EC on Readiness at the End of Transition Period between EU and UK
EC adopted a communication to help national authorities and other stakeholders prepare for changes that will arise at the end of the transition period. The communication sets out a sector-by-sector overview (included the financial sector) of the main areas with changes, regardless of the outcome of the ongoing EU-UK negotiations. The communication also sets out measures that national authorities and other stakeholders should take to be ready for these changes. In parallel, EC is reviewing and, where necessary, updating all 102 stakeholder notices, published at the time of the withdrawal negotiations—many of which continue to be relevant for the end of the transition period. The Annex to the communication contains a list of more than 50 updated notices, all of which are available on the dedicated webpage of EC.
As of January 01, 2021, authorizations to provide services from UK across the EU will stop applying. The provision of financial services from UK to EU will be possible subject to the relevant third-country rules of the member state concerned. Under the equivalence frameworks foreseen in certain Union legal acts, EU has the possibility to facilitate specific interactions between the Union and UK financial systems by recognizing that the relevant UK regulatory and supervisory regimes are equivalent to the corresponding Union legislation and requirements. Only a limited number of these equivalences allow third-country firms to provide their services to EU clients. Specifically for investment firms, a new, improved equivalence framework will enter into force in mid-2021. In most areas, such as insurance, commercial bank lending, and deposit-taking, equivalence does not allow third-country firms to provide services in EU but provides prudential and/or reporting relief to EU firms. As the EU equivalence frameworks are unilateral, neither the equivalence assessments nor possible decisions for granting equivalence are part of the negotiations with UK.
The Political Declaration on the future relationship states that both EU and UK will endeavor to conclude their respective equivalence assessments before the end of June 2020. EC has shared with UK the questionnaires covering 28 equivalence areas. Until the end of June, only four completed questionnaires had been returned. On this basis, EC could not conclude its equivalence assessments by the end of June and will continue the assessments based on further replies that it is receiving. EC will take decisions based on a comprehensive assessment and considering the EU interest. In a number of areas, EC has not initiated an assessment, either because equivalence decisions have already been granted or because, for instance, the EU legal framework is not yet fully in place. With regard to the latter areas, EC will not adopt an equivalence decision in the short or medium term.
In the short term, and to address the possible risks to financial stability, EC is considering the adoption of a time-limited equivalence decision for UK in the area of central clearing counterparties (CCPs) of derivatives. Such a time-limited decision would allow EU-based CCPs to further develop their capacity to clear relevant trades in the short and medium term and EU clearing members to take and implement the necessary steps, including by reducing their systemic exposure to UK market infrastructures. EC is adopting the implementing measures that will determine the degree of systemic risk of third-country CCPs and the necessary measures to strengthen the supervision of such CCPs, with the possible need for further measures to mitigate those risks. As a next step, EC will work closely with national authorities, businesses, and other stakeholders over the coming months to help them prepare for the far-reaching changes that will occur at the end of the year, irrespective of whether an agreement is reached.
Related Links
Keywords: Europe, EU, UK, Banking, Insurance, Securities, Brexit, Transition Period, Equivalence Regime, Derivatives, Third-Country CCPs, EC
Previous Article
APRA Updates Regulatory Approach to Loan Deferrals Amid COVID CrisisRelated Articles
ESAs Publish Reporting Templates for Financial Conglomerates
ESAs published the final draft implementing technical standards on reporting of intra-group transactions and risk concentration of financial conglomerates subject to the supplementary supervision in EU.
EBA Publishes Report on Asset Encumbrance of Banks in EU
EBA published the annual report on asset encumbrance of banks in EU.
US Agencies Publish Updates for Call Reports, FFIEC 101, and FR Y-9C
FED updated the reporting form and instructions for the FR Y-9C report on consolidated financial statements for holding companies.
EBA Proposes Guidelines for Establishing Intermediate Parent Entities
EBA issued a consultation paper on the guidelines on monitoring of the threshold and other procedural aspects of the establishment of intermediate EU parent undertakings, or IPUs, as laid down in the Capital Requirements Directive.
EC Adopts Financial Reporting Changes Arising from Benchmark Reforms
EC published Regulation 2021/25 that addresses amendments related to the financial reporting consequences of replacement of the existing interest rate benchmarks with alternative reference rates.
BIS Bulletin Examines Key Elements of Policy Response to Cyber Risk
BIS published a bulletin, or a note, that examines the cyber threat landscape in the context of the pandemic and discusses policies to reduce risks to financial stability.
HMT Updates List of Post-Brexit Equivalence Decisions in UK
HM Treasury, also known as HMT, has updated the table containing the list of the equivalence decisions that came into effect in UK at the end of the transition period of its withdrawal from EU.
EBA Issues Erratum for Technical Package on Reporting Framework 3.0
EBA published an erratum for technical package on phase 1 of the reporting framework 3.0.
APRA Publishes FAQ on Measurement of Credit Risk Weighted Assets
APRA updated a frequently asked question (FAQ), for authorized deposit-taking institutions, on the measurement of credit risk weighted assets.
ECB Letter Sets Out Strategies to Address Issue of Nonperforming Loans
ECB published a letter from Andrea Enria, the Chair of the Supervisory Board of ECB, answering questions raised by the President of the Bundestag (the German federal parliament) on how ECB assesses the financial stability of the euro area in the context of the significant level of nonperforming loans.
