatch between the credit protection and the underlying obligation determined in accordance with paragraph 4.

Where there is no currency mismatch H fx is equal to zero.

4. Institutions shall base the volatility adjustments for any currency mismatch on a 10 business day liquidation period, assuming daily revaluation, and may calculate them based on the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach or the Own Estimates Approach as set out in Articles 224 and 225 respectively. Institutions shall scale up the volatility adjustments in accordance with Article 226.

Article 234 U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts in the event of partial protection and tranching

Where an institution transfers a part of the risk of a loan in one or more tranches, the rules set out in Chapter 5 shall apply. Institutions may consider materiality thresholds on payments below which no payment shall be made in the event of loss to be equivalent to retained first loss positions and to give rise to a tranched transfer of risk.

Article 235U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach

1.For the purposes of Article 113(3) institutions shall calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with the following formula:

where:

E

=

the exposure value in accordance with Article 111; for this purpose, the exposure value of an off-balance sheet item listed in Annex I shall be 100 % of its value rather than the exposure value indicated in Article 111(1);

G A

=

the amount of credit risk protection as calculated under Article 233(3) (G*) further adjusted for any maturity mismatch as laid down in Section 5;

r

=

the risk weight of exposures to the obligor as specified under Chapter 2 [F220of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook];

g

=

the risk weight of exposures to the protection provider as specified under Chapter 2 [F220of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook].

2.Where the protected amount (G A ) is less than the exposure (E), institutions may apply the formula specified in paragraph 1 only where the protected and unprotected parts of the exposure are of equal seniority.

3.Institutions may extend the treatment set out in Article 114(4) and (7) to exposures or parts of exposures guaranteed by the central government or central bank, where the guarantee is denominated in the domestic currency of the borrower and the exposure is funded in that currency.

Textual Amendments

Article 236 U.K. Calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and expected loss amounts under the IRB Approach

1. For the covered portion of the exposure value (E), based on the adjusted value of the credit protection G A , the PD for the purposes of Section 4 of Chapter 3 may be the PD of the protection provider, or a PD between that of the borrower and that of the guarantor where a full substitution is deemed not to be warranted. In the case of subordinated exposures and non-subordinated unfunded protection, the LGD to be applied by institutions for the purposes of Section 4 of Chapter 3 may be that associated with senior claims.

2. For any uncovered portion of the exposure value (E) the PD shall be that of the borrower and the LGD shall be that of the underlying exposure.

3. For the purposes of this Article, G A is the value of G* as calculated under Article 233(3) further adjusted for any maturity mismatch as laid down in Section 5. E is the exposure value determined in accordance with Section 5 of Chapter 3. For this purpose, institutions shall calculate the exposure value of the items listed in Article 166(8) to (10) by using a conversion factor or percentage of 100 % rather than the conversion factors or percentages indicated in those paragraphs.

Section 5 U.K. Maturity mismatches

Article 237 U.K. Maturity mismatch

1. For the purpose of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts, a maturity mismatch occurs when the residual maturity of the credit protection is less than that of the protected exposure. Where protection has a residual maturity of less than three months and the maturity of the protection is less than the maturity of the underlying exposure that protection does not qualify as eligible credit protection.

2. Where there is a maturity mismatch the credit protection shall not qualify as eligible where either of the following conditions is met:

(a) the original maturity of the protection is less than one year;

(b) the exposure is a short term exposure specified by the competent authorities as being subject to a one-day floor rather than a one-year floor in respect of the maturity value (M) under Article 162(3).

Article 238 U.K. Maturity of credit protection

1. Subject to a maximum of five years, the effective maturity of the underlying shall be the longest possible remaining time before the obligor is scheduled to fulfil its obligations. Subject to paragraph 2, the maturity of the credit protection shall be the time to the earliest date at which the protection may terminate or be terminated.

2. Where there is an option to terminate the protection which is at the discretion of the protection seller, institutions shall take the maturity of the protection to be the time to the earliest date at which that option may be exercised. Where there is an option to terminate the protection which is at the discretion of the protection buyer and the terms of the arrangement at origination of the protection contain a positive incentive for the institution to call the transaction before contractual maturity, an institution shall take the maturity of the protection to be the time to the earliest date at which that option may be exercised; otherwise the institution may consider that such an option does not affect the maturity of the protection.

3. Where a credit derivative is not prevented from terminating prior to expiration of any grace period required for a default on the underlying obligation to occur as a result of a failure to pay institutions shall reduce the maturity of the protection by the length of the grace period.

Article 239 U.K. Valuation of protection

1. For transactions subject to funded credit protection under the Financial Collateral Simple Method, where there is a mismatch between the maturity of the exposure and the maturity of the protection, the collateral does not qualify as eligible funded credit protection.

2. For transactions subject to funded credit protection under the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method, institutions shall reflect the maturity of the credit protection and of the exposure in the adjusted value of the collateral in accordance with the following formula:

where:

C VA

=

the volatility adjusted value of the collateral as specified in Article 223(2) or the amount of the exposure, whichever is lower;

t

=

the number of years remaining to the maturity date of the credit protection calculated in accordance with Article 238, or the value of T, whichever is lower;

T

=

the number of years remaining to the maturity date of the exposure calculated in accordance with Article 238, or five years, whichever is lower;

t*

=

0,25.

Institutions shall use C VAM as C VA further adjusted for maturity mismatch in the formula for the calculation of the fully adjusted value of the exposure (E*) set out in Article 223(5).

3. For transactions subject to unfunded credit protection, institutions shall reflect the maturity of the credit protection and of the exposure in the adjusted value of the credit protection in accordance with the following formula:

where:

G A

=

G* adjusted for any maturity mismatch;

G*

=

the amount of the protection adjusted for any currency mismatch;

t

=

is the number of years remaining to the maturity date of the credit protection calculated in accordance with Article 238, or the value of T, whichever is lower;

T

=

is the number of years remaining to the maturity date of the exposure calculated in accordance with Article 238, or five years, whichever is lower;

t*

=

0,25.

Institutions shall use G A as the value of the protection for the purposes of Articles 233 to 236.

Section 6 U.K. Basket CRM techniques

Article 240 U.K. First-to-default credit derivatives

Where an institution obtains credit protection for a number of exposures under terms that the first default among the exposures shall trigger payment and that this credit event shall terminate the contract, the institution may amend the calculation of the risk-weighted exposure amount and, as relevant, the expected loss amount of the exposure which would, in the absence of the credit protection, produce the lowest risk-weighted exposure amount in accordance with this Chapter:

(a)

for institutions using the Standardised Approach, the risk-weighted exposure amount shall be that calculated under the Standardised Approach;

(b)

for institutions using the IRB Approach, the risk-weighted exposure amount shall be the sum of the risk-weighted exposure amount calculated under the IRB Approach and 12,5 times the expected loss amount.

The treatment set out in this Article applies only where the exposure value is less than or equal to the value of the credit protection.

Article 241 U.K. Nth-to-default credit derivatives

Where the nth default among the exposures triggers payment under the credit protection, the institution purchasing the protection may only recognise the protection for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and, as applicable, expected loss amounts where protection has also been obtained for defaults 1 to n-1 or when n-1 defaults have already occurred. In such cases, the institution may amend the calculation of the risk-weighted exposure amount and, as applicable, the expected loss amount of the exposure which would, in the absence of the credit protection, produce the n-th lowest risk-weighted exposure amount in accordance with this Chapter. Institutions shall calculate the nth lowest amount as specified in points (a) and (b) of Article 240.

The treatment set out in this Article applies only where the exposure value is less than or equal to the value of the credit protection.

All exposures in the basket shall meet the requirements laid down in Article 204(2) and Article 216(1)(d).

[F6CHAPTER 5 U.K. Securitisation

Section 1 U.K. Definitions and criteria for simple, transparent and standardised securitisations

Article 242 U.K. Definitions

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) ‘ clean-up call option ’ means a contractual option that entitles the originator to call the securitisation positions before all of the securitised exposures have been repaid, either by repurchasing the underlying exposures remaining in the pool in the case of traditional securitisations or by terminating the credit protection in the case of synthetic securitisations, in both cases when the amount of outstanding underlying exposures falls to or below certain pre-specified level;

(2) ‘ credit-enhancing interest-only strip ’ means an on-balance sheet asset that represents a valuation of cash flows related to future margin income and is a subordinated tranche in the securitisation;

(3) ‘ liquidity facility ’ means a liquidity facility as defined in point (14) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(4) ‘ unrated position ’ means a securitisation position which does not have an eligible credit assessment in accordance with Section 4;

(5) ‘ rated position ’ means a securitisation position which has an eligible credit assessment in accordance with Section 4;

(6) ‘ senior securitisation position ’ means a position backed or secured by a first claim on the whole of the underlying exposures, disregarding for these purposes amounts due under interest rate or currency derivative contracts, fees or other similar payments, and irrespective of any difference in maturity with one or more other senior tranches with which that position shares losses on a pro-rata basis;

(7) ‘ IRB pool ’ means a pool of underlying exposures of a type in relation to which the institution has permission to use the IRB Approach and is able to calculate risk- weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Chapter 3 for all of these exposures;

(8) ‘ mixed pool ’ means a pool of underlying exposures of a type in relation to which the institution has permission to use the IRB Approach and is able to calculate risk- weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Chapter 3 for some, but not all, of the exposures;

(9) ‘ overcollateralisation ’ means any form of credit enhancement by virtue of which underlying exposures are posted in value which is higher than the value of the securitisation positions;

(10) ‘ simple, transparent and standardised securitisation ’ or ‘ STS securitisation ’ means—

[F221(a)]a securitisation that meets the requirements set out in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 [F222; or

(b)an STS equivalent non-UK securitisation as defined in point (A9) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;]

(11) ‘ asset-backed commercial paper programme ’ or ‘ ABCP programme ’ means an asset backed commercial paper programme or ABCP programme as defined in point (7) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(12) ‘ asset-backed commercial paper transaction ’ or ‘ ABCP transaction ’ means an asset-backed commercial paper transaction or ABCP transaction as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(13) ‘ traditional securitisation ’ means a traditional securitisation as defined in point (9) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(14) ‘ synthetic securitisation ’ means a synthetic securitisation as defined in point (10) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(15) ‘ revolving exposure ’ means a revolving exposure as defined in point (15) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(16) ‘ early amortisation provision ’ means an early amortisation provision as defined in point (17) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(17) ‘ first loss tranche ’ means a first loss tranche as defined in point (18) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

(18) ‘ mezzanine securitisation position ’ means a position in the securitisation which is subordinated to the senior securitisation position and more senior than the first loss tranche, and which is subject to a risk weight lower than 1 250  % and higher than 25 % in accordance with Subsections 2 and 3 of Section 3;

[F223(19)“promotional entity” means any undertaking or entity—

(a)which is established by a government department or devolved administration or by a local authority in any part of the United Kingdom (“the establishing body”);

(b)which grants promotional loans or guarantees;

(c)whose primary goal is not to make profit or maximise market share, but is to promote public policy objectives of the establishing body; and

(d)in relation to which F224...—

(i)the establishing body is obliged to protect its economic basis and maintain its viability throughout its lifetime; or

(ii)at least 90% of its original capital or funding or the promotional loan it grants is directly or indirectly guaranteed by a government department, a devolved administration or a local authority in any part of the United Kingdom.]

Textual Amendments

F221Words in Art. 242(10) renumbered as Art. 242(10)(a) (29.8.2023) by Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (c. 29), s. 86(3), Sch. 2 para. 38(a) (with s. 2(3)); S.I. 2023/779, reg. 4(zz)(iii)

F224Words in Art. 242(19) omitted (31.12.2020 immediately after IP completion day) by virtue of The State Aid (Revocations and Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1470), reg. 1(3), Sch. 1 para. 3(3) (with Sch. 3)

Article 243U.K. Criteria for STS securitisations qualifying for differentiated capital treatment

1.Positions in an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction that qualify as positions in an STS securitisation shall be eligible for the treatment set out in Articles 260, 262 and 264 where the following requirements are met:

(a)the underlying exposures meet, at the time of their inclusion in the ABCP programme, to the best knowledge of the originator or the original lender, the conditions for being assigned, under the Standardised Approach and taking into account any eligible credit risk mitigation, a risk weight equal to or smaller than 75 % on an individual exposure basis where the exposure is a retail exposure or 100 % for any other exposures; and

(b)the aggregate exposure value of all exposures to a single obligor at ABCP programme level does not exceed 2 % of the aggregate exposure value of all exposures within the ABCP programme at the time the exposures were added to the ABCP programme. For the purposes of this calculation, loans or leases to a group of connected clients, to the best knowledge of the sponsor, shall be considered as exposures to a single obligor.

In the case of trade receivables, point (b) of the first subparagraph shall not apply where the credit risk of those trade receivables is fully covered by eligible credit protection in accordance with Chapter 4, provided that in that case the protection provider is an institution, [F225an investment firm,] an insurance undertaking or a reinsurance undertaking. For the purposes of this subparagraph, only the portion of the trade receivables remaining after taking into account the effect of any purchase price discount and overcollateralisation shall be used to determine whether they are fully covered and whether the concentration limit is met.

In the case of securitised residual leasing values, point (b) of the first subparagraph shall not apply where those values are not exposed to refinancing or resell risk due to a legally enforceable commitment to repurchase or refinance the exposure at a pre-determined amount by a third party eligible under Article 201(1).

By way of derogation from point (a) of the first subparagraph, where an institution applies Article 248(3) or has been granted permission to apply the Internal Assessment Approach in accordance with Article 265, the risk weight that institution would assign to a liquidity facility that completely covers the ABCP issued under the programme is equal to or smaller than 100 %.

2.Positions in a securitisation, other than an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction, that qualify as positions in an STS securitisation, shall be eligible for the treatment set out in Articles 260, 262 and 264 where the following requirements are met:

(a)at the time of inclusion in the securitisation, the aggregate exposure value of all exposures to a single obligor in the pool does not exceed 2 % of the exposure values of the aggregate outstanding exposure values of the pool of underlying exposures. For the purposes of this calculation, loans or leases to a group of connected clients shall be considered as exposures to a single obligor.

In the case of securitised residual leasing values, the first subparagraph of this point shall not apply where those values are not exposed to refinancing or resell risk due to a legally enforceable commitment to repurchase or refinance the exposure at a pre-determined amount by a third party eligible under Article 201(1);

(b)at the time of their inclusion in the securitisation, the underlying exposures meet the conditions for being assigned, under the Standardised Approach and taking into account any eligible credit risk mitigation, a risk weight equal to or smaller than:

(i)

40 % on an exposure value-weighted average basis for the portfolio where the exposures are loans secured by residential mortgages or fully guaranteed residential loans, as referred to in point (e) of Article 129(1);

(ii)

50 % on an individual exposure basis where the exposure is a loan secured by a commercial mortgage;

(iii)

75 % on an individual exposure basis where the exposure is a retail exposure;

(iv)

for any other exposures, 100 % on an individual exposure basis;

(c)where points (b)(i) and (b)(ii) apply, the loans secured by lower ranking security rights on a given asset shall only be included in the securitisation where all loans secured by prior ranking security rights on that asset are also included in the securitisation;

(d)where point (b)(i) of this paragraph applies, no loan in the pool of underlying exposures shall have a loan-to-value ratio higher than 100 %, at the time of inclusion in the securitisation, measured in accordance with point (d)(i) of Article 129(1) and Article 229(1).

