Implementing Regulation

European Commission Adopts Implementing Regulation on ITS for Reporting Results of Internal Approach Calculations under Article 78(2) CRD IV Directive

 

On September 19, 2016, the European Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation implementing technical standards (ITS) for templates, definitions and IT solutions to be used by institutions when reporting the results of their internal approach calculations to the European Banking Authority (EBA) and to competent authorities under the CRD IV Directive (2013/36/EU).

The Implementing Regulation is based on the draft ITS submitted by the EBA to the Commission in March 2015 to which the EBA published an opinion agreeing to the Commission’s amendments to the ITS in May 2016. Once the Implementing Regulation has been published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJ) it will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication.

European Commission Implementing Regulation Establishing a List of Critical Benchmarks Used in Financial Markets under Benchmarks Regulation in OJ

 

On August 12, 2016, the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1368 establishing a list of critical benchmarks used in financial markets pursuant to the Regulation on indices used as benchmarks in financial instruments and financial contracts or to measure the performance of investment funds (2016/1011/EU) (Benchmarks Regulation), was published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJ).

The Regulation highlights that benchmarks play an important role in the determination of the price of many financial instruments and financial contracts and of the measurement of performance for many investment funds. In order to fulfill their economic role, benchmarks need to be representative of the underlying market or economic reality they reflect. Should a benchmark no longer be representative of an underlying market, such as interbank offered rates, there is a risk of negative effects on, inter alia, market integrity, the financing of households (loans and mortgages) and businesses in the Union.

The Implementing Regulation, which specifies the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (EURIBOR) as a critical benchmark, enters into force on the day following its publication in the OJ (that is, August 13, 2016). It will apply from January 1, 2018.

European Commission Adopts Implementing Regulation on Information for Calculation of Technical Provisions and Basic Own Funds for Q3 2016 Reporting under Solvency II

 

On August 8, 2016, the European Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation laying down information for the calculation of technical provisions and basic own funds for reporting with reference dates from June 30 until September 29, 2016 (that is, the third quarter of 2016) in accordance with the Solvency II Directive (2009/138/EC).

In the Regulation, technical information on relevant risk-free interest rate term structures, fundamental spreads for the calculation of the matching adjustment and volatility adjustments are formulated for every reference date, in order to guarantee uniform conditions for the calculation of technical provisions and basic own funds by insurance and reinsurance undertakings for the purposes of Solvency II.

The technical information to be used by insurance and reinsurance undertakings when calculating technical provisions and basic own funds for reporting with reference dates from June 30 until September 29, 2016 are detailed in the annexes to the Implementing Regulation, as follows:

  • Annex 1: the relevant risk-free rate term structures
  • Annex 2: the fundamental spreads for the calculation of the matching adjustment
  • Annex 3: the volatility adjustments for each relevant national market

The Regulation will enter into force the day after it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJ). It will apply from June 30, 2016.