ESRB Recommendation on Application of Systemic Risk Buffer in Norway
ESRB published a recommendation upon notification from the Norwegian Ministry of Finance regarding the Norwegian intention to set a systemic risk buffer rate in accordance with Article 133 of the Capital Requirements Directive IV (CRD IV). The measure involves the application of a 4.5% systemic risk buffer to the domestic exposures of all credit institutions authorized in Norway, including the subsidiaries of institutions with parents established in other European Economic Area countries. The measure is scheduled to enter into force by December 31, 2020; however, a transitional rule will apply to the banks that do not follow the advanced internal ratings-based approach. As per the ESRB recommendation, the proposed systemic buffer is considered justified, suitable, proportionate, effective, and efficient for the risk being targeted.
The ESRB recommendation focuses on assessing the systemic structural risks, the justification of the systemic risk buffer level, the effectiveness and proportionality of the measure, the likely impact on the domestic market and the European Economic Area, and the justification against use of alternative measures provided for in CRD IV or the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR). According to the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, the main purpose of the systemic risk buffer requirement of 4.5% for domestic exposures is to maintain Norwegian credit institutions’ resilience to loan losses and other disruptions that may arise as a result of structural vulnerabilities and other long-term systemic risks in the Norwegian economy. ESRB considers the measure to be effective and proportionate. The measure intends to maintain the loss-absorption capacity and the resilience of Norwegian institutions to long-term non-cyclical risks and, therefore, contributes to safeguarding financial stability in Norway as well as in the European Economic Area. ESRB considers the effects of the planned measure on the Norwegian domestic market and its credit institutions to be limited.
ESRB considers that the application of the measure also to subsidiaries of institutions established in other European Economic Area countries is necessary to provide a level playing field in the domestic market and to avoid leakages and regulatory arbitrage. For banks that do not use the advanced internal ratings-based approach, the measure will apply from December 31, 2022. This transitional period, which is applicable to banks that are not significantly affected by the removal of the Basel I floor, should ensure that the changes in the systemic risk buffer requirement enter into effect after a reassessment of the Pillar 2 requirements, so that the impact on domestic banks and their lending capacity remains limited. Based on the information provided, ESRB concludes that the measure would not entail disproportionate adverse effects on the European Economic Area or other financial systems.
The planned reciprocation of the systemic risk buffer intends to reduce the potential for leakages to foreign institutions. The Ministry of Finance intends to request the reciprocation of the systemic risk buffer for all European Economic Area institutions with exposures to Norway to reduce the potential for leakages to foreign institutions, which would otherwise be considered to be significant. ESRB shall be dealing separately with the implications of the reciprocation request in a recommendation. According to the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, the increase of the systemic risk buffer is not expected to be large for some Nordic banking groups if the systemic risk buffer is reciprocated. However, as Nordic countries have taken macro-prudential measures to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in the capital requirement may be higher in case of reciprocation. Nonetheless, the measure should not have a disproportionate negative effect on the European Economic Area and the reciprocation could be seen as levelling the playing field.
Related Links
Keywords: Europe, Norway, Banking, CRD IV, CRR, COVID-19, Macro-Prudential Policy, Systemic Risk Buffer, Systemic Risk, Proportionality, IRB Approach, Basel, Regulatory Capital, ESRB
Featured Experts

María Cañamero
Skilled market researcher; growth strategist; successful go-to-market campaign developer

Nicolas Degruson
Works with financial institutions, regulatory experts, business analysts, product managers, and software engineers to drive regulatory solutions across the globe.

Patrycja Oleksza
Applies proficiency and knowledge to regulatory capital and reporting analysis and coordinates business and product strategies in the banking technology area
Previous Article
EIOPA Seeks Views on Dashboard to Address Catastrophe Protection GapNext Article
MAS Grants Four New Digital Bank LicensesRelated Articles
EBA Clarifies Use of COVID-19-Impacted Data for IRB Credit Risk Models
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published four draft principles to support supervisory efforts in assessing the representativeness of COVID-19-impacted data for banks using the internal ratings based (IRB) credit risk models.
EP Reaches Agreement on Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
The European Council and the European Parliament (EP) reached a provisional political agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
PRA Consults on Model Risk Management Principles for Banks
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) launched a consultation (CP6/22) that sets out proposal for a new Supervisory Statement on expectations for management of model risk by banks.
EC Regulation Amends Standards for Calculating Credit Risk Adjustments
The European Commission (EC) published the Delegated Regulation 2022/954, which amends regulatory technical standards on specification of the calculation of specific and general credit risk adjustments.
HKMA Announces Launch of Data Repository on Sustainable Finance
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced that the Green and Sustainable Finance (GSF) Cross-Agency Steering Group has launched the information and data repositories and outlined the progress made in advancing the development of green and sustainable finance in Hong Kong.
BIS Hub Updates Work Program for 2022, Announces New Projects
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub updated its work program, announcing a set of projects across various centers.
EIOPA Issues Cyber Underwriting Proposal, Statement on Open Insurance
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published two consultation papers—one on the supervisory statement on exclusions related to systemic events and the other on the supervisory statement on the management of non-affirmative cyber exposures.
NGFS Report on Integration of G-Cubed Model into NGFS Scenarios
The Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) published a report that explores the feasibility of integrating the G-Cubed general equilibrium model into the NGFS suite of models.
US Senate Members Seek Details on SEC Proposed Climate Disclosure Rule
Certain members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs issued a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
EIOPA Consults on Review of Securitization Framework in Solvency II
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published a consultation paper on the advice on the review of the securitization prudential framework in Solvency II.