Textual Amendments

Section 2 U.K. Recognition of significant risk transfer

Article 244 U.K. Traditional securitisation

1 . The originator institution of a traditional securitisation may exclude underlying exposures from its calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and, where relevant, expected loss amounts if either of the following conditions is fulfilled:

( a ) significant credit risk associated with the underlying exposures has been transferred to third parties;

( b ) the originator institution applies a 1 250  % risk weight to all securitisation positions it holds in the securitisation or deducts these securitisation positions from Common Equity Tier 1 items in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1).

2 . Significant credit risk shall be considered as transferred in either of the following cases:

( a ) the risk-weighted exposure amounts of the mezzanine securitisation positions held by the originator institution in the securitisation do not exceed 50 % of the risk-weighted exposure amounts of all mezzanine securitisation positions existing in this securitisation;

( b ) the originator institution does not hold more than 20 % of the exposure value of the first loss tranche in the securitisation, provided that both of the following conditions are met:

(i)

the originator can demonstrate that the exposure value of the first loss tranche exceeds a reasoned estimate of the expected loss on the underlying exposures by a substantial margin;

(ii)

there are no mezzanine securitisation positions.

Where the possible reduction in risk-weighted exposure amounts, which the originator institution would achieve by the securitisation under points (a) or (b), is not justified by a commensurate transfer of credit risk to third parties, [F226the competent authority] may decide on a case-by-case basis that significant credit risk shall not be considered as transferred to third parties.

3 . By way of derogation from paragraph 2, [F227the competent authority] may allow originator institutions to recognise significant credit risk transfer in relation to a securitisation where the originator institution demonstrates in each case that the reduction in own funds requirements which the originator achieves by the securitisation is justified by a commensurate transfer of credit risk to third parties. Permission may only be granted where the institution meets both of the following conditions:

( a ) the institution has adequate internal risk management policies and methodologies to assess the transfer of credit risk;

( b ) the institution has also recognised the transfer of credit risk to third parties in each case for the purposes of the institution’s internal risk management and its internal capital allocation.

4 . In addition to the requirements set out in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, all of the following conditions shall be met:

( a ) the transaction documentation reflects the economic substance of the securitisation;

( b ) the securitisation positions do not constitute payment obligations of the originator institution;

( c ) the underlying exposures are placed beyond the reach of the originator institution and its creditors in a manner that meets the requirement set out in Article 20(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402;

( d ) the originator institution does not retain control over the underlying exposures. It shall be considered that control is retained over the underlying exposures where the originator has the right to repurchase from the transferee the previously transferred exposures in order to realise their benefits or if it is otherwise required to re-assume transferred risk. The originator institution’s retention of servicing rights or obligations in respect of the underlying exposures shall not of itself constitute control of the exposures;

( e ) the securitisation documentation does not contain terms or conditions that:

(i)

require the originator institution to alter the underlying exposures to improve the average quality of the pool; or

(ii)

increase the yield payable to holders of positions or otherwise enhance the positions in the securitisation in response to a deterioration in the credit quality of the underlying exposures;

( f ) where applicable, the transaction documentation makes it clear that the originator or the sponsor may only purchase or repurchase securitisation positions or repurchase, restructure or substitute the underlying exposures beyond their contractual obligations where such arrangements are executed in accordance with prevailing market conditions and the parties to them act in their own interest as free and independent parties (arm’s length);

( g ) where there is a clean-up call option, that option shall also meet all of the following conditions:

(i)

it can be exercised at the discretion of the originator institution;

(ii)

it may only be exercised when 10 % or less of the original value of the underlying exposures remains unamortised;

(iii)

it is not structured to avoid allocating losses to credit enhancement positions or other positions held by investors in the securitisation and is not otherwise structured to provide credit enhancement;

( h ) the originator institution has received an opinion from a qualified legal counsel confirming that the securitisation complies with the conditions set out in point (c) of this paragraph.

F228 5 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F229 6 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 245 U.K. Synthetic securitisation

1 . The originator institution of a synthetic securitisation may calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts, and, where relevant, expected loss amounts with respect to the underlying exposures in accordance with Articles 251 and 252, where either of the following conditions is met:

( a ) significant credit risk has been transferred to third parties either through funded or unfunded credit protection;

( b ) the originator institution applies a 1 250  % risk weight to all securitisation positions that it retains in the securitisation or deducts these securitisation positions from Common Equity Tier 1 items in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1).

2 . Significant credit risk shall be considered as transferred in either of the following cases:

( a ) the risk-weighted exposure amounts of the mezzanine securitisation positions held by the originator institution in the securitisation do not exceed 50 % of the risk-weighted exposure amounts of all mezzanine securitisation positions existing in this securitisation;

( b ) the originator institution does not hold more than 20 % of the exposure value of the first loss tranche in the securitisation, provided that both of the following conditions are met:

(i)

the originator can demonstrate that the exposure value of the first loss tranche exceeds a reasoned estimate of the expected loss on the underlying exposures by a substantial margin;

(ii)

there are no mezzanine securitisation positions.

Where the possible reduction in risk-weighted exposure amounts, which the originator institution would achieve by the securitisation, is not justified by a commensurate transfer of credit risk to third parties, [F230the competent authority] may decide on a case-by-case basis that significant credit risk shall not be considered as transferred to third parties.

3 . By way of derogation from paragraph 2, [F231the competent authority] may allow originator institutions to recognise significant credit risk transfer in relation to a securitisation where the originator institution demonstrates in each case that the reduction in own funds requirements which the originator achieves by the securitisation is justified by a commensurate transfer of credit risk to third parties. Permission may only be granted where the institution meets both of the following conditions:

( a ) the institution has adequate internal risk-management policies and methodologies to assess the transfer of risk;

( b ) the institution has also recognised the transfer of credit risk to third parties in each case for the purposes of the institution’s internal risk management and its internal capital allocation.

4 . In addition to the requirements set out in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, all of the following conditions shall be met:

( a ) the transaction documentation reflects the economic substance of the securitisation;

( b ) the credit protection by virtue of which credit risk is transferred complies with Article 249;

( c ) the securitisation documentation does not contain terms or conditions that:

(i)

impose significant materiality thresholds below which credit protection is deemed not to be triggered if a credit event occurs;

(ii)

allow for the termination of the protection due to deterioration of the credit quality of the underlying exposures;

(iii)

require the originator institution to alter the composition of the underlying exposures to improve the average quality of the pool; or

(iv)

increase the institution’s cost of credit protection or the yield payable to holders of positions in the securitisation in response to a deterioration in the credit quality of the underlying pool;

( d ) the credit protection is enforceable in all relevant jurisdictions;

( e ) where applicable, the transaction documentation makes it clear that the originator or the sponsor may only purchase or repurchase securitisation positions or repurchase, restructure or substitute the underlying exposures beyond their contractual obligations where such arrangements are executed in accordance with prevailing market conditions and the parties to them act in their own interest as free and independent parties (arm’s length);

( f ) where there is a clean-up call option, that option meets all the following conditions:

(i)

it may be exercised at the discretion of the originator institution;

(ii)

it may only be exercised when 10 % or less of the original value of the underlying exposures remains unamortised;

(iii)

it is not structured to avoid allocating losses to credit enhancement positions or other positions held by investors in the securitisation and is not otherwise structured to provide credit enhancement;

( g ) the originator institution has received an opinion from a qualified legal counsel confirming that the securitisation complies with the conditions set out in point (d) of this paragraph;

F232 5 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F233 6 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 246 U.K. Operational requirements for early amortisation provisions

Where the securitisation includes revolving exposures and early amortisation provisions or similar provisions, significant credit risk shall only be considered transferred by the originator institution where the requirements laid down in Articles 244 and 245 are met and the early amortisation provision, once triggered, does not:

(a)

subordinate the institution’s senior or pari passu claim on the underlying exposures to the other investors’ claims;

(b)

subordinate further the institution’s claim on the underlying exposures relative to other parties’ claims; or

(c)

otherwise increase the institution’s exposure to losses associated with the underlying revolving exposures.

Section 3 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts

Subsection 1 U.K. General Provisions
Article 247 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts

1. Where an originator institution has transferred significant credit risk associated with the underlying exposures of the securitisation in accordance with Section 2, that institution may:

(a) in the case of a traditional securitisation, exclude the underlying exposures from its calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts, and, as relevant, expected loss amounts;

(b) in the case of a synthetic securitisation, calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts, and, where relevant, expected loss amounts, with respect to the underlying exposures in accordance with Articles 251 and 252.

2. Where the originator institution has decided to apply paragraph 1, it shall calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts as set out in this Chapter for the positions that it may hold in the securitisation.

Where the originator institution has not transferred significant credit risk or has decided not to apply paragraph 1, it shall not be required to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts for any position it may have in the securitisation but shall continue including the underlying exposures in its calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts and, where relevant, expected loss amounts as if they had not been securitised.

3. Where there is an exposure to positions in different tranches in a securitisation, the exposure to each tranche shall be considered a separate securitisation position. The providers of credit protection to securitisation positions shall be considered as holding positions in the securitisation. Securitisation positions shall include exposures to a securitisation arising from interest rate or currency derivative contracts that the institution has entered into with the transaction.

4. Unless a securitisation position is deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 items pursuant to point (k) of Article 36(1), the risk-weighted exposure amount shall be included in the institution’s total of risk-weighted exposure amounts for the purposes of Article 92(3).

5. The risk-weighted exposure amount of a securitisation position shall be calculated by multiplying the exposure value of the position, calculated as set out in Article 248, by the relevant total risk weight.

6. The total risk weight shall be determined as the sum of the risk weight set out in this Chapter and any additional risk weight in accordance with Article 270a.

Article 248U.K. Exposure value

1.The exposure value of a securitisation position shall be calculated as follows:

(a)the exposure value of an on-balance sheet securitisation position shall be its accounting value remaining after any relevant specific credit risk adjustments on the securitisation position have been applied in accordance with Article 110;

(b)the exposure value of an off-balance sheet securitisation position shall be its nominal value less any relevant specific credit risk adjustments on the securitisation position in accordance with Article 110, multiplied by the relevant conversion factor as set out in this point. The conversion factor shall be 100 %, except in the case of cash advance facilities. To determine the exposure value of the undrawn portion of the cash advance facilities, a conversion factor of 0 % may be applied to the nominal amount of a liquidity facility that is unconditionally cancellable provided that repayment of draws on the facility are senior to any other claims on the cash flows arising from the underlying exposures and the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that it is applying an appropriately conservative method for measuring the amount of the undrawn portion;

(c)the exposure value for the counterparty credit risk of a securitisation position that results from a derivative instrument listed in Annex II, shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 6;

(d)an originator institution may deduct from the exposure value of a securitisation position which is assigned 1 250  % risk weight in accordance with Subsection 3 or deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1), the amount of the specific credit risk adjustments on the underlying exposures in accordance with Article 110, and any non-refundable purchase price discounts connected with such underlying exposures to the extent that such discounts have caused the reduction of own funds.

The [F234[F235PRA may] make] technical standards to specify what constitutes an appropriately conservative method for measuring the amount of the undrawn portion referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph.

F236...

2.Where an institution has two or more overlapping positions in a securitisation, it shall include only one of the positions in its calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts.

Where the positions partially overlap, the institution may split the position into two parts and recognise the overlap in relation to one part only in accordance with the first subparagraph. Alternatively, the institution may treat the positions as if they were fully overlapping by expanding for capital calculation purposes the position that produces the higher risk-weighted exposure amounts.

The institution may also recognise an overlap between the specific risk own funds requirements for positions in the trading book and the own funds requirements for securitisation positions in the non-trading book, provided that the institution is able to calculate and compare the own funds requirements for the relevant positions.

For the purposes of this paragraph, two positions shall be deemed to be overlapping where they are mutually offsetting in such a manner that the institution is able to preclude the losses arising from one position by performing the obligations required under the other position.

3.Where point (d) of Article 270c applies to positions in an ABCP, the institution may use the risk weight assigned to a liquidity facility in order to calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount for the ABCP, provided that the liquidity facility covers 100 % of the ABCP issued by the ABCP programme and the liquidity facility ranks pari passu with the ABCP in a manner that they form an overlapping position. The institution shall notify [F237the competent authority] where it has applied the provisions laid down in this paragraph. For the purposes of determining the 100 % coverage set out in this paragraph, the institution may take into account other liquidity facilities in the ABCP programme, provided that they form an overlapping position with the ABCP.

Textual Amendments

Article 249U.K. Recognition of credit risk mitigation for securitisation positions

1.An institution may recognise funded or unfunded credit protection with respect to a securitisation position where the requirements for credit risk mitigation laid down in this Chapter and in Chapter 4 are met.

2.Eligible funded credit protection shall be limited to financial collateral which is eligible for the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under Chapter 2 [F238of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] as laid down under Chapter 4 and recognition of credit risk mitigation shall be subject to compliance with the relevant requirements as laid down under Chapter 4.

Eligible unfunded credit protection and unfunded credit protection providers shall be limited to those which are eligible in accordance with Chapter 4 and recognition of credit risk mitigation shall be subject to compliance with the relevant requirements as laid down under Chapter 4.

3.By way of derogation from paragraph 2, the eligible providers of unfunded credit protection listed in points (a) to (h) of Article 201(1) shall have been assigned a credit assessment by a recognised ECAI which is credit quality step 2 or above at the time the credit protection was first recognised and credit quality step 3 or above thereafter. The requirement set out in this subparagraph shall not apply to qualifying central counterparties.

Institutions which are allowed to apply the IRB Approach to a direct exposure to the protection provider may assess eligibility in accordance with the first subparagraph based on the equivalence of the PD for the protection provider to the PD associated with the credit quality steps referred to in Article 136.

4.By way of derogation from paragraph 2, SSPEs shall be eligible protection providers where all of the following conditions are met:

(a)the SSPE owns assets that qualify as eligible financial collateral in accordance with Chapter 4;

(b)the assets referred to in point (a) are not subject to claims or contingent claims ranking ahead or pari passu with the claim or contingent claim of the institution receiving unfunded credit protection; and

(c)all the requirements for the recognition of financial collateral set out in Chapter 4 are met.

5.For the purposes of paragraph 4, the amount of the protection adjusted for any currency and maturity mismatches (Ga) in accordance with Chapter 4 shall be limited to the volatility adjusted market value of those assets and the risk weight of exposures to the protection provider as specified under the Standardised Approach (g) shall be determined as the weighted-average risk weight that would apply to those assets as financial collateral under the Standardised Approach.

6.Where a securitisation position benefits from full credit protection or a partial credit protection on a pro-rata basis, the following requirements shall apply:

(a)the institution providing credit protection shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts for the portion of the securitisation position benefiting from credit protection in accordance with Subsection 3 as if it held that portion of the position directly;

(b)the institution buying credit protection shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Chapter 4 for the protected portion.

7.In all cases not covered by paragraph 6, the following requirements shall apply:

(a)the institution providing credit protection shall treat the portion of the position benefiting from credit protection as a securitisation position and shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts as if it held that position directly in accordance with Subsection 3, subject to paragraphs 8, 9 and 10;

(b)the institution buying credit protection shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts for the protected portion of the position referred to in point (a) in accordance with Chapter 4. The institution shall treat the portion of the securitisation position not benefiting from credit protection as a separate securitisation position and shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Subsection 3, subject to paragraphs 8, 9 and 10.

