Swiss Federal Council Amends Capital Adequacy Ordinance
The Federal Council of Switzerland adopted amendments to the Capital Adequacy Ordinance. The amendments introduce simplifications in the capital and liquidity requirements for certain small banks and securities firms and will ensure that the parent entities of systemically important banks are sufficiently well-capitalized in the event of a crisis. The amendments become effective from January 01, 2020.
The amendments to the Ordinance simplify the capital and liquidity requirements for small, particularly liquid and well-capitalized Category 4 and Category 5 banks and securities firm. Furthermore, the changes aim to ensure the availability of sufficient gone-concern capital, particularly for parent banks and in the Swiss units that perform systemically important functions. Gone-concern requirements are intended to ensure that a systemically important bank in difficulty can be restructured and wound up in an orderly manner without financial assistance from the state. The Federal Council had already introduced gone-concern capital requirements for UBS and Credit Suisse at consolidated group level in 2016. Since January 01, 2019, such requirements have also been in force to a reduced extent for the domestically focused systemically important banks (PostFinance AG, Raiffeisen, and Zürcher Kantonalbank).
Additionally, the Swiss Federal Council has decided not to implement the proposed increase in capital requirements for mortgages on residential investment property, as it considers the proposed self-regulation regime of the Swiss Bankers Association to be effective and appropriate.
Related Links
- Press Release
- Capital Adequacy Ordinance (PDF in German)
- Explanation (PDF in German)
Keywords: Europe, Switzerland, Banking, Securities, Own Funds, Capital Adequacy Ordinance, Gone-Concern Capital, Small Banks, Resolution Framework, Systemic Risk, Proportionality, Swiss Federal Council
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.
Pierre-Etienne Chabanel
Brings expertise in technology and software solutions around banking regulation, whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud.
Related Articles
APRA Updates Validation and Derivation Rules in September 2020
APRA updated the lists of the Direct to APRA (D2A) validation and derivation rules for authorized deposit-taking institutions, insurers, and superannuation entities.
EC Proposes Frameworks for Crypto-Assets and Operational Resilience
EC adopted a package that includes the digital finance and retail payments strategies and the legislative proposals for regulatory frameworks on crypto-assets and digital operational resilience.
ECB Publishes Opinion on Proposals to Amend Securitization Framework
ECB published an opinion (CON/2020/22) on proposals for regulations amending the securitization framework of EU, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FCA Consults on Regulation of International Firms in UK
FCA is consulting on its approach to the authorization and supervision of international firms operating in UK.
MAS Amends Notice on Capital Adequacy Requirements of Banks
MAS published amendments to Notice 637 on the risk-based capital adequacy requirements for reporting banks incorporated in Singapore.
FCA to Begin to Move Firms to New Data Collection Platform RegData
FCA announced that it will move firms to RegData from Gabriel in the coming months in stages, based on the reporting requirements of firms.
ISDA Expects IBOR Fallbacks to be Effective by End of January 2021
ISDA issued a letter to regulators to flag that it now expects the supplement to the 2006 ISDA Definitions and the Interbank Offered Rate (IBOR) Fallbacks Protocol to be effective around mid- to late-January 2021.
APRA Reviews Repayment Deferral Plans, Identifies Best Practices
APRA has concluded its review of the comprehensive plans of authorized deposit-taking institutions for the assessment and management of loans with repayment deferrals.
ESAs Assess Risks to Financial Sector After COVID-19 Outbreak
ESAs (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA) published the first joint report that assesses risks in the financial sector since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BoE Confirms Withdrawal of COVID Corporate Financing Facility
BoE and HM Treasury confirmed that the COVID Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) will close for new purchases of commercial paper, with effect from March 23, 2021.
