PRA Proposes Tighter Limit for Large Exposures to Certain French NFCs

ESRB has recommended a European Economic Area (EEA) wide reciprocation of a macro-prudential measure imposed by Haut Conseil de stabilité financière (HCSF) in France in July 2018, under the Capital Requirements Regulation, or CRR Article 458 (the HCSF measure). PRA proposes to tighten the large exposures limit to 5% of eligible capital in respect of the exposures of UK G-SIIs and O-SIIs to French NFCs meeting the definition of "highly indebted," as set out in the HCSF measure. The limit will apply on a consolidated basis to exposures with an original value (prior to the application of any credit risk mitigation techniques and exemptions under the Large Exposures Part of the CRR) of greater than EUR 300 million, treating exposures to a group of connected French NFCs as a single exposure.

The proposed rule incorporates the materiality threshold in the ESRB Recommendation. The threshold exempts firms that have an aggregate exposure to the French NFC sector (on a consolidated basis) of less than EUR 2 billion (prior to the application of any credit risk mitigation techniques and exemptions under the Large Exposures part of the CRR). The materiality threshold also exempts firms that do not have relevant exposures greater than both EUR 300 million and 5% of eligible capital to a single French NFC, or a "connected group" of French NFCs.

The proposals set out in CP15/19 have been designed in the context of the current UK and EU regulatory framework. PRA has assessed that the proposal will be affected in the event that UK leaves EU with no implementation period in place. A second version of the proposed amendments to PRA Rulebook rules, which includes the relevant changes related to the withdrawal of UK from EU, is set out in Appendix 2.

Related Links

• Notification
• CP15/19 (PDF)

Comment Due Date: September 06, 2019

Effective Date: January 01, 2020 (Planned)

Keywords: Europe, UK, France, Banking, Large Exposures, CRR, CRD, PRA rulebook, HCSF Measure, G-SII, O-SII, CP 15/19, Concentration Risk, PRA