8.Institutions using the Securitisation Internal Ratings Based Approach (SEC-IRBA) or the Securitisation Standardised Approach (SEC-SA) under Subsection 3 shall determine the attachment point (A) and detachment point (D) separately for each of the positions derived in accordance with paragraph 7 as if these had been issued as separate securitisation positions at the time of origination of the transaction. The value of K IRB or K SA , respectively, shall be calculated taking into account the original pool of exposures underlying the securitisation.

9.Institutions using the Securitisation External Ratings Based Approach (SEC-ERBA) under Subsection 3 for the original securitisation position shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts for the positions derived in accordance with paragraph 7 as follows:

(a)where the derived position has the higher seniority, it shall be assigned the risk weight of the original securitisation position;

(b)where the derived position has the lower seniority, it may be assigned an inferred rating in accordance with Article 263(7). In that case, thickness input T shall only be computed on the basis of the derived position. Where a rating may not be inferred, the institution shall apply the higher of the risk weight resulting from either:

(i)

applying the SEC-SA in accordance with paragraph 8 and Subsection 3; or

(ii)

the risk weight of the original securitisation position under the SEC-ERBA.

10.The derived position with the lower seniority shall be treated as a non-senior securitisation position even if the original securitisation position prior to protection qualifies as senior.

Textual Amendments

Article 250 U.K. Implicit support

1 . A sponsor institution, or an originator institution which in respect of a securitisation has made use of Article 247(1) and (2) in the calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts or has sold instruments from its trading book to the effect that it is no longer required to hold own funds for the risks of those instruments shall not provide support, directly or indirectly, to the securitisation beyond its contractual obligations with a view to reducing potential or actual losses to investors.

2 . A transaction shall not be considered as support for the purposes of paragraph 1 where the transaction has been duly taken into account in the assessment of significant credit risk transfer and both parties have executed the transaction acting in their own interest as free and independent parties (arm’s length). For these purposes, the institution shall undertake a full credit review of the transaction and, at a minimum, take into account all of the following items:

( a ) the repurchase price;

( b ) the institution’s capital and liquidity position before and after repurchase;

( c ) the performance of the underlying exposures;

( d ) the performance of the securitisation positions;

( e ) the impact of support on the losses expected to be incurred by the originator relative to investors.

3 . The originator institution and the sponsor institution shall notify the competent authority of any transaction entered into in relation to the securitisation in accordance with paragraph 2.

F239 4 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 . If an originator institution or a sponsor institution fails to comply with paragraph 1 in respect of a securitisation, the institution shall include all of the underlying exposures of that securitisation in its calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts as if they had not been securitised and disclose:

( a ) that it has provided support to the securitisation in breach of paragraph 1; and

( b ) the impact of the support provided in terms of own funds requirements.

Textual Amendments

Article 251U.K. Originator institutions’ calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts securitised in a synthetic securitisation

1.For the purpose of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts for the underlying exposures, the originator institution of a synthetic securitisation shall use the calculation methodologies set out in this Section where applicable instead of those set out in Chapter 2 [F240of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook]. For institutions calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts and, where relevant, expected loss amounts with respect to the underlying exposures under Chapter 3, the expected loss amount in respect of such exposures shall be zero.

2.The requirements set out in paragraph 1 of this Article shall apply to the entire pool of exposures backing the securitisation. Subject to Article 252, the originator institution shall calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts with respect to all tranches in the securitisation in accordance with this Section, including the positions in relation to which the institution is able to recognise credit risk mitigation in accordance with Article 249. The risk weight to be applied to positions which benefit from credit risk mitigation may be amended in accordance with Chapter 4.

Textual Amendments

Article 252 U.K. Treatment of maturity mismatches in synthetic securitisations

For the purposes of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Article 251, any maturity mismatch between the credit protection by which the transfer of risk is achieved and the underlying exposures shall be calculated as follows:

(a)

the maturity of the underlying exposures shall be taken to be the longest maturity of any of those exposures subject to a maximum of 5 years. The maturity of the credit protection shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 4;

(b)

an originator institution shall ignore any maturity mismatch in calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts for securitisation positions subject to a risk weight of 1 250  % in accordance with this Section. For all other positions, the maturity mismatch treatment set out in Chapter 4 shall be applied in accordance with the following formula:

where:

RW*

=

risk-weighted exposure amounts for the purposes of point (a) of Article 92(3);

RW Ass

=

risk-weighted exposure amounts for the underlying exposures as if they had not been securitised, calculated on a pro-rata basis;

RW SP

=

risk-weighted exposure amounts calculated under Article 251 as if there was no maturity mismatch;

T

=

maturity of the underlying exposures, expressed in years;

t

=

maturity of credit protection, expressed in years;

t*

=

0,25

Article 253 U.K. Reduction in risk-weighted exposure amounts

1. Where a securitisation position is assigned a 1 250  % risk weight under this Section, institutions may deduct the exposure value of such position from Common Equity Tier 1 capital in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1) as an alternative to including the position in their calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts. For that purpose, the calculation of the exposure value may reflect eligible funded credit protection in accordance with Article 249.

2. Where an institution makes use of the alternative set out in paragraph 1, it may subtract the amount deducted in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1) from the amount specified in Article 268 as maximum capital requirement that would be calculated in respect of the underlying exposures as if they had not been securitised.

Subsection 2 U.K. Hierarchy of methods and common parameters
Article 254 U.K. Hierarchy of methods

1 . Institutions shall use one of the methods set out in Subsection 3 to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with the following hierarchy:

( a ) where the conditions set out in Article 258 are met, an institution shall use the SEC-IRBA in accordance with Articles 259 and 260;

( b ) where the SEC-IRBA may not be used, an institution shall use the SEC-SA in accordance with Articles 261 and 262;

( c ) where the SEC-SA may not be used, an institution shall use the SEC-ERBA in accordance with Articles 263 and 264 for rated positions or positions in respect of which an inferred rating may be used.

2 . For rated positions or positions in respect of which an inferred rating may be used, an institution shall use the SEC-ERBA instead of the SEC-SA in each of the following cases:

( a ) where the application of the SEC-SA would result in a risk weight higher than 25 % for positions qualifying as positions in an STS securitisation;

( b ) where the application of the SEC-SA would result in a risk weight higher than 25 % or the application of the SEC-ERBA would result in a risk weight higher than 75 % for positions not qualifying as positions in an STS securitisation;

( c ) for securitisation transactions backed by pools of auto loans, auto leases and equipment leases.

3 .[F241The third and fourth subparagraphs apply where, on or before 17 November 2018, an institution notified the competent authority of a relevant decision.“A relevant decision” is a decision made under the first subparagraph, as it had effect on 17 November 2018 by virtue of the first subparagraph of Article 3 (entry into force), to apply the SEC-ERBA instead of the SEC-SA to all its rated securitisation positions or positions in respect of which an inferred rating may be used.]

Any subsequent decision to further change the approach applied to all of its rated securitisation positions shall be notified by the institution to its competent authority before the 15th November immediately following that decision.

In the absence of any objection by the competent authority by 15 December immediately following the deadline referred to in the second or third subparagraph, as appropriate, the decision notified by the institution shall take effect from 1 January of the following year and shall be valid until a subsequently notified decision comes into effect. An institution shall not use different approaches in the course of the same year.

4 . By way of derogation from paragraph 1, [F242the competent authority] may prohibit institutions, on a case by case basis, from applying the SEC-SA when the risk-weighted exposure amount resulting from the application of the SEC-SA is not commensurate to the risks posed to the institution or to financial stability, including but not limited to the credit risk embedded in the exposures underlying the securitisation. In the case of exposures not qualifying as positions in an STS securitisation, particular regard shall be had to securitisations with highly complex and risky features.

5 . Without prejudice to paragraph 1 of this Article, an institution may apply the Internal Assessment Approach to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts in relation to an unrated position in an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction in accordance with Article 266, provided that the conditions set out in Article 265 are met. Where an institution has received permission to apply the Internal Assessment Approach in accordance with Article 265(2), and a specific position in an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction falls within the scope of application covered by such permission, the institution shall apply that approach to calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount of that position.

6 . For a position in a re-securitisation, institutions shall apply the SEC-SA in accordance with Article 261, with the modifications set out in Article 269.

7 . In all other cases, a risk weight of 1 250  % shall be assigned to securitisation positions.

F243 8 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 255U.K. Determination of K IRB and K SA

1.Where an institution applies the SEC-IRBA under Subsection 3, the institution shall calculate K IRB in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 5.

2.Institutions shall determine K IRB by multiplying the risk-weighted exposure amounts that would be calculated under Chapter 3 in respect of the underlying exposures as if they had not been securitised by 8 % divided by the exposure value of the underlying exposures. K IRB shall be expressed in decimal form between zero and one.

3.For K IRB calculation purposes, the risk-weighted exposure amounts that would be calculated under Chapter 3 in respect of the underlying exposures shall include:

(a)the amount of expected losses associated with all the underlying exposures of the securitisation including defaulted underlying exposures that are still part of the pool in accordance with Chapter 3; and

(b)the amount of unexpected losses associated with all the underlying exposures including defaulted underlying exposures in the pool in accordance with Chapter 3.

4.Institutions may calculate K IRB in relation to the underlying exposures of the securitisation in accordance with the provisions set out in Chapter 3 for the calculation of capital requirements for purchased receivables. For these purposes, retail exposures shall be treated as purchased retail receivables and non-retail exposures as purchased corporate receivables.

5.Institutions shall calculate K IRB separately for dilution risk in relation to the underlying exposures of a securitisation where dilution risk is material to such exposures.

Where losses from dilution and credit risks are treated in an aggregate manner in the securitisation, institutions shall combine the respective K IRB for dilution and credit risk into a single K IRB for the purposes of Subsection 3. The presence of a single reserve fund or overcollateralisation available to cover losses from either credit or dilution risk may be regarded as an indication that these risks are treated in an aggregate manner.

Where dilution and credit risk are not treated in an aggregate manner in the securitisation, institutions shall modify the treatment set out in the second subparagraph to combine the respective K IRB for dilution and credit risk in a prudent manner.

6.Where an institution applies the SEC-SA under Subsection 3, it shall calculate K SA by multiplying the risk-weighted exposure amounts that would be calculated under Chapter 2 [F244of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] in respect of the underlying exposures as if they had not been securitised by 8 % divided by the value of the underlying exposures. K SA shall be expressed in decimal form between zero and one.

For the purposes of this paragraph, institutions shall calculate the exposure value of the underlying exposures without netting any specific credit risk adjustments and additional value adjustments in accordance with Articles 34 and 110 and other own funds reductions.

7.For the purposes of paragraphs 1 to 6, where a securitisation structure involves the use of an SSPE, all the SSPE’s exposures related to the securitisation shall be treated as underlying exposures. Without prejudice to the preceding, the institution may exclude the SSPE’s exposures from the pool of underlying exposures for K IRB or K SA calculation purposes if the risk from the SSPE’s exposures is immaterial or if it does not affect the institution’s securitisation position.

In the case of funded synthetic securitisations, any material proceeds from the issuance of credit-linked notes or other funded obligations of the SSPE that serve as collateral for the repayment of the securitisation positions shall be included in the calculation of K IRB or K SA if the credit risk of the collateral is subject to the tranched loss allocation.

F2458.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9.The [F246[F247PRA may] make] technical standards to further specify the conditions to allow institutions to calculate K IRB for the pools of underlying exposures in accordance with paragraph 4, in particular with regard to:

(a)internal credit policy and models for calculating K IRB for securitisations;

(b)use of different risk factors relating to the pool of underlying exposures and, where sufficient accurate or reliable data on that pool are not available, of proxy data to estimate PD and LGD; and

(c)due diligence requirements to monitor the actions and policies of sellers of receivables or other originators.

F248...

Textual Amendments

Article 256 U.K. Determination of attachment point (A) and detachment point (D)

1. For the purposes of Subsection 3, institutions shall set the attachment point (A) at the threshold at which losses within the pool of underlying exposures would start to be allocated to the relevant securitisation position.

The attachment point (A) shall be expressed as a decimal value between zero and one and shall be equal to the greater of zero and the ratio of the outstanding balance of the pool of underlying exposures in the securitisation minus the outstanding balance of all tranches that rank senior or pari passu to the tranche containing the relevant securitisation position including the exposure itself to the outstanding balance of all the underlying exposures in the securitisation.

2. For the purposes of Subsection 3, institutions shall set the detachment point (D) at the threshold at which losses within the pool of underlying exposures would result in a complete loss of principal for the tranche containing the relevant securitisation position.

The detachment point (D) shall be expressed as a decimal value between zero and one and shall be equal to the greater of zero and the ratio of the outstanding balance of the pool of underlying exposures in the securitisation minus the outstanding balance of all tranches that rank senior to the tranche containing the relevant securitisation position to the outstanding balance of all the underlying exposures in the securitisation.

3. For the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2, institutions shall treat overcollateralisation and funded reserve accounts as tranches and the assets comprising such reserve accounts as underlying exposures.

4. For the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2, institutions shall disregard unfunded reserve accounts and assets that do not provide credit enhancement, such as those that only provide liquidity support, currency or interest rate swaps and cash collateral accounts related to those positions in the securitisation. For funded reserve accounts and assets providing credit enhancement, the institution shall only treat as securitisation positions the parts of those accounts or assets that are loss-absorbing.

5. Where two or more positions of the same transaction have different maturities but share pro rata loss allocation, the calculation of the attachment points (A) and the detachment points (D) shall be based on the aggregated outstanding balance of those positions and the resulting attachment points (A) and detachment points (D) shall be the same.

Article 257 U.K. Determination of tranche maturity (M T )

1 . For the purposes of Subsection 3 and subject to paragraph 2, institutions may measure the maturity of a tranche (M T ) as either:

( a ) the weighted average maturity of the contractual payments due under the tranche in accordance with the following formula:

where CF t denotes all contractual payments (principal, interests and fees) payable by the borrower during period t; or

( b ) the final legal maturity of the tranche in accordance with the following formula:

where M L is the final legal maturity of the tranche.

2 . For the purposes of paragraph 1, the determination of a tranche maturity (M T ) shall be subject in all cases to a floor of 1 year and a cap of 5 years.

3 . Where an institution may become exposed to potential losses from the underlying exposures by virtue of contract, the institution shall determine the maturity of the securitisation position by taking into account the maturity of the contract plus the longest maturity of such underlying exposures. For revolving exposures, the longest contractually possible remaining maturity of the exposure that might be added during the revolving period shall apply.

F249 4 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Subsection 3 U.K. Methods to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts
Article 258 U.K. Conditions for the use of the Internal Ratings Based Approach (SEC-IRBA)

1 . Institutions shall use the SEC-IRBA to calculate risk-weighted exposure amounts in relation to a securitisation position where the following conditions are met:

( a ) the position is backed by an IRB pool or a mixed pool, provided that, in the latter case, the institution is able to calculate K IRB in accordance with Section 3 on a minimum of 95 % of the underlying exposure amount;

( b ) there is sufficient information available in relation to the underlying exposures of the securitisation for the institution to be able to calculate K IRB ; and

( c ) the institution has not been precluded from using the SEC-IRBA in relation to a specified securitisation position in accordance with paragraph 2.

