EC Amends Regulation Establishing the List of Critical Benchmarks
EC published the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/482, which amends the Regulation (EU) 2016/1368 that establishes a list of critical benchmarks used in financial markets pursuant to Benchmarks Regulation, or BMR (EU 2016/1011). The key change involves the addition of Warsaw Interbank Offered Rate (WIBOR) to the list of critical benchmarks pursuant to BMR. Regulation (EU) 2019/482 shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
On October 10, 2018, the Polish competent authority, Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (KNF), notified ESMA of its proposal to recognize the Warsaw Interbank Offered Rate (WIBOR) as a critical benchmark, under point (b) of Article 20(1) of BMR, because it is critical in Poland and it is based on submissions of contributors, all of which are located in Poland. WIBOR is a reference rate based on an average of the interest rates at which banks operating in the Polish money market are willing to lend unsecured funds to each other at different maturities. As of October 10, 2018, eleven banks participate in the WIBOR panel, all of which are located in Poland.
In its assessment submitted to ESMA, the KNF concluded that the cessation of WIBOR, or its provision on the basis of input data or of a panel of contributors that are no longer representative of the underlying market or economic reality, could have a significant adverse impact on the functioning of financial markets in Poland. On November 08, 2018, ESMA sent EC its opinion setting out that KNF had taken into consideration all the elements and criteria included in Article 20(3) of BMR and that it had provided quantitative data to support the case for the recognition of WIBOR as a critical benchmark, as well as analytical reasoning highlighting the crucial role of WIBOR in the Polish economy. Therefore, the Regulation (EU) 2016/1368 has been amended accordingly. The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1368 has been replaced by the text in the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2019/482.
Related Links
Effective Date: March 26, 2019
Keywords: Europe, EU, Poland, Banking, Securities, WIBOR, Regulation 2019/482, Regulation 2016/1368, Benchmarks Regulation, Critical Benchmarks, Interest Rate Benchmarks, ESMA, EC
Previous Article
APRA Proposes Amendments to CPG 234 Related to Information SecurityRelated Articles
EBA Issues Erratum for Phase 2 Package of Reporting Framework 3.0
EBA published an erratum for the technical package on phase 2 of the reporting framework 3.0.
EBA Updates Lists of Entities for Use in Capital Calculations under SA
EBA published an erratum for the technical package on phase 2 of the reporting framework 3.0.
MAS Amends Notice on Related Party Transactions of Banks
MAS amended Notice 643A that addresses requirements for banks to prepare statements of exposures and credit facilities to related concerns or parties.
ECB Amends Guideline on Euro Short-Term Rate
ECB has published, in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Guideline 2021/565 on the euro short-term rate (€STR) and this guideline amends the previous ECB Guideline 2019/1265.
EBA Consults on Standards Related to FRTB-SA
EBA launched a consultation on the draft regulatory technical standards on the list of countries with an advanced economy for calculating the equity risk under the alternative standardized approach (FRTB-SA).
PRA Proposes Rules Related to IRB Approach for Credit Risk
PRA is proposing, via CP7/21, the approach to implementing new requirements related to the specification of the nature, severity, and duration of an economic downturn in the internal ratings-based (IRB) approach to credit risk.
BoE Outlines Regulatory Treatment of Recovery Loan Scheme of UK
The UK government launched the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) as part of its continued COVID-19 support for UK businesses, as announced by HM Treasury on March 03, 2021.
FSB Addresses G20 on COVID Measures, TBTF Reforms, and Climate Risks
FSB published a letter, from its Chair Randal K. Quarles, to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, ahead of their virtual meeting on April 07, 2021.
OSFI Unwinds Temporary Increase to Covered Bond Limit for Banks
OSFI issued a letter to the deposit-taking institutions issuing covered bonds and announced the unwinding of the temporary increase to the covered bond limit for deposit-taking institutions, effective immediately.
EU Amends CRR and Securitization Regulation in Response to Pandemic
To support recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, EU has published two regulations to amend the securitization framework, as set out in the Securitization Regulation (2017/2402) and the Capital Requirements Regulation or CRR (575/2013).
