PRA Publishes Q&A on Usability of Liquidity and Capital Buffers
PRA published a set of questions and answers (Q&A) on the usability of liquidity and capital buffers and their operation as set out in PRA rules and guidelines. This document is relevant to all firms to which the Capital Requirements Directive IV applies. The document will be updated as the COVID-19 situation evolves. New Q&As and updates to the existing Q&As will appear in Italics.
In the recent weeks, BoE and its three policy committees have announced a number of measures to help UK businesses and households to bridge across the economic disruption resulting from COVID-19 outbreak. These actions have sought to reduce pressure on banks, building societies, and designated investment firms (also called "banks") while ensuring that the financial system can be a source of strength for the economy during this challenging period. PRA and the Financial Policy Committee have, on several occasions, stated their expectations that all element of substantial capital and liquidity buffers that have been built up by banks exist to be used as necessary to support the economy. This document answers some commonly asked questions on the usability of these capital and liquidity buffers.
Related Link: Q&A
Keywords: Europe, UK, Banking, Q&A, Capital Buffers, Liquidity Risk, Regulatory Capital, COVID-19, PRA
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.

Victor Calanog, Ph.D.
Leading economist; commercial real estate; performance forecasting, econometric infrastructure; data modeling; credit risk modeling; portfolio assessment; custom commercial real estate analysis; thought leader.
Previous Article
CMF Extends Application Period for Accounting Standard ProvisionsRelated Articles
ECB Finds Banks Unprepared for Pillar 3 Climate Risk Disclosures
The European Central Bank (ECB) published results of the 2022 supervisory assessment of climate-related and environmental risk disclosures among significant institutions (103) and a selected number of less significant institutions (28).
NCUA Assesses Credit Union Exposure to Climate-Related Physical Risks
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) released a Research Note that examines the exposure of credit unions to climate-related physical risks. In a related development
EBA Issues Multiple Regulatory and Reporting Updates for Banks
The European Banking Authority (EBA) is seeking comments, until July 31, 2023, on the draft Guidelines on the proposed common approach to the resubmission of historical data under the EBA reporting framework.
EC Adopts Regulation on Own Funds, Issues Other Updates
The European Commission adopted Delegated Regulations on own funds and eligible liabilities, on requirements for the internal methodology under the internal default risk model
CDP Platform to Report Plastic-Related Impact, Issues Other Updates
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) announced that its global environmental disclosure platform has enabled reporting on plastic-related impact for nearly 7,000 companies worldwide
IASB to Enhance Reporting of Climate Risks, Proposes IFRS 9 Amendments
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) updated its work plan to enhance the reporting of climate-related risks in the financial statements,
BIS Addresses Data Gaps and Macro-Prudential Policy for Climate Risks
The Financial Stability Institute (FSI) of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a brief paper that examines challenges associated with the use of macro-prudential policies to address climate-related financial risks.
FCA Sets Out Business Plan, Launches TechSprint on Greenwashing
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its business plan for 2023-24. The plan sets out details of the work planned for the next 12 months to achieve better outcomes for consumers and markets
UK Committee Sets Out Recommendations for Next Phase of Open Banking
The Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee (JROC), comprising the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) as co-chairs and the HM Treasury and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as members
ECB Publishes Multiple Regulatory Updates for Banking Institutions
The European Central Bank (ECB) published the results of the 2022 climate risk stress test of the Eurosystem balance sheet,