2 .[F250The competent authority] may on a case-by-case basis preclude the use of the SEC-IRBA where securitisations have highly complex or risky features. For these purposes, the following may be regarded as highly complex or risky features:

( a ) credit enhancement that can be eroded for reasons other than portfolio losses;

( b ) pools of underlying exposures with a high degree of internal correlation as a result of concentrated exposures to single sectors or geographical areas;

( c ) transactions where the repayment of the securitisation positions is highly dependent on risk drivers not reflected in K IRB ; or

( d ) highly complex loss allocations between tranches.

Textual Amendments

Article 259 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under the SEC-IRBA

1. Under the SEC-IRBA, the risk-weighted exposure amount for a securitisation position shall be calculated by multiplying the exposure value of the position calculated in accordance with Article 248 by the applicable risk weight determined as follows, in all cases subject to a floor of 15 %:

RW = 1 250  % when D ≤ K IRB
when A ≥ K IRB
when A < K IRB < D

where:

K IRB

is the capital charge of the pool of underlying exposures as defined in Article 255

D

is the detachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256

A

is the attachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256

where:

a

=

– (1/(p * K IRB ))

u

=

D – K IRB

l

=

max (A – K IRB ; 0)

where:

where:

N

is the effective number of exposures in the pool of underlying exposures, calculated in accordance with paragraph 4;

LGD

is the exposure-weighted average loss-given-default of the pool of underlying exposures, calculated in accordance with paragraph 5;

M T

is the maturity of the tranche as determined in accordance with Article 257.

The parameters A, B, C, D, and E shall be determined according to the following look-up table:

A B C D E
Non-retail Senior, granular (N ≥ 25) 0 3,56 -1,85 0,55 0,07
Senior, non-granular (N < 25) 0,11 2,61 -2,91 0,68 0,07
Non-senior, granular (N ≥ 25) 0,16 2,87 -1,03 0,21 0,07
Non-senior, non-granular (N < 25) 0,22 2,35 -2,46 0,48 0,07
Retail Senior 0 0 -7,48 0,71 0,24
Non-senior 0 0 -5,78 0,55 0,27

2. If the underlying IRB pool comprises both retail and non-retail exposures, the pool shall be divided into one retail and one non-retail subpool and, for each subpool, a separate p-parameter (and the corresponding input parameters N, K IRB and LGD) shall be estimated. Subsequently, a weighted average p-parameter for the transaction shall be calculated on the basis of the p-parameters of each subpool and the nominal size of the exposures in each subpool.

3. Where an institution applies the SEC-IRBA to a mixed pool, the calculation of the p-parameter shall be based on the underlying exposures subject to the IRB Approach only. The underlying exposures subject to the Standardised Approach shall be ignored for these purposes.

4. The effective number of exposures (N) shall be calculated as follows:

where EAD i represents the exposure value associated with the ith exposure in the pool.

Multiple exposures to the same obligor shall be consolidated and treated as a single exposure.

5. The exposure-weighted average LGD shall be calculated as follows:

where LGD i represents the average LGD associated with all exposures to the ith obligor.

Where credit and dilution risks for purchased receivables are managed in an aggregate manner in a securitisation, the LGD input shall be construed as a weighted average of the LGD for credit risk and 100 % LGD for dilution risk. The weights shall be the stand-alone IRB Approach capital requirements for credit risk and dilution risk, respectively. For these purposes, the presence of a single reserve fund or overcollateralisation available to cover losses from either credit or dilution risk may be regarded as an indication that these risks are managed in an aggregate manner.

6. Where the share of the largest underlying exposure in the pool (C 1 ) is no more than 3 %, institutions may use the following simplified method to calculate N and the exposure-weighted average LGDs:

LGD = 0,50

where

C m

denotes the share of the pool corresponding to the sum of the largest m exposures; and

m

is set by the institution.

If only C 1 is available and this amount is no more than 0,03, then the institution may set LGD as 0,50 and N as 1/C 1 .

7. Where the position is backed by a mixed pool and the institution is able to calculate K IRB on at least 95 % of the underlying exposure amounts in accordance with point (a) of Article 258(1), the institution shall calculate the capital charge for the pool of underlying exposures as:

where

d is the share of the exposure amount of underlying exposures for which the institution can calculate K IRB over the exposure amount of all underlying exposures.

8. Where an institution has a securitisation position in the form of a derivative to hedge market risks, including interest rate or currency risks, the institution may attribute to that derivative an inferred risk weight equivalent to the risk weight of the reference position calculated in accordance with this Article.

For the purposes of the first subparagraph, the reference position shall be the position that is pari passu in all respects to the derivative or, in the absence of such pari passu position, the position that is immediately subordinate to the derivative.

Article 260 U.K. Treatment of STS securitisations under the SEC-IRBA

Under the SEC-IRBA, the risk weight for a position in an STS securitisation shall be calculated in accordance with Article 259, subject to the following modifications:

risk-weight floor for senior securitisation positions = 10 %

Article 261 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Standardised Approach (SEC-SA)

1. Under the SEC-SA, the risk-weighted exposure amount for a position in a securitisation shall be calculated by multiplying the exposure value of the position as calculated in accordance with Article 248 by the applicable risk weight determined as follows, in all cases subject to a floor of 15 %:

RW = 1 250  % when D ≤ K A
when A ≥ K A
when A < K A < D

where:

D

is the detachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256;

A

is the attachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256;

K A

is a parameter calculated in accordance with paragraph 2;

where:

a

=

– (1/(p · K A ))

u

=

D – K A

l

=

max (A – K A ; 0)

p

=

1 for a securitisation exposure that is not a re-securitisation exposure

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1, K A shall be calculated as follows:

where:

K SA is the capital charge of the underlying pool as defined in Article 255;

W = ratio of:

(a)

the sum of the nominal amount of underlying exposures in default, to

(b)

the sum of the nominal amount of all underlying exposures.

For these purposes, an exposure in default shall mean an underlying exposure which is either: (i) 90 days or more past due; (ii) subject to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings; (iii) subject to foreclosure or similar proceeding; or (iv) in default in accordance with the securitisation documentation.

Where an institution does not know the delinquency status for 5 % or less of underlying exposures in the pool, the institution may use the SEC-SA subject to the following adjustment in the calculation K A :

Where the institution does not know the delinquency status for more than 5 % of underlying exposures in the pool, the position in the securitisation must be risk-weighted at 1 250  %.

3. Where an institution has a securitisation position in the form of a derivative to hedge market risks, including interest rate or currency risks, the institution may attribute to that derivative an inferred risk weight equivalent to the risk weight of the reference position calculated in accordance with this Article.

For the purposes of this paragraph, the reference position shall be the position that is pari passu in all respects to the derivative or, in the absence of such pari passu position, the position that is immediately subordinate to the derivative.

Article 262 U.K. Treatment of STS securitisations under the SEC-SA

Under the SEC-SA the risk weight for a position in an STS securitisation shall be calculated in accordance with Article 261, subject to the following modifications:

  • risk-weight floor for senior securitisation positions = 10 %

  • p = 0,5

Article 263 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under the External Ratings Based Approach (SEC-ERBA)

1. Under the SEC-ERBA, the risk-weighted exposure amount for a securitisation position shall be calculated by multiplying the exposure value of the position as calculated in accordance with Article 248 by the applicable risk weight in accordance with this Article.

2. For exposures with short-term credit assessments or when a rating based on a short-term credit assessment may be inferred in accordance with paragraph 7, the following risk weights shall apply:

Table 1
Credit Quality Step 1 2 3 All other ratings
Risk weight 15  % 50  % 100  % 1 250  %

3. For exposures with long-term credit assessments or when a rating based on a long-term credit assessment may be inferred in accordance with paragraph 7 of this Article, the risk weights set out in Table 2 shall apply, adjusted as applicable for tranche maturity (M T ) in accordance with Article 257 and paragraph 4 of this Article and for tranche thickness for non-senior tranches in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Article:

Table 2
Credit Quality Step Senior tranche Non-senior (thin) tranche
Tranche maturity (M T ) Tranche maturity (M T )
1 year 5 years 1 year 5 years
1 15  % 20  % 15  % 70  %
2 15  % 30  % 15  % 90  %
3 25  % 40  % 30  % 120  %
4 30  % 45  % 40  % 140  %
5 40  % 50  % 60  % 160  %
6 50  % 65  % 80  % 180  %
7 60  % 70  % 120  % 210  %
8 75  % 90  % 170  % 260  %
9 90  % 105  % 220  % 310  %
10 120  % 140  % 330  % 420  %
11 140  % 160  % 470  % 580  %
12 160  % 180  % 620  % 760  %
13 200  % 225  % 750  % 860  %
14 250  % 280  % 900  % 950  %
15 310  % 340  % 1 050  % 1 050  %
16 380  % 420  % 1 130  % 1 130  %
17 460  % 505  % 1 250  % 1 250  %
All other 1 250  % 1 250  % 1 250  % 1 250  %

4. In order to determine the risk weight for tranches with a maturity between 1 and 5 years, institutions shall use linear interpolation between the risk weights applicable for 1 and 5 years maturity respectively in accordance with Table 2.

5. In order to account for tranche thickness, institutions shall calculate the risk weight for non-senior tranches as follows:

where

T = tranche thickness measured as D – A

where

D

is the detachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256

A

is the attachment point as determined in accordance with Article 256

6. The risk weights for non-senior tranches resulting from paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 shall be subject to a floor of 15 %. In addition, the resulting risk weights shall be no lower than the risk weight corresponding to a hypothetical senior tranche of the same securitisation with the same credit assessment and maturity.

7. For the purposes of using inferred ratings, institutions shall attribute to an unrated position an inferred rating equivalent to the credit assessment of a rated reference position which meets all of the following conditions:

(a) the reference position ranks pari passu in all respects to the unrated securitisation position or, in the absence of a pari passu ranking position, the reference position is immediately subordinate to the unrated position;

(b) the reference position does not benefit from any third-party guarantees or other credit enhancements that are not available to the unrated position;

(c) the maturity of the reference position shall be equal to or longer than that of the unrated position in question;

(d) on an ongoing basis, any inferred rating shall be updated to reflect any changes in the credit assessment of the reference position.

8. Where an institution has a securitisation position in the form of a derivative to hedge market risks, including interest rate or currency risks, the institution may attribute to that derivative an inferred risk weight equivalent to the risk weight of the reference position calculated in accordance with this Article.

For the purposes of the first subparagraph, the reference position shall be the position that is pari passu in all respects to the derivative or, in the absence of such pari passu position, the position that is immediately subordinate to the derivative.

Article 264 U.K. Treatment of STS securitisations under the SEC-ERBA

1. Under the SEC-ERBA, the risk weight for a position in an STS securitisation shall be calculated in accordance with Article 263, subject to the modifications laid down in this Article.

2. For exposures with short-term credit assessments or when a rating based on a short-term credit assessment may be inferred in accordance with Article 263(7), the following risk weights shall apply:

Table 3
Credit Quality Step 1 2 3 All other ratings
Risk weight 10  % 30  % 60  % 1 250  %

3. For exposures with long-term credit assessments or when a rating based on a long-term credit assessment may be inferred in accordance with Article 263(7), risk weights shall be determined in accordance with Table 4, adjusted for tranche maturity (M T ) in accordance with Article 257 and Article 263(4) and for tranche thickness for non-senior tranches in accordance with Article 263(5):

Table 4
Credit Quality Step Senior tranche Non-senior (thin) tranche
Tranche maturity (M T ) Tranche maturity (M T )
1 year 5 years 1 year 5 years
1 10  % 10  % 15  % 40  %
2 10  % 15  % 15  % 55  %
3 15  % 20  % 15  % 70  %
4 15  % 25  % 25  % 80  %
5 20  % 30  % 35  % 95  %
6 30  % 40  % 60  % 135  %
7 35  % 40  % 95  % 170  %
8 45  % 55  % 150  % 225  %
9 55  % 65  % 180  % 255  %
10 70  % 85  % 270  % 345  %
11 120  % 135  % 405  % 500  %
12 135  % 155  % 535  % 655  %
13 170  % 195  % 645  % 740  %
14 225  % 250  % 810  % 855  %
15 280  % 305  % 945  % 945  %
16 340  % 380  % 1 015  % 1 015  %
17 415  % 455  % 1 250  % 1 250  %
All other 1 250  % 1 250  % 1 250  % 1 250  %
Article 265 U.K. Scope and operational requirements for the Internal Assessment Approach

1 . Institutions may calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts for unrated positions in ABCP programmes or ABCP transactions under the Internal Assessment Approach in accordance with Article 266 where the conditions set out in paragraph 2 of this Article are met.

Where an institution has received permission to apply the Internal Assessment Approach in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article, and a specific position in an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction falls within the scope of application covered by such permission, the institution shall apply that approach to calculate the risk-weighted exposure amount of that position.

2 .[F251The competent authority] shall grant institutions permission to apply the Internal Assessment Approach within a clearly defined scope of application where all of the following conditions are met:

( a ) all positions in the commercial paper issued from the ABCP programme are rated positions;

( b ) the internal assessment of the credit quality of the position reflects the publicly available assessment methodology of one or more ECAIs for the rating of securitisation positions backed by underlying exposures of the type securitised;

( c ) the commercial paper issued from the ABCP programme is predominantly issued to third-party investors;

( d ) the institution’s internal assessment process is at least as conservative as the publicly available assessments of those ECAIs which have provided an external rating for the commercial paper issued from the ABCP programme, in particular with regard to stress factors and other relevant quantitative elements;

( e ) the institution’s internal assessment methodology takes into account all relevant publicly available rating methodologies of the ECAIs that rate the commercial paper of the ABCP programme and includes rating grades corresponding to the credit assessments of ECAIs. The institution shall document in its internal records an explanatory statement describing how the requirements set out in this point have been met and shall update such statement on a regular basis;

( f ) the institution uses the internal assessment methodology for internal risk management purposes, including in its decision-making, management information and internal capital allocation processes;

( g ) internal or external auditors, an ECAI, or the institution’s internal credit review or risk management function perform regular reviews of the internal assessment process and the quality of the internal assessments of the credit quality of the institution’s exposures to an ABCP programme or ABCP transaction;

( h ) the institution tracks the performance of its internal ratings over time to evaluate the performance of its internal assessment methodology and makes adjustments, as necessary, to that methodology when the performance of the exposures routinely diverges from that indicated by the internal ratings;

( i ) the ABCP programme includes underwriting and liability management standards in the form of guidelines to the programme administrator on, at least:

(i)

the asset eligibility criteria, subject to point (j);

(ii)

the types and monetary value of the exposures arising from the provision of liquidity facilities and credit enhancements;

(iii)

the loss distribution between the securitisation positions in the ABCP programme or ABCP transaction;

(iv)

the legal and economic isolation of the transferred assets from the entity selling the assets;

( j ) the asset eligibility criteria in the ABCP programme provide for, at least:

(i)

exclusion of the purchase of assets that are significantly past due or defaulted;

(ii)

limitation of excessive concentration to individual obligor or geographic area; and

(iii)

limitation of the tenor of the assets to be purchased;

( k ) an analysis of the asset seller’s credit risk and business profile is performed including, at least, an assessment of the seller’s:

(i)

past and expected future financial performance;

(ii)

current market position and expected future competitiveness;

(iii)

leverage, cash flow, interest coverage and debt rating; and

(iv)

underwriting standards, servicing capabilities, and collection processes;

( l ) the ABCP programme has collection policies and processes that take into account the operational capability and credit quality of the servicer and comprises features that mitigate performance-related risks of the seller and the servicer. For the purposes of this point, performance-related risks may be mitigated through triggers based on the seller or servicer’s current credit quality to prevent commingling of funds in the event of the seller’s or servicer’s default;

( m ) the aggregated estimate of loss on an asset pool that may be purchased under the ABCP programme takes into account all sources of potential risk, such as credit and dilution risk;

( n ) where the seller-provided credit enhancement is sized based only on credit-related losses and dilution risk is material for the particular asset pool, the ABCP programme comprises a separate reserve for dilution risk;

( o ) the size of the required enhancement level in the ABCP programme is calculated taking into account several years of historical information, including losses, delinquencies, dilutions, and the turnover rate of the receivables;

( p ) the ABCP programme comprises structural features in the purchase of exposures in order to mitigate potential credit deterioration of the underlying portfolio. Such features may include wind-down triggers specific to a pool of exposures;

( q ) the institution evaluates the characteristics of the underlying asset pool, such as its weighted-average credit score, and identifies any concentrations to an individual obligor or geographic area and the granularity of the asset pool.

