2019-09-17
Finansinspektionen amended its regulations on prudential requirements and capital buffers to align with EU Regulation 575/2013 and implement specific national supervisory standards. The changes include repealing certain chapters, reorganizing section numbering, and introducing new notification requirements for capital instrument issuances and thresholds for assessing past due credit obligations. Additionally, the regulations clarify disclosure obligations for own funds and capital buffers, while exempting small and medium-sized investment firms from countercyclical capital buffer requirements.
Finansinspektionen’s Regulatory Code Publisher: Finansinspektionen, Sweden, www.fi.se ISSN 1102-7460 This translation is furnished solely for information purposes. Only the printed version of the regulation in Swedish applies for the application of the law. 1 Regulations amending Finansinspektionen’s regulations (FFFS 2014:12) regarding prudential requirements and capital buffers; decided on 21 May 2019. Finansinspektionen prescribes the following pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 2, point 17 of the Banking and Financing Business Ordinance (2004:329), Chapter 6, Section 1, points 9 and 56 of the Securities Market Ordinance (2007:572), Section 5, point 20 of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Ordinance (2013:587), Section 18, point 36 of the Swedish UCITS Ordinance (2013:588) and Section 16, points 1–3, 6, 9, 10 and 14, Section 17, points 2 and 3, Section 18, points 2 and 3, 6–12 of Special Supervision and Capital Buffers Ordinance (2014:993) and Section 6, point 4 of the Supervision of Svenska skeppshypotekskassan Ordinance (1970:68) in respect of Finansinspektionen’s regulations (FFFS 2014:12) regarding prudential requirements and capital buffers in part that Chapter 3, Sections 2–5 and 7–10 and Chapter 5, Section 4 shall be repealed, in part that the current Chapter 3, Section 6 shall be designated Chapter 3, Section 2, that Chapter 3, Section 11 shall be designated Chapter 3, Section 3, that Chapter 3, Section 12 shall be designated Chapter 3, Section 4 and that Chapter 8, Sections 1–10 shall be designated Chapter 8, Sections 2–11, in part that the heading of Finansinspektionen’s regulations (FFFS 2014:12) regarding prudential requirements and capital buffers, Chapter 1, Sections 2–6, Chapter 2, Sections 3 and 4, the new Chapter 3, Section 3, the new Chapter 8, Sections 2, 4, 7 and 9–11, Chapter 9, Section 1 and the heading of Chapter 4 shall have the following wording, in part that the heading immediately preceding Chapter 8, Section 1, shall be placed before Chapter 8, Section 2 and that the heading immediately preceding Chapter 8, Section 3 shall be placed before Chapter 8, Section 4, in part that three new sections shall be inserted in the regulations; Chapter 3, Section 5, Chapter 4, Section 2 and Chapter 8, Section 1 and, immediately preceding Chapter 8, Section 1, a new heading with the following wording. Finansinspektionen also provides the following general guidelines. Finansinspektionen’s regulations and General guidelines (FFFS 2014:12) regarding prudential requirements and capital buffers Chapter 1 Section 2 These regulations apply to
FFFS 2019:6 2 2. savings banks, 3. members’ banks, 4. credit market companies, 5. credit market associations, 6. securities companies, 7. payment institutions, and 8. Svenska skeppshypotekskassan. An undertaking shall, in accordance with the first paragraph, apply the regulations on the basis of the undertaking’s consolidated situation, in accordance with Article 18 of 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. If the undertaking is controlled by a financial parent holding company or a mixed financial parent holding company, the undertaking shall apply the regulations on the basis of the financial holding company’s or the mixed financial holding company’s consolidated situation. Section 3 An undertaking included in the consolidation in accordance with Article 18 in Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms, does not need to apply Chapter 8, Sections 4–8 at an individual level. Section 4 For a payment institution, only the provisions regarding own funds in Chapter 3, Sections 1–3 apply. Section 5 For Svenska skeppshypotekskassan, the following provisions do not apply – large exposures in Chapter 5, – disclosure of information in Chapter 8, Sections 1 and 6, and – documentation of the undertakings’ internal capital and liquidity assessment process in Chapter 10. Section 6 The regulations are divided into the following ten chapters: – Scope and definitions (Chapter 1), – Consolidated situation (Chapter 2), – Own funds and own funds requirements (Chapter 3), – Credit risk (Chapter 4), – Large exposures (Chapter 5), – Liquidity (Chapter 6), – Reporting (Chapter 7), – Disclosure of information (Chapter 8), – Capital buffers (Chapter 9), and – Documentation of the undertakings’ internal capital and liquidity assessment process (Chapter 10). Chapter 2 Section 3 Where there are participations within the meaning of Article 18(5) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms, consolidation shall be carried out using the equity method. Finansinspektionen may instead decide to allow full consolidation or proportionate consolidation (the proportional method). Other forms of capital ties within the meaning of Article 18(5) are not consolidated.
FFFS 2019:6 3 However, Finansinspektionen may decide that consolidation shall be carried out through full consolidation, proportionate consolidation (the proportional method) or the equity method where special grounds exist. Section 4 Undertakings within the meaning of Article 18(6) of Regulation (EU) on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms are not consolidated. However, Finansinspektionen may decide that consolidation shall be carried out through full consolidation, proportionate consolidation (the proportional method) or the equity method where special grounds exist. Chapter 3 Section 3 An undertaking shall, until 31 December 2021, apply a percentage of 0 per cent pursuant to Article 486(6) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms. Section 5 An undertaking that issues capital instruments that are to be included in its own funds shall notify Finansinspektionen of this. The notification shall take place no later than the day on which the issuance takes place. The notification shall include the following information: – name of the issuer, – the purpose of the issuance, – the issuer’s position in the consolidated situation, – what level of the consolidated situation the instrument shall be included in, – whether the instrument is being issued externally or internally within the consolidated situation, – type of instrument, – date of issuance, – amount that is being issued and in which currency, and – under which country’s legislation the instrument is being issued. The requirement in the first paragraph does not apply to instruments that permitted pursuant to Article 26(3) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms. General guidelines If an issuance within the meaning of the first paragraph contains complex terms and conditions and/or new terms and conditions relative to previous issues, the undertaking should also notify Finansinspektionen of this in advance. Advance notification of this nature should take place well in advance of the planned issuance and should contain information about the complex and/or new terms and conditions in question. Chapter 4 Credit risk Section 2 An undertaking shall, when applying Article 178(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms, utilise, no later than 31 December 2020, the following thresholds in order to assess the materiality of a past due credit obligation:
FFFS 2019:6 4
FFFS 2019:6 5 Section 4 An undertaking shall, four times per year, disclose at a minimum the following information regarding own funds:
FFFS 2019:6 6 These regulations and general guidelines enter into force on 15 June 2019. ERIK THEDÉEN Sara Martinussen