3 . Where the institution’s internal audit, credit review, or risk management functions perform the review provided for in point (g) of paragraph 2, those functions shall be independent from the institution’s internal functions dealing with ABCP programme business and customer relations.

4 . Institutions which have received permission to apply the Internal Assessment Approach shall not revert to the use of other methods for positions that fall within scope of application of the Internal Assessment Approach unless both of the following conditions are met:

( a ) the institution has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the institution has good cause to do so;

( b ) the institution has received the prior permission of the competent authority.

Textual Amendments

Article 266 U.K. Calculation of risk-weighted exposure amounts under the Internal Assessment Approach

1. Under the Internal Assessment Approach, the institution shall assign the unrated position in the ABCP programme or ABCP transaction to one of the rating grades laid down in point (e) of Article 265(2) on the basis of its internal assessment. The position shall be attributed a derived rating which shall be the same as the credit assessments corresponding to that rating grade as laid down in point (e) of Article 265(2).

2. The rating derived in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be at least at the level of investment grade or better at the time it was first assigned and shall be regarded as an eligible credit assessment by an ECAI for the purposes of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Article 263 or Article 264, as applicable.

Subsection 4 U.K. Caps for securitisation positions
Article 267U.K. Maximum risk weight for senior securitisation positions: look-through approach

1.An institution which has knowledge at all times of the composition of the underlying exposures may assign the senior securitisation position a maximum risk weight equal to the exposure-weighted-average risk weight that would be applicable to the underlying exposures as if the underlying exposures had not been securitised.

2.In the case of pools of underlying exposures where the institution uses exclusively the Standardised Approach or the IRB Approach, the maximum risk weight of the senior securitisation position shall be equal to the exposure-weighted-average risk weight that would apply to the underlying exposures under [F252Chapter 2 of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook or Chapter 3], respectively, as if they had not been securitised.

In the case of mixed pools the maximum risk weight shall be calculated as follows:

(a)where the institution applies the SEC-IRBA, the Standardised Approach portion and the IRB Approach portion of the underlying pool shall each be assigned the corresponding Standardised Approach risk weight and IRB Approach risk weight respectively;

(b)where the institution applies the SEC-SA or the SEC-ERBA, the maximum risk weight for senior securitisation positions shall be equal to the Standardised Approach weighted-average risk weight of the underlying exposures.

3.For the purposes of this Article, the risk weight that would be applicable under the IRB Approach in accordance with Chapter 3 shall include the ratio of:

(a)expected losses multiplied by 12,5 to

(b)the exposure value of the underlying exposures.

4.Where the maximum risk weight calculated in accordance with paragraph 1 results in a lower risk weight than the risk-weight floors set out in Articles 259 to 264, as applicable, the former shall be used instead.

Textual Amendments

Article 268U.K. Maximum capital requirements

1.An originator institution, a sponsor institution or other institution using the SEC-IRBA or an originator institution or sponsor institution using the SEC-SA or the SEC-ERBA may apply a maximum capital requirement for the securitisation position it holds equal to the capital requirements that would be calculated under [F253Chapter 2 of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook or Chapter 3 of this Regulation] in respect of the underlying exposures had they not been securitised. For the purposes of this Article, the IRB Approach capital requirement shall include the amount of the expected losses associated with those exposures calculated under Chapter 3 and that of unexpected losses.

2.In the case of mixed pools, the maximum capital requirement shall be determined by calculating the exposure-weighted average of the capital requirements of the IRB Approach and Standardised Approach portions of the underlying exposures in accordance with paragraph 1.

3.The maximum capital requirement shall be the result of multiplying the amount calculated in accordance with paragraphs 1 or 2 by the largest proportion of interest that the institution holds in the relevant tranches (V), expressed as a percentage and calculated as follows:

(a)for an institution that has one or more securitisation positions in a single tranche, V shall be equal to the ratio of the nominal amount of the securitisation positions that the institution holds in that given tranche to the nominal amount of the tranche;

(b)for an institution that has securitisation positions in different tranches, V shall be equal to the maximum proportion of interest across tranches. For these purposes, the proportion of interest for each of the different tranches shall be calculated as set out in point (a).

4.When calculating the maximum capital requirement for a securitisation position in accordance with this Article, the entire amount of any gain on sale and credit-enhancing interest-only strips arising from the securitisation transaction shall be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 items in accordance with point (k) of Article 36(1).

Textual Amendments

Subsection 5 U.K. Miscellaneous provisions
Article 269 U.K. Re-securitisations

1. For a position in a re-securitisation, institutions shall apply the SEC-SA in accordance with Article 261, with the following changes:

(a) W = 0 for any exposure to a securitisation tranche within the pool of underlying exposures;

(b) p = 1,5;

(c) the resulting risk weight shall be subject to a risk-weight floor of 100 %.

2. K SA for the underlying securitisation exposures shall be calculated in accordance with Subsection 2.

3. The maximum capital requirements set out in Subsection 4 shall not be applied to re-securitisation positions.

4. Where the pool of underlying exposures consists of a mix of securitisation tranches and other types of assets, the K A parameter shall be determined as the nominal exposure weighted-average of the K A calculated individually for each subset of exposures.

[F254Article 269aU.K.NPE securitisations

1.The risk weight for a position in an NPE securitisation calculated in accordance with this Chapter is subject to the requirements laid down in the Non-Performing Exposures Securitisation (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook.

2.In this Article:

  • ‘non-performing exposure’ means an exposure that meets any of the conditions set out in Article 47a(3);

  • ‘NPE securitisation’ means a securitisation backed by a pool of non-performing exposures the nominal value of which makes up not less than 90% of the entire pool’s nominal value at the time of origination and at any later time where assets are added to or removed from the underlying pool due to replenishment or restructuring.]

Textual Amendments

Article 270 U.K. Senior positions in SME securitisations

An originator institution may calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts in respect of a securitisation position in accordance with Articles 260, 262 or 264, as applicable, where the following conditions are met:

(a) the securitisation meets the requirements for STS securitisation set out in Chapter 4 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 as applicable, other than [F255Articles 18 and] 20(1) to (6) of that Regulation;

[F256(aa)the originator, sponsor and SSPE must be established in the United Kingdom;]

(b) the position qualifies as the senior securitisation position;

(c) the securitisation is backed by a pool of exposures to undertakings, provided that at least 70 % of those in terms of portfolio balance qualify as SMEs within the meaning of Article 501 at the time of issuance of the securitisation or in the case of revolving securitisations at the time an exposure is added to the securitisation;

(d) the credit risk associated with the positions not retained by the originator institution is transferred through a guarantee or a counter-guarantee meeting the requirements for unfunded credit protection set out in Chapter 4 for the Standardised Approach to credit risk;

(e) the third party to which the credit risk is transferred is one or more of the following:

(i) the central government or the central bank of [F257the United Kingdom], a multilateral development bank, an international organisation or a promotional entity, provided that the exposures to the guarantor or counter-guarantor qualify for a 0 % risk weight under Chapter 2;

(ii) an institutional investor as defined in point (12) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 provided that the guarantee or counter-guarantee is fully collateralised by cash on deposit with the originator institution.

Textual Amendments

Article 270aU.K. Additional risk weight

1.Where an institution does not meet the requirements in Chapter 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 in any material respect by reason of negligence or omission by the institution, [F258the competent authority] shall impose a proportionate additional risk weight of no less than 250 % of the risk weight, capped at 1 250  %, which shall apply to the relevant securitisation positions in the manner specified in Article 247(6) or Article 337(3) of this Regulation respectively. The additional risk weight shall progressively increase with each subsequent infringement of the due diligence and risk management provisions. [F258The competent authority] shall take into account the exemptions for certain securitisations provided for in Article 6(5)) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 by reducing the risk weight they would otherwise impose under this Article in respect of a securitisation to which Article 6(5) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 applies.

2.The [F259[F260PRA may] make] technical standards to facilitate the convergence of supervisory practices with regard to the implementation of paragraph 1, including the measures to be taken in the case of breach of the due diligence and risk management obligations. F261...

F262...

Textual Amendments

Section 4 U.K. External credit assessments

Article 270b U.K. Use of credit assessments by ECAIs

Institutions may use only credit assessments to determine the risk weight of a securitisation position in accordance with this Chapter where the credit assessment has been issued or has been endorsed by an ECAI in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009.

Article 270c U.K. Requirements to be met by the credit assessments of ECAIs

For the purposes of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Section 3, institutions shall only use a credit assessment of an ECAI where all of the following conditions are met:

(a)

there is no mismatch between the types of payments reflected in the credit assessment and the types of payments to which the institution is entitled under the contract giving rise to the securitisation position in question;

(b)

the ECAI publishes the credit assessments and information on loss and cash-flow analysis, sensitivity of ratings to changes in the underlying ratings assumptions, including the performance of underlying exposures, and on the procedures, methodologies, assumptions, and key elements underpinning the credit assessments in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009. For the purposes of this point, information shall be considered as publicly available where it is published in accessible format. Information that is made available only to a limited number of entities shall not be considered as publicly available;

(c)

the credit assessments are included in the ECAI’s transition matrix;

(d)

the credit assessments are not based or partly based on unfunded support provided by the institution itself. Where a position is based or partly based on unfunded support, the institution shall consider that position as if it were unrated for the purposes of calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts for this position in accordance with Section 3;

(e)

the ECAI has committed to publishing explanations on how the performance of underlying exposures affects the credit assessment.

Article 270d U.K. Use of credit assessments

1. An institution may decide to nominate one or more ECAIs the credit assessments of which shall be used in the calculation of its risk-weighted exposure amounts under this Chapter (a ‘ nominated ECAI ’ ).

2. An institution shall use the credit assessments of its securitisation positions in a consistent and non-selective manner and, for these purposes, shall comply with the following requirements:

(a) an institution shall not use an ECAI’s credit assessments for its positions in some tranches and another ECAI’s credit assessments for its positions in other tranches within the same securitisation that may or may not be rated by the first ECAI;

(b) where a position has two credit assessments by nominated ECAIs, the institution shall use the less favourable credit assessment;

(c) where a position has three or more credit assessments by nominated ECAIs, the two most favourable credit assessments shall be used. Where the two most favourable assessments are different, the less favourable of the two shall be used;

(d) an institution shall not actively solicit the withdrawal of less favourable ratings.

3. Where the exposures underlying a securitisation benefit from full or partial eligible credit protection in accordance with Chapter 4, and the effect of such protection has been reflected in the credit assessment of a securitisation position by a nominated ECAI, the institution shall use the risk weight associated with that credit assessment. Where the credit protection referred to in this paragraph is not eligible under Chapter 4, the credit assessment shall not be recognised and the securitisation position shall be treated as unrated.

4. Where a securitisation position benefits from eligible credit protection in accordance with Chapter 4 and the effect of such protection has been reflected in its credit assessment by a nominated ECAI, the institution shall treat the securitisation position as if it were unrated and calculate the risk-weighted exposure amounts in accordance with Chapter 4.

Article 270eU.K. Securitisation mapping

[F263The PRA may] [F264make] technical standards to map in an objective and consistent manner the credit quality steps set out in this Chapter relative to the relevant credit assessments of all ECAIs. [F265For the purposes of this Article, the PRA shall] in particular:

(a)

differentiate between the relative degrees of risk expressed by each assessment;

(b)

consider quantitative factors, such as default or loss rates and the historical performance of credit assessments of each ECAI across different asset classes;

(c)

consider qualitative factors such as the range of transactions assessed by the ECAI, its methodology and the meaning of its credit assessments in particular whether such assessments take into account expected loss or first Euro loss, and timely payment of interests or ultimate payment of interests;

(d)

seek to ensure that securitisation positions to which the same risk weight is applied on the basis of the credit assessments of ECAIs are subject to equivalent degrees of credit risk.

F266...]

Textual Amendments

CHAPTER 6 U.K. Counterparty credit risk

Section 1 U.K. Definitions

Article 271 U.K. Determination of the exposure value

1 . An institution shall determine the exposure value of derivative instruments listed in Annex II in accordance with this Chapter.

2 . An institution may determine the exposure value of repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, long settlement transactions and margin lending transactions in accordance with this Chapter instead of making use of Chapter 4.

Article 272 U.K. Definitions

For the purposes of this Chapter and of Title VI of this Part, the following definitions shall apply:

  • General terms

    (1)

    ‘ counterparty credit risk ’ or ‘ CCR ’ means the risk that the counterparty to a transaction could default before the final settlement of the transaction's cash flows;

  • Transaction types

    (2)

    ‘ long settlement transactions ’ means transactions where a counterparty undertakes to deliver a security, a commodity, or a foreign exchange amount against cash, other financial instruments, or commodities, or vice versa, at a settlement or delivery date specified by contract that is later than the market standard for this particular type of transaction or five business days after the date on which the institution enters into the transaction, whichever is earlier;

    (3)

    ‘ margin lending transactions ’ means transactions in which an institution extends credit in connection with the purchase, sale, carrying or trading of securities. Margin lending transactions do not include other loans that are secured by collateral in the form of securities;

  • Netting set F267... and related terms

    (4)

    ‘ netting set ’ means a group of transactions between an institution and a single counterparty that is subject to a legally enforceable bilateral netting arrangement that is recognised under Section 7 and Chapter 4.

    Each transaction that is not subject to a legally enforceable bilateral netting arrangement which is recognised under Section 7 shall be treated as its own netting set for the purposes of this Chapter.

    Under the Internal Model Method set out in Section 6, all netting sets with a single counterparty may be treated as a single netting set if negative simulated market values of the individual netting sets are set to 0 in the estimation of expected exposure (hereinafter referred to as ‘ EE ’ );

    (5)

    F268...

    (6)

    F269...

    (7)

    ‘ margin agreement ’ means an agreement or provisions of an agreement under which one counterparty must supply collateral to a second counterparty when an exposure of that second counterparty to the first counterparty exceeds a specified level;

    (8)

    F270...

    (9)

    ‘ margin period of risk ’ means the time period from the most recent exchange of collateral covering a netting set of transactions with a defaulting counterparty until the transactions are closed out and the resulting market risk is re-hedged;

    (10)

    ‘ effective maturity ’ under the Internal Model Method for a netting set with maturity greater than one year means the ratio of the sum of expected exposure over the life of the transactions in the netting set discounted at the risk-free rate of return, divided by the sum of expected exposure over one year in the netting set discounted at the risk-free rate.

    This effective maturity may be adjusted to reflect rollover risk by replacing expected exposure with effective expected exposure for forecasting horizons under one year;

    (11)

    ‘ cross-product netting ’ means the inclusion of transactions of different product categories within the same netting set pursuant to the cross-product netting rules set out in this Chapter;

    (12)

    F271...

  • Distributions

    (13)

    ‘ distribution of market values ’ means the forecast of the probability distribution of net market values of transactions within a netting set for a future date (the forecasting horizon), given the realised market value of those transactions at the date of the forecast;

    (14)

    ‘ distribution of exposures ’ means the forecast of the probability distribution of market values that is generated by setting forecast instances of negative net market values equal to zero;

    (15)

    ‘ risk-neutral distribution ’ means a distribution of market values or exposures over a future time period where the distribution is calculated using market implied values such as implied volatilities;

    (16)

    ‘ actual distribution ’ means a distribution of market values or exposures at a future time period where the distribution is calculated using historic or realised values such as volatilities calculated using past price or rate changes;

  • Exposure measures and adjustments

    (17)

    ‘ current exposure ’ means the larger of zero and the market value of a transaction or portfolio of transactions within a netting set with a counterparty that would be lost upon the default of the counterparty, assuming no recovery on the value of those transactions in insolvency or liquidation;

    (18)

    ‘ peak exposure ’ means a high percentile of the distribution of exposures at particular future date before the maturity date of the longest transaction in the netting set;

    (19)

    ‘ expected exposure ’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘ EE ’ ) means the average of the distribution of exposures at a particular future date before the longest maturity transaction in the netting set matures;

    (20)

    ‘ effective expected exposure at a specific date ’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘ Effective EE ’ ) means the maximum expected exposure that occurs at that date or any prior date. Alternatively, it may be defined for a specific date as the greater of the expected exposure at that date or the effective expected exposure at any prior date;

    (21)

    ‘ expected positive exposure ’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘ EPE ’ ) means the weighted average over time of expected exposures, where the weights are the proportion of the entire time period that an individual expected exposure represents.

    When calculating the own funds requirement, institutions shall take the average over the first year or, if all the contracts within the netting set mature within less than one year, over the time period until the contract with the longest maturity in the netting set has matured;

    (22)

    ‘ effective expected positive exposure ’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘ Effective EPE ’ ) means the weighted average of effective expected exposure over the first year of a netting set or, if all the contracts within the netting set mature within less than one year, over the time period of the longest maturity contract in the netting set, where the weights are the proportion of the entire time period that an individual expected exposure represents;

  • CCR related risks

    (23)

    ‘ rollover risk ’ means the amount by which EPE is understated when future transactions with a counterparty are expected to be conducted on an ongoing basis.

    The additional exposure generated by those future transactions is not included in calculation of EPE;

    (24)

    ‘ counterparty ’ for the purposes of Section 7 means any legal or natural person that enters into a netting agreement, and has the contractual capacity to do so;

    (25)

    ‘ contractual cross product netting agreement ’ means a bilateral contractual agreement between an institution and a counterparty which creates a single legal obligation (based on netting of covered transactions) covering all bilateral master agreements and transactions belonging to different product categories that are included within the agreement;

    For the purposes of this definition, ‘ different product categories ’ means:

    (a)

    repurchase transactions, securities and commodities lending and borrowing transactions;

    (b)

    margin lending transactions;

    (c)

    the contracts listed in Annex II;

    (26)

    F272...

Textual Amendments

Section 2 U.K. Methods for calculating the exposure value

F273 Article 273U.K. Methods for calculating the exposure value

Textual Amendments

Section 3 U.K. Mark-to-Market Method

F274 Article 274U.K. Mark-to-Market Method

Textual Amendments

Section 4 U.K. Original Exposure Method

F275 Article 275U.K. Original Exposure Method

Textual Amendments

Section 5U.K. Standardised Method

F276 Article 276U.K. Standardised Method

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 277U.K.Transactions with a linear risk profile

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 278U.K. Transactions with a non-linear risk profile

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 279U.K. Treatment of collateral

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 279aU.K. Supervisory delta

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 280U.K. Calculation of risk positions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 281U.K. Interest rate risk positions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F276 Article 282U.K. Hedging sets

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Section 6 U.K. Internal Model Method

Article 283U.K.Permission to use the Internal Model Method

1.Provided that the competent authorities are satisfied that the requirement in paragraph 2 have been met by an institution, they shall permit that institution to use the Internal Model Method (IMM) to calculate the exposure value for any of the following transactions:

(a)transactions in Article 273(2)(a);

(b)transactions in Article 273(2)(b), (c) and (d);

(c)transactions in Article 273(2)(a) to (d),

Where an institution is permitted to use the IMM to calculate exposure value for any of the transactions mentioned in points (a) to (c) of the first subparagraph, it may also use the IMM for the transactions in Article 273(2)(e).

Notwithstanding the third subparagraph of Article 273(1), an institution may choose not to apply this method to exposures that are immaterial in size and risk. In such case, an institution shall apply one of the methods set out in [F277Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] to these exposures where the relevant requirements for each approach are met.

2.Competent authorities shall permit institutions to use IMM for the calculations referred to in paragraph 1 only if the institution has demonstrated that it complies with the requirements set out in this Section, and the competent authorities verified that the systems for the management of CCR maintained by the institution are sound and properly implemented.

3.The competent authorities may permit institutions for a limited period to implement the IMM sequentially across different transaction types. During this period of sequential implementation institutions may use the methods set out in [F278Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] for transaction type for which they do not use the IMM.

4.[F279For all OTC derivative transactions, and for long settlement transactions for which an institution has not received permission under paragraph 1 to use the IMM, the institution shall use the methods set out in [F280Section 3 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook]. Those methods may be used in combination on a permanent basis within a group.]

5.An institution which is permitted in accordance with paragraph 1 to use the IMM shall not revert to the use of the methods set out in [F281Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] unless it is permitted by the competent authority to do so. Competent authorities shall give such permission if the institution demonstrates good cause.

6.If an institution ceases to comply with the requirements laid down in this Section, it shall notify the competent authority and do one of the following:

(a)present to the competent authority a plan for a timely return to compliance;

(b)demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authority that the effect of non-compliance is immaterial.

Textual Amendments

Article 284 U.K. Exposure value

1 . Where an institution is permitted, in accordance with Article 283(1), to use the IMM to calculate the exposure value of some or all transactions mentioned in that paragraph, it shall measure the exposure value of those transactions at the level of the netting set.

The model used by the institution for that purpose shall:

( a ) specify the forecasting distribution for changes in the market value of the netting set attributable to joint changes in relevant market variables, such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates;

( b ) calculate the exposure value for the netting set at each of the future dates on the basis of the joint changes in the market variables.

2 . In order for the model to capture the effects of margining, the model of the collateral value shall meet the quantitative, qualitative and data requirements for the IMM in accordance with this Section and the institution may include in its forecasting distributions for changes in the market value of the netting set only eligible financial collateral as referred to in Articles 197 and 198 and points (c) and (d) of Article 299(2).

3 . The own funds requirement for counterparty credit risk with respect to the CCR exposures to which an institution applies the IMM, shall be the higher of the following:

( a ) the own funds requirement for those exposures calculated on the basis of Effective EPE using current market data;

( b ) the own funds requirement for those exposures calculated on the basis of Effective EPE using a single consistent stress calibration for all CCR exposures to which they apply the IMM.

4 . Except for counterparties identified as having Specific Wrong-Way risk that fall within the scope of Article 291(4) and (5), institutions shall calculate the exposure value as the product of alpha (α) times Effective EPE, as follows:

Exposure value = α · Effective EPE

where:

α

=

1.4, unless competent authorities require a higher α or permit institutions to use their own estimates in accordance with paragraph 9;

Effective EPE shall be calculated by estimating expected exposure (EEt) as the average exposure at future date t, where the average is taken across possible future values of relevant market risk factors.

The model shall estimate EE at a series of future dates t1, t2, t3, etc.

5 . Effective EE shall be calculated recursively as:

where:

  • the current date is denoted as t 0 ;

  • Effective EE t0 equals current exposure.

6 . Effective EPE is the average Effective EE during the first year of future exposure. If all contracts in the netting set mature within less than one year, EPE shall be the average of EE until all contracts in the netting set mature. Effective EPE shall be calculated as a weighted average of Effective EE:

[X2]

where the weights allow for the case when future exposure is calculated at dates that are not equally spaced over time.

7 . Institutions shall calculate EE or peak exposure measures on the basis of a distribution of exposures that accounts for the possible non-normality of the distribution of exposures.

8 . An institution may use a measure of the distribution calculated by the IMM that is more conservative than α multiplied by Effective EPE as calculated in accordance with the equation in paragraph 4 for every counterparty.

9 . Notwithstanding paragraph 4, competent authorities may permit institutions to use their own estimates of alpha, where:

( a ) alpha shall equal the ratio of internal capital from a full simulation of CCR exposure across counterparties (numerator) and internal capital based on EPE (denominator);

( b ) in the denominator, EPE shall be used as if it were a fixed outstanding amount.

When estimated in accordance with this paragraph, alpha shall be no lower than 1,2.

10 . For the purposes of an estimate of alpha under paragraph 9, an institution shall ensure that the numerator and denominator are calculated in a manner consistent with the modelling methodology, parameter specifications and portfolio composition. The approach used to estimate α shall be based on the institution's internal capital approach, be well documented and be subject to independent validation. In addition, an institution shall review its estimates of alpha on at least a quarterly basis, and more frequently when the composition of the portfolio varies over time. An institution shall also assess the model risk.

11 . An institution shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that its internal estimates of alpha capture in the numerator material sources of dependency of distribution of market values of transactions or of portfolios of transactions across counterparties. Internal estimates of alpha shall take account of the granularity of portfolios.

12 . In supervising the use of estimates under paragraph 9, competent authorities shall have regard to the significant variation in estimates of alpha that arises from the potential for mis-specification in the models used for the numerator, especially where convexity is present.

13 . Where appropriate, volatilities and correlations of market risk factors used in the joint modelling of market and credit risk shall be conditioned on the credit risk factor to reflect potential increases in volatility or correlation in an economic downturn.

Editorial Information

Article 285 U.K. Exposure value for netting sets subject to a margin agreement

1 . If the netting set is subject to a margin agreement and daily mark-to-market valuation, the institution shall calculate Effective EPE as set out in this paragraph. If the model captures the effects of margining when estimating EE, the institution may, subject to the permission of the competent authority, use the model's EE measure directly in the equation in Article 284(5). Competent authorities shall grant such permission only if they verify that the model properly captures the effects of margining when estimating EE. An institution that has not received such permission shall use one of the following Effective EPE measures:

( a ) Effective EPE, calculated without taking into account any collateral held or posted by way of margin plus any collateral that has been posted to the counterparty independent of the daily valuation and margining process or current exposure;

( b ) Effective EPE, calculated as the potential increase in exposure over the margin period of risk, plus the larger of:

(i)

the current exposure including all collateral currently held or posted, other than collateral called or in dispute;

(ii)

the largest net exposure, including collateral under the margin agreement, that would not trigger a collateral call. This amount shall reflect all applicable thresholds, minimum transfer amounts, independent amounts and initial margins under the margin agreement.

For the purposes of point (b), institutions shall calculate the add-on as the expected positive change of the mark-to-market value of the transactions during the margin period of risk. Changes in the value of collateral shall be reflected using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach in accordance with Section 4 of Chapter 4 or the own estimates of volatility adjustments of the Financial Collateral Comprehensive Method, but no collateral payments shall be assumed during the margin period of risk. The margin period of risk is subject to the minimum periods set out in paragraphs 2 to 5.

2 . For transactions subject to daily re-margining and mark-to-market valuation, the margin period of risk used for the purpose of modelling the exposure value with margin agreements shall not be less than:

( a ) 5 business days for netting sets consisting only of repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions and margin lending transactions;

( b ) 10 business days for all other netting sets.

3 . Points (a) and (b) of paragraph 2 shall be subject to the following exceptions:

( a ) for all netting sets where the number of trades exceeds 5 000 at any point during a quarter, the margin period of risk for the following quarter shall not be less than 20 business days. This exception shall not apply to institutions' trade exposures;

( b ) for netting sets containing one or more trades involving either illiquid collateral, or an OTC derivative that cannot be easily replaced, the margin period of risk shall not be less than 20 business days.

An institution shall determine whether collateral is illiquid or whether OTC derivatives cannot be easily replaced in the context of stressed market conditions, characterised by the absence of continuously active markets where a counterparty would, within two days or fewer, obtain multiple price quotations that would not move the market or represent a price reflecting a market discount (in the case of collateral) or premium (in the case of an OTC derivative).

An institution shall consider whether trades or securities it holds as collateral are concentrated in a particular counterparty and if that counterparty exited the market precipitously whether the institution would be able to replace those trades or securities.

4 . If an institution has been involved in more than two margin call disputes on a particular netting set over the immediately preceding two quarters that have lasted longer than the applicable margin period of risk under paragraphs 2 and 3, the institution shall use a margin period of risk that is at least double the period specified in paragraphs 2 and 3 for that netting set for the subsequent two quarters.

5 . For re-margining with a periodicity of N days, the margin period of risk shall be at least equal to the period specified in paragraphs 2 and 3, F, plus N days minus one day. That is:

Margin Period of Risk = F + N – 1

6 . If the internal model includes the effect of margining on changes in the market value of the netting set, an institution shall model collateral, other than cash of the same currency as the exposure itself, jointly with the exposure in its exposure value calculations for OTC derivatives and securities-financing transactions.

7 . If an institution is not able to model collateral jointly with the exposure, it shall not recognise in its exposure value calculations for OTC derivatives and securities-financing transactions the effect of collateral other than cash of the same currency as the exposure itself, unless it uses either volatility adjustments that meet the standards of the financial collateral comprehensive Method with own volatility adjustments estimates or the standard Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach in accordance with Chapter 4.

8 . An institution using the IMM shall ignore in its models the effect of a reduction of the exposure value due to any clause in a collateral agreement that requires receipt of collateral when counterparty credit quality deteriorates.

Article 286 U.K. Management of CCR — Policies, processes and systems

1 . An institution shall establish and maintain a CCR management framework, consisting of:

( a ) policies, processes and systems to ensure the identification, measurement, management, approval and internal reporting of CCR;

( b ) procedures for ensuring that those policies, processes and systems are complied with.

Those policies, processes and systems shall be conceptually sound, implemented with integrity and documented. The documentation shall include an explanation of the empirical techniques used to measure CCR.

2 . The CCR management framework required by paragraph 1 shall take account of market, liquidity, and legal and operational risks that are associated with CCR. In particular, the framework shall ensure that the institution complies with the following principles:

( a ) it does not undertake business with a counterparty without assessing its creditworthiness;

( b ) it takes due account of settlement and pre-settlement credit risk;

( c ) it manages such risks as comprehensively as practicable at the counterparty level by aggregating CCR exposures with other credit exposures and at the firm-wide level.

3 . An institution using the IMM shall ensure that its CCR management framework accounts to the satisfaction of the competent authority for the liquidity risks of all of the following:

( a ) potential incoming margin calls in the context of exchanges of variation margin or other margin types, such as initial or independent margin, under adverse market shocks;

( b ) potential incoming calls for the return of excess collateral posted by counterparties;

( c ) calls resulting from a potential downgrade of its own external credit quality assessment.

An institution shall ensure that the nature and horizon of collateral re-use is consistent with its liquidity needs and does not jeopardise its ability to post or return collateral in a timely manner.

4 . An institution's management body and senior management shall be actively involved in, and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to, the management of CCR. Senior management shall be aware of the limitations and assumptions of the model used and the impact those limitations and assumptions can have on the reliability of the output through a formal process. Senior management shall be also aware of the uncertainties of the market environment and operational issues and of how these are reflected in the model.

5 . The daily reports prepared on an institution's exposures to CCR in accordance with Article 287(2)(b) shall be reviewed by a level of management with sufficient seniority and authority to enforce both reductions of positions taken by individual credit managers or traders and reductions in the institution's overall CCR exposure.

6 . An institution's CCR management framework established in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be used in conjunction with internal credit and trading limits. Credit and trading limits shall be related to the institution's risk measurement model in a manner that is consistent over time and that is well understood by credit managers, traders and senior management. An institution shall have a formal process to report breaches of risk limits to the appropriate level of management.

7 . An institution's measurement of CCR shall include measuring daily and intra-day use of credit lines. The institution shall measure current exposure gross and net of collateral. At portfolio and counterparty level, the institution shall calculate and monitor peak exposure or potential future exposure at the confidence interval chosen by the institution. The institution shall take account of large or concentrated positions, including by groups of related counterparties, by industry and by market.

8 . An institution shall establish and maintain a routine and rigorous program of stress testing. The results of that stress testing shall be reviewed regularly and at least quarterly by senior management and shall be reflected in the CCR policies and limits set by the management body or senior management. Where stress tests reveal particular vulnerability to a given set of circumstances, the institution shall take prompt steps to manage those risks.

Article 287 U.K. Organisation structures for CCR management

1 . An institution using the IMM shall establish and maintain:

( a ) a risk control unit that complies with paragraph 2;

( b ) a collateral management unit that complies with paragraph 3.

2 . The risk control unit shall be responsible for the design and implementation of its CCR management, including the initial and on-going validation of the model, and shall carry out the following functions and meet the following requirements:

( a ) it shall be responsible for the design and implementation of the CCR management system of the institution;

( b ) it shall produce daily reports on and analyse the output of the institution's risk measurement model. That analysis shall include an evaluation of the relationship between measures of CCR exposure values and trading limits;

( c ) it shall control input data integrity and produce and analyse reports on the output of the institution's risk measurement model, including an evaluation of the relationship between measures of risk exposure and credit and trading limits;

( d ) it shall be independent from units responsible for originating, renewing or trading exposures and free from undue influence;

( e ) it shall be adequately staffed;

( f ) it shall report directly to the senior management of the institution;

( g ) its work shall be closely integrated into the day-to-day credit risk management process of the institution;

( h ) its output shall be an integral part of the process of planning, monitoring and controlling the institution's credit and overall risk profile.

3 . The collateral management unit shall carry out the following tasks and functions:

( a ) calculating and making margin calls, managing margin call disputes and reporting levels of independent amounts, initial margins and variation margins accurately on a daily basis;

( b ) controlling the integrity of the data used to make margin calls, and ensuring that it is consistent and reconciled regularly with all relevant sources of data within the institution;

( c ) tracking the extent of re-use of collateral and any amendment of the rights of the institution to or in connection with the collateral that it posts;

( d ) reporting to the appropriate level of management the types of collateral assets that are reused, and the terms of such reuse including instrument, credit quality and maturity;

( e ) tracking concentration to individual types of collateral assets accepted by the institution;

( f ) reporting collateral management information on a regular basis, but at least quarterly, to senior management, including information on the type of collateral received and posted, the size, aging and cause for margin call disputes. That internal reporting shall also reflect trends in these figures.

4 . Senior management shall allocate sufficient resources to the collateral management unit required under paragraph 1(b) to ensure that its systems achieve an appropriate level of operational performance, as measured by the timeliness and accuracy of margin calls by the institution and the timeliness of the response of the institution to margin calls by its counterparties. Senior management shall ensure that the unit is adequately staffed to process calls and disputes in a timely manner even under severe market crisis, and to enable the institution to limit its number of large disputes caused by trade volumes.

Article 288 U.K. Review of CCR management system

An institution shall regularly conduct an independent review of its CCR management system through its internal auditing process. That review shall include both the activities of the control and collateral management units required by Article 287 and shall specifically address, as a minimum:

(a)

the adequacy of the documentation of the CCR management system and process required by Article 286;

(b)

the organisation of the CCR control unit required by Article 287(1)(a);

(c)

the organisation of the collateral management unit required by Article 287(1)(b);

(d)

the integration of CCR measures into daily risk management;

(e)

the approval process for risk pricing models and valuation systems used by front and back-office personnel;

(f)

the validation of any significant change in the CCR measurement process;

(g)

the scope of CCR captured by the risk measurement model;

(h)

the integrity of the management information system;

(i)

the accuracy and completeness of CCR data;

(j)

the accurate reflection of legal terms in collateral and netting agreements into exposure value measurements;

(k)

the verification of the consistency, timeliness and reliability of data sources used to run models, including the independence of such data sources;

(l)

the accuracy and appropriateness of volatility and correlation assumptions;

(m)

the accuracy of valuation and risk transformation calculations;

(n)

the verification of the model's accuracy through frequent back-testing as set out in points (b) to (e) of Article 293(1);

(o)

the compliance of the CCR control unit and collateral management unit with the relevant regulatory requirements.

Article 289 U.K. Use test

1 . Institutions shall ensure that the distribution of exposures generated by the model used to calculate Effective EPE is closely integrated into the day-to-day CCR management process of the institution, and that the output of the model is taken into account in the process of credit approval, CCR management, internal capital allocation and corporate governance.

2 . The institution shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authorities that it has been using a model to calculate the distribution of exposures upon which the EPE calculation is based that meets, broadly, the requirements set out in this Section for at least one year prior to permission to use the IMM by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 283.

3 . The model used to generate a distribution of exposures to CCR shall be part of the CCR management framework required by Article 286. This framework shall include the measurement of usage of credit lines, aggregating CCR exposures with other credit exposures and internal capital allocation.

4 . In addition to EPE, an institution shall measure and manage current exposures. Where appropriate, the institution shall measure current exposure gross and net of collateral. The use test is satisfied if an institution uses other CCR measures, such as peak exposure, based on the distribution of exposures generated by the same model to compute EPE.

5 . An institution shall have the systems capability to estimate EE daily if necessary, unless it demonstrates to the satisfaction of its competent authorities that its exposures to CCR warrant less frequent calculation. The institution shall estimate EE along a time profile of forecasting horizons that adequately reflects the time structure of future cash flows and maturity of the contracts and in a manner that is consistent with the materiality and composition of the exposures.

6 . Exposure shall be measured, monitored and controlled over the life of all contracts in the netting set and not only to the one-year horizon. The institution shall have procedures in place to identify and control the risks for counterparties where the exposure rises beyond the one-year horizon. The forecast increase in exposure shall be an input into the institution's internal capital model.

Article 290U.K.Stress testing

1.An institution shall have a comprehensive stress testing programme for CCR, including for use in assessment of own funds requirements for CCR, which complies with the requirements laid down in paragraphs 2 to 10.

2.It shall identify possible events or future changes in economic conditions that could have unfavourable effects on an institution's credit exposures and assess the institution's ability to withstand such changes.

3.[F282 The stress measures under the programme shall be compared against risk limits and considered by the institution as part of [F283rule 6.1 of the Internal Capital Adequacy Part of the PRA rulebook].]

4.The programme shall comprehensively capture trades and aggregate exposures across all forms of counterparty credit risk at the level of specific counterparties in a sufficient time frame to conduct regular stress testing.

5.It shall provide for at least monthly exposure stress testing of principal market risk factors such as interest rates, FX, equities, credit spreads, and commodity prices for all counterparties of the institution, in order to identify, and enable the institution when necessary to reduce outsized concentrations in specific directional risks. Exposure stress testing -including single factor, multifactor and material non-directional risks- and joint stressing of exposure and creditworthiness shall be performed at the counterparty-specific, counterparty group and aggregate institution-wide CCR levels.

6.It shall apply at least quarterly multifactor stress testing scenarios and assess material non-directional risks including yield curve exposure and basis risks. Multiple-factor stress tests shall, at a minimum, address the following scenarios in which the following occurs:

(a)severe economic or market events have occurred;

(b)broad market liquidity has decreased significantly;

(c)a large financial intermediary is liquidating positions.

7.The severity of the shocks of the underlying risk factors shall be consistent with the purpose of the stress test. When evaluating solvency under stress, the shocks of the underlying risk factors shall be sufficiently severe to capture historical extreme market environments and extreme but plausible stressed market conditions. The stress tests shall evaluate the impact of such shocks on own funds, own funds requirements and earnings. For the purpose of day-to-day portfolio monitoring, hedging, and management of concentrations the testing programme shall also consider scenarios of lesser severity and higher probability.

8.The programme shall include provision, where appropriate, for reverse stress tests to identify extreme, but plausible, scenarios that could result in significant adverse outcomes. Reverse stress testing shall account for the impact of material non-linearity in the portfolio.

9.The results of the stress testing under the programme shall be reported regularly, at least on a quarterly basis, to senior management. The reports and analysis of the results shall cover the largest counterparty-level impacts across the portfolio, material concentrations within segments of the portfolio (within the same industry or region), and relevant portfolio and counterparty specific trends.

10.Senior management shall take a lead role in the integration of stress testing into the risk management framework and risk culture of the institution and ensure that the results are meaningful and used to manage CCR. The results of stress testing for significant exposures shall be assessed against guidelines that indicate the institution's risk appetite, and referred to senior management for discussion and action when excessive or concentrated risks are identified.

Textual Amendments

F282Art. 290(3): existing wording becomes first sub-paragraph (31.12.2020) by The Capital Requirements (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1401), regs. 1(3), 146(a) (with savings in S.I. 2019/680, reg. 11); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

Article 291U.K.Wrong-Way Risk

1.For the purposes of this Article:

(a)‘ General Wrong-Way risk ’ arises when the likelihood of default by counterparties is positively correlated with general market risk factors;

(b)‘ Specific Wrong-Way risk ’ arises when future exposure to a specific counterparty is positively correlated with the counterparty's PD due to the nature of the transactions with the counterparty. An institution shall be considered to be exposed to Specific Wrong-Way risk if the future exposure to a specific counterparty is expected to be high when the counterparty's probability of a default is also high.

2.An institution shall give due consideration to exposures that give rise to a significant degree of Specific and General Wrong-Way risk.

3.In order to identify General Wrong-Way risk, an institution shall design stress testing and scenario analyses to stress risk factors that are adversely related to counterparty creditworthiness. Such testing shall address the possibility of severe shocks occurring when relationships between risk factors have changed. An institution shall monitor General Wrong Way risk by product, by region, by industry, or by other categories that are relevant to the business.

4.An institution shall maintain procedures to identify, monitor and control cases of Specific Wrong-Way risk for each legal entity, beginning at the inception of a transaction and continuing through the life of the transaction.

5.Institutions shall calculate the own funds requirements for CCR in relation to transactions where Specific Wrong-Way risk has been identified and where there exists a legal connection between the counterparty and the issuer of the underlying of the OTC derivative or the underlying of the transactions referred to in points (b), (c) and (d) of Article 273(2)), in accordance with the following principles:

(a)the instruments where Specific Wrong-Way risk exists shall not be included in the same netting set as other transactions with the counterparty, and shall each be treated as a separate netting set;

(b)within any such separate netting set, for single-name credit default swaps the exposure value equals the full expected loss in the value of the remaining fair value of the underlying instruments based on the assumption that the underlying issuer is in liquidation;

(c)LGD for an institution using the approach set out in Chapter 3 shall be 100 % for such swap transactions;

(d)for an institution using the approach set out in Chapter 2 [F284of this Regulation and Articles 132a to 132c of Chapter 3 of the Standardised Approach and Internal Ratings Based Approach to Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook], the applicable risk weight shall be that of an unsecured transaction;

(e)for all other transactions referencing a single name in any such separate netting set, the calculation of the exposure value shall be consistent with the assumption of a jump-to-default of those underlying obligations where the issuer is legally connected with the counterparty. For transactions referencing a basket of names or index, the jump-to-default of the respective underlying obligations where the issuer is legally connected with the counterparty, shall be applied, if material;

(f)to the extent that this uses existing market risk calculations for own funds requirements for incremental default and migration risk as set out in Title IV, Chapter 5, Section 4 that already contain an LGD assumption, the LGD in the formula used shall be 100 %.

6.Institutions shall provide senior management and the appropriate committee of the management body with regular reports on both Specific and General Wrong-Way risks and the steps being taken to manage those risks.

Textual Amendments

Article 292 U.K. Integrity of the modelling process

1 . An institution shall ensure the integrity of modelling process as set out in Article 284 by adopting at least the following measures:

( a ) the model shall reflect transaction terms and specifications in a timely, complete, and conservative fashion;

( b ) those terms shall include at least contract notional amounts, maturity, reference assets, margining arrangements and netting arrangements;

( c ) those terms and specifications shall be maintained in a database that is subject to formal and periodic audit;

( d ) a process for recognising netting arrangements that requires legal staff to verify that netting under those arrangements is legally enforceable;

( e ) the verification required under point (d) shall be entered into the database mentioned in point (c) by an independent unit;

( f ) the transmission of transaction terms and specification data to the EPE model shall be subject to internal audit;

( g ) there shall be processes for formal reconciliation between the model and source data systems to verify on an ongoing basis that transaction terms and specifications are being reflected in EPE correctly or at least conservatively.

2 . Current market data shall be used to determine current exposures. An institution may calibrate its EPE model using either historic market data or market implied data to establish parameters of the underlying stochastic processes, such as drift, volatility and correlation. If an institution uses historical data, it shall use at least three years of such data. The data shall be updated at least quarterly, and more frequently if necessary to reflect market conditions.

To calculate the Effective EPE using a stress calibration, an institution shall calibrate Effective EPE using either three years of data that includes a period of stress to the credit default spreads of its counterparties or market implied data from such a period of stress.

The requirements in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 shall be applied by the institution for that purpose.

3 . An institution shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the competent authority, at least quarterly, that the stress period used for the calculation under this paragraph coincides with a period of increased credit default swap or other credit (such as loan or corporate bond) spreads for a representative selection of its counterparties with traded credit spreads. In situations where the institution does not have adequate credit spread data for a counterparty, it shall map that counterparty to specific credit spread data based on region, internal rating and business types.

4 . The EPE model for all counterparties shall use data, either historic or implied, that include the data from the stressed credit period and shall use such data in a manner consistent with the method used for the calibration of the EPE model to current data.

5 . To evaluate the effectiveness of its stress calibration for EEPE, an institution shall create several benchmark portfolios that are vulnerable to the main risk factors to which the institution is exposed. The exposure to these benchmark portfolios shall be calculated using (a) a stress methodology, based on current market values and model parameters calibrated to stressed market conditions, and (b) the exposure generated during the stress period, but applying the method set out in this Section (end of stress period market value, volatilities, and correlations from the 3-year stress period).

The competent authorities shall require an institution to adjust the stress calibration if the exposures of those benchmark portfolios deviate substantially from each other.

6 . An institution shall subject the model to a validation process that is clearly articulated in the institutions' policies and procedures. That validation process shall:

( a ) specify the kind of testing needed to ensure model integrity and identify conditions under which the assumptions underlying the model are inappropriate and may therefore result in an understatement of EPE;

( b ) include a review of the comprehensiveness of the model.

7 . An institution shall monitor the relevant risks and have processes in place to adjust its estimation of Effective EPE when those risks become significant. In complying with this paragraph, the institution shall:

( a ) identify and manage its exposures to Specific Wrong-Way risk arising as specified in Article 291(1)(b) and exposures to General Wrong-Way risk arising as specified in Article 291(1)(a);

( b ) for exposures with a rising risk profile after one year, compare on a regular basis the estimate of a relevant measure of exposure over one year with the same exposure measure over the life of the exposure;

( c ) for exposures with a residual maturity below one year, compare on a regular basis the replacement cost (current exposure) and the realised exposure profile, and store data that would allow such a comparison.

8 . An institution shall have internal procedures to verify that, prior to including a transaction in a netting set, the transaction is covered by a legally enforceable netting contract that meets the requirements set out in Section 7.

9 . An institution that uses collateral to mitigate its CCR shall have internal procedures to verify that, prior to recognising the effect of collateral in its calculations, the collateral meets the legal certainty standards set out in Chapter 4.

F285 10 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Article 293 U.K. Requirements for the risk management system

1 . An institution shall comply with the following requirements:

( a ) it shall meet the qualitative requirements set out in Part Three, Title IV, Chapter 5;

( b ) it shall conduct a regular programme of back-testing, comparing the risk measures generated by the model with realised risk measures, and hypothetical changes based on static positions with realised measures;

( c ) it shall carry out an initial validation and an on-going periodic review of its CCR exposure model and the risk measures generated by it. The validation and review shall be independent of the model development;

( d ) the management body and senior management shall be involved in the risk control process and shall ensure that adequate resources are devoted to credit and counterparty credit risk control. In this regard, the daily reports prepared by the independent risk control unit established in accordance Article 287(1)(a) shall be reviewed by a level of management with sufficient seniority and authority to enforce both reductions of positions taken by individual traders and reductions in the overall risk exposure of the institution;

( e ) the internal risk measurement exposure model shall be integrated into the day-to-day risk management process of the institution;

( f ) the risk measurement system shall be used in conjunction with internal trading and exposure limits. In this regard, exposure limits shall be related to the institution's risk measurement model in a manner that is consistent over time and that is well understood by traders, the credit function and senior management;

( g ) an institution shall ensure that its risk management system is well documented. In particular, it shall maintain a documented set of internal policies, controls and procedures concerning the operation of the risk measurement system, and arrangements to ensure that those policies are complied with;

( h ) an independent review of the risk measurement system shall be carried out regularly in the institution's own internal auditing process. This review shall include both the activities of the business trading units and of the independent risk control unit. A review of the overall risk management process shall take place at regular intervals (and no less than once a year) and shall specifically address, as a minimum, all items referred to in Article 288;

( i ) the on-going validation of counterparty credit risk models, including back-testing, shall be reviewed periodically by a level of management with sufficient authority to decide the action that will be taken to address weaknesses in the models.

2 . Competent authorities shall take into account the extent to which an institution meets the requirements of paragraph 1 when setting the level of alpha, as set out in Article 284(4). Only those institutions that comply fully with those requirements shall be eligible for application of the minimum multiplication factor.

3 . An institution shall document the process for initial and on-going validation of its CCR exposure model and the calculation of the risk measures generated by the models to a level of detail that would enable a third party to recreate, respectively, the analysis and the risk measures. That documentation shall set out the frequency with which back testing analysis and any other on-going validation will be conducted, how the validation is conducted with respect to data flows and portfolios and the analyses that are used.

4 . An institution shall define criteria with which to assess its CCR exposure models and the models that input into the calculation of exposure and maintain a written policy that describes the process by which unacceptable performance will be identified and remedied.

5 . An institution shall define how representative counterparty portfolios are constructed for the purposes of validating an CCR exposure model and its risk measures.

6 . The validation of CCR exposure models and their risk measures that produce forecast distributions shall consider more than a single statistic of the forecast distribution.

Article 294 U.K. Validation requirements

1 . As part of the initial and on-going validation of its CCR exposure model and its risk measures, an institution shall ensure that the following requirements are met:

( a ) the institution shall carry out back-testing using historical data on movements in market risk factors prior to the permission by the competent authorities in accordance with Article 283(1). That back-testing shall consider a number of distinct prediction time horizons out to at least one year, over a range of various initialisation dates and covering a wide range of market conditions;

( b ) the institution using the approach set out in Article 285(1)(b) shall regularly validate its model to test whether realised current exposures are consistent with prediction over all margin periods within one year. If some of the trades in the netting set have a maturity of less than one year, and the netting set has higher risk factor sensitivities without these trades, the validation shall take this into account;

( c ) it shall back-test the performance of its CCR exposure model and the model's relevant risk measures as well as the market risk factor predictions. For collateralised trades, the prediction time horizons considered shall include those reflecting typical margin periods of risk applied in collateralised or margined trading;

( d ) if the model validation indicates that Effective EPE is underestimated, the institution shall take the action necessary to address the inaccuracy of the model;

( e ) it shall test the pricing models used to calculate CCR exposure for a given scenario of future shocks to market risk factors as part of the initial and on-going model validation process. Pricing models for options shall account for the nonlinearity of option value with respect to market risk factors;

( f ) the CCR exposure model shall capture the transaction-specific information necessary to be able to aggregate exposures at the level of the netting set. An institution shall verify that transactions are assigned to the appropriate netting set within the model;

( g ) the CCR exposure model shall include transaction-specific information to capture the effects of margining. It shall take into account both the current amount of margin and margin that would be passed between counterparties in the future. Such a model shall account for the nature of margin agreements that are unilateral or bilateral, the frequency of margin calls, the margin period of risk, the minimum threshold of un-margined exposure the institution is willing to accept, and the minimum transfer amount. Such a model shall either estimate the mark-to-market change in the value of collateral posted or apply the rules set out in Chapter 4;

( h ) the model validation process shall include static, historical back-testing on representative counterparty portfolios. An institution shall conduct such back-testing on a number of representative counterparty portfolios that are actual or hypothetical at regular intervals. Those representative portfolios shall be chosen on the basis of their sensitivity to the material risk factors and combinations of risk factors to which the institution is exposed;

( i ) an institution shall conduct back-testing that is designed to test the key assumptions of the CCR exposure model and the relevant risk measures, including the modelled relationship between tenors of the same risk factor, and the modelled relationships between risk factors;

( j ) the performance of CCR exposure models and its risk measures shall be subject to appropriate back-testing practice. The back testing programme shall be capable of identifying poor performance in an EPE model's risk measures;

( k ) an institution shall validate its CCR exposure models and all risk measures out to time horizons commensurate with the maturity of trades for which exposure is calculated using IMM in accordance to the Article 283;

( l ) an institution shall regularly test the pricing models used to calculate counterparty exposure against appropriate independent benchmarks as part of the on-going model validation process;

( m ) the on-going validation of an institution's CCR exposure model and the relevant risk measures shall include an assessment of the adequacy of the recent performance;

( n ) the frequency with which the parameters of an CCR exposure model are updated shall be assessed by an institution as part of the initial and on-going validation process;

( o ) the initial and on-going validation of CCR exposure models shall assess whether or not the counterparty level and netting set exposure calculations of exposure are appropriate.

2 . A measure that is more conservative than the metric used to calculate regulatory exposure value for every counterparty may be used in place of alpha multiplied by Effective EPE with the prior permission of the competent authorities. The degree of relative conservatism will be assessed upon initial approval by the competent authorities and at the regular supervisory reviews of the EPE models. An institution shall validate the conservatism regularly. The on-going assessment of model performance shall cover all counterparties for which the models are used.

3 . If back-testing indicates that a model is not sufficiently accurate, the competent authorities shall revoke its permission for the model, or impose appropriate measures to ensure that the model is improved promptly.

Section 7 U.K. Contractual netting

Article 295 U.K. Recognition of contractual netting as risk-reducing

Institutions may treat as risk reducing in accordance with Article 298 only the following types of contractual netting agreements where the netting agreement has been recognised by competent authorities in accordance with Article 296 and where the institution meets the requirements set out in Article 297:

(a)

bilateral contracts for novation between an institution and its counterparty under which mutual claims and obligations are automatically amalgamated in such a way that the novation fixes one single net amount each time it applies so as to create a single new contract that replaces all former contracts and all obligations between parties pursuant to those contracts and is binding on the parties;

(b)

other bilateral agreements between an institution and its counterparty;

(c)

contractual cross-product netting agreements for institutions that have received the approval to use the method set out in Section 6 for transactions falling under the scope of that method. F286...

Netting across transactions entered into by different legal entities of a group shall not be recognised for the purposes of calculating the own funds requirements.

Textual Amendments

Article 296 U.K. Recognition of contractual netting agreements

1 . Competent authorities shall recognise a contractual netting agreement only where the conditions in paragraph 2 and, where relevant, 3 are fulfilled.

2 . The following conditions shall be fulfilled by all contractual netting agreements used by an institution for the purposes of determining exposure value in this Part:

( a ) the institution has concluded a contractual netting agreement with its counterparty which creates a single legal obligation, covering all included transactions, such that, in the event of default by the counterparty it would be entitled to receive or obliged to pay only the net sum of the positive and negative mark-to-market values of included individual transactions;

( b ) the institution has made available to the competent authorities written and reasoned legal opinions to the effect that, in the event of a legal challenge of the netting agreement, the institution's claims and obligations would not exceed those referred to in point (a). The legal opinion shall refer to the applicable law:

(i)

the jurisdiction in which the counterparty is incorporated;

(ii)

if a branch of an undertaking is involved, which is located in a country other than that where the undertaking is incorporated, the jurisdiction in which the branch is located;

(iii)

the jurisdiction whose law governs the individual transactions included in the netting agreement;

(iv)

the jurisdiction whose law governs any contract or agreement necessary to effect the contractual netting;

( c ) credit risk to each counterparty is aggregated to arrive at a single legal exposure across transactions with each counterparty. This aggregation shall be factored into credit limit purposes and internal capital purposes;

( d ) the contract shall not contain any clause which, in the event of default of a counterparty, permits a non-defaulting counterparty to make limited payments only, or no payments at all, to the estate of the defaulting party, even if the defaulting party is a net creditor (i.e. walk-away clause).

If F287... the competent authorities are not satisfied that the contractual netting is legally valid and enforceable under the law of each of the jurisdictions referred to in point (b) the contractual netting agreement shall not be recognised as risk-reducing for either of the counterparties. F288...

3 . The legal opinions referred to in point (b) may be drawn up by reference to types of contractual netting. The following additional conditions shall be fulfilled by contractual cross-product netting agreements:

( a ) the net sum referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 is the net sum of the positive and negative close out values of any included individual bilateral master agreement and of the positive and negative mark-to-market value of the individual transactions (the ‘ cross-product net amount ’ );

( b ) the legal opinions referred to in point (b) of paragraph 2 shall address the validity and enforceability of the entire contractual cross-product netting agreement under its terms and the impact of the netting arrangement on the material provisions of any included individual bilateral master agreement.

Textual Amendments

Article 297 U.K. Obligations of institutions

1 . An institution shall establish and maintain procedures to ensure that the legal validity and enforceability of its contractual netting is reviewed in the light of changes in the law of relevant jurisdictions referred to in Article 296(2)(b).

2 . The institution shall maintain all required documentation relating to its contractual netting in its files.

3 . The institution shall factor the effects of netting into its measurement of each counterparty's aggregate credit risk exposure and the institution shall manage its CCR on the basis of those effects of that measurement.

4 . In the case of contractual cross-product netting agreements referred to in Article 295, the institution shall maintain procedures under Article 296(2)(c) to verify that any transaction which is to be included in a netting set is covered by a legal opinion referred to in Article 296(2)(b).

Taking into account the contractual cross-product netting agreement, the institution shall continue to comply with the requirements for the recognition of bilateral netting and the requirements of Chapter 4 for the recognition of credit risk mitigation, as applicable, with respect to each included individual bilateral master agreement and transaction.

[F289 Article 298 U.K. Effects of recognition of netting as risk-reducing

Netting for the purposes of [F290Section 6 of this Chapter, and Sections 3 to 5 of Chapter 3 of the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook] shall be recognised as set out in those Sections.]

Textual Amendments

Section 8 U.K. Items in the trading book

Article 299U.K.Items in the trading book

1.For the purposes of the application of this Article, Annex II shall include a reference to derivative instruments for the transfer of credit risk as mentioned in [F291paragraph 8 of Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Regulated Activities Order].

2.When calculating risk-weighted exposure amounts for counterparty risk of items in the trading book, institutions shall comply with the following principles:

F292(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b)institutions shall not use the Financial Collateral Simple Method set out in Article 222 for the recognition of the effects of financial collateral;

(c)in the case of repurchase transactions and securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions booked in the trading book, institutions may recognise as eligible collateral all financial instruments and commodities that are eligible to be included in the trading book;

(d)for exposures arising from OTC derivative instruments booked in the trading book, institutions may recognise commodities that are eligible to be included in the trading book as eligible collateral;

(e)for the purposes of calculating volatility adjustments where such financial instruments or commodities which are not eligible under Chapter 4 are lent, sold or provided, or borrowed, purchased or received by way of collateral or otherwise under such a transaction, and an institution is using the Supervisory Volatility Adjustments Approach under Section 3 of Chapter 4, institutions shall treat such instruments and commodities in the same way as non-main index equities listed on a recognised exchange;

(f)where an institution is using the Own Estimates of Volatility adjustments Approach under Section 3 of Chapter 4 in respect of financial instruments or commodities which are not eligible under Chapter 4, it shall calculate volatility adjustments for each individual item. Where an institution has obtained the approval to use the internal models approach defined in Chapter 4, it may also apply that approach in the trading book;

(g)in relation to the recognition of master netting agreements covering repurchase transactions, securities or commodities lending or borrowing transactions, or other capital market-driven transactions, institutions shall only recognise netting across positions in the trading book and the non-trading book when the netted transactions fulfil the following conditions:

(i)

all transactions are marked to market daily;

(ii)

any items borrowed, purchased or received under the transactions may be recognised as eligible financial collateral under Chapter 4 without the application of points (c) to (f) of this paragraph;

(h)where a credit derivative included in the trading book forms part of an internal hedge and the credit protection is recognised under this Regulation in accordance with Article 204, institutions shall apply one of the following approaches:

(i)

treat it as if there were no counterparty risk arising from the position in that credit derivative;

(ii)

consistently include for the purpose of calculating the own funds requirements for counterparty credit risk all credit derivatives in the trading book forming part of internal hedges or purchased as protection against a CCR exposure where the credit protection is recognised as eligible under Chapter 4.

Textual Amendments

Section 9U.K. Own funds requirements for exposures to a central counterparty

F293 Article 300U.K. Definitions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 301U.K. Material scope

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 302U.K. Monitoring of exposures to CCPs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 303U.K. Treatment of clearing members' exposures to CCPs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 304U.K.Treatment of clearing members' exposures to clients

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 305U.K. Treatment of clients' exposures

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 306U.K. Own funds requirements for trade exposures

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 307U.K. Own funds requirements for pre-funded contributions to the default fund of a CCP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 308U.K. Own funds requirements for pre-funded contributions to the default fund of a QCCP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 309U.K. Own funds requirements for pre-funded contributions to the default fund of a non-qualifying CCP and for unfunded contributions to a non-qualifying CCP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 310U.K. Alternative calculation of own funds requirement for exposures to a QCCP

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F293 Article 311U.K. Own funds requirements for exposures to CCPs that cease to meet certain conditions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Textual Amendments

Editorial Information

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