Decision of the European Central Bank of 29 July 2014 on measures relating to targeted longer-term refinancing operations (ECB/2014/34) (2014/541/EU)

Article 3 Participation

1. Institutions may participate in TLTROs on an individual basis if they are eligible counterparties for Eurosystem monetary policy open market operations. An institution participating in TLTROs on an individual basis may not participate on a group basis.

2. Institutions may participate in TLTROs on a group basis by forming a TLTRO group. Participation on a group basis is relevant for the purposes of calculating the applicable borrowing limits and benchmarks as laid down in Article 4 below and the associated reporting obligations as laid down in Article 8 below. Participation on a group basis shall be subject to the following restrictions:

(a) an institution shall not be a member of more than one TLTRO group;

(b) an institution participating in TLTROs on a group basis shall not participate on an individual basis;

(c) the institution appointed as lead institution shall be the only member of the TLTRO group that may participate in TLTRO tender procedures; and

(d) the composition and the lead institution of a TLTRO group shall remain unchanged for all eight TLTROs, subject to paragraphs 5 and 6 below.

3. Participation in TLTROs through a TLTRO group shall require that the following conditions are fulfilled.

(a) As of 31 July 2014, each member of the group shall:

(i)

have a close link to another member of the group within the meaning of ‘close link’ specified in the glossary to Annex I to Guideline ECB/2011/14 and references therein to ‘counterparty’, ‘guarantor’, ‘issuer’ or ‘debtor’ shall be understood as referring to a group member; or

(ii)

hold required reserves with the Eurosystem in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1745/2003 of the European Central Bank (ECB/2003/9)(1) indirectly through another member of the group or be used by another member of the group for indirectly holding required reserves with the Eurosystem.

(b) The group shall appoint one group member as the lead institution for the group. The lead institution shall be an eligible counterparty for Eurosystem monetary policy open market operations.

(c) All members of the TLTRO group shall be credit institutions established in Member States whose currency is the euro, which fulfil the criteria laid down in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 2.1 of Annex I to Guideline ECB/2011/14.

(d) The lead institution shall apply for group participation to its NCB in accordance with timelines approved by the Governing Council and published on the ECB website. The application shall include:

(i)

the name of the lead institution;

(ii)

the list of the MFI codes and names of all the institutions to be included in the TLTRO group;

(iii)

an explanation of the basis for a group application, including a list of the close links and/or indirect reserve holding relationships between the members of the group (identifying each member by its MFI code);

(iv)

in the case of group members to which paragraph 3(a)(ii) applies: a written confirmation from the lead institution certifying that every member of its TLTRO group has formally decided to be a member of the TLTRO group in question and not to participate in TLTROs as individual counterparties or as members of other TLTRO groups, together with appropriate evidence that the relevant written confirmation from the lead institution has been executed by duly authorised signatories; the existence of valid agreements, such as those for the indirect holding of minimum reserves pursuant to Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1745/2003 (ECB/2003/9), shall allow a lead institution to make the necessary certification in respect of its TLTRO group members when those agreements explicitly state that the relevant group members participate exclusively in Eurosystem open market operations through the lead institution; the relevant NCB, in cooperation with the NCBs of the relevant group members, may decide to trigger ex post controls, on form and in substance, in respect of the validity of such a written confirmation; and

(v)

in the case of group members to which paragraph 3(a)(i) applies: (1) a written confirmation from every such member of its formal decision to be a member of the TLTRO group in question and not to participate in TLTROs as individual counterparties or as members of other TLTRO groups; and (2) appropriate evidence, confirmed by the NCB of the relevant group member, that this formal decision has been made at the highest decision-making level of the member's corporate structure (such as the Board of Directors or equivalent decision making body) in accordance with any applicable legal and statutory provisions.

(e) The lead institution has obtained confirmation from its NCB that the TLTRO group has been recognised as such. Prior to issuing its confirmation, the relevant NCB may request the lead institution to provide any additional information relevant for its assessment of the potential TLTRO group. In its assessment of a group application, the relevant NCB must also take into account the assessment of NCBs of group members that may be necessary, such as verifications of documentation provided in accordance with paragraph (3)(d) above.

For the purposes of this Decision, credit institutions subject to consolidated supervision, including branches of the same credit institution, may also be regarded as suitable applicants for TLTRO group recognition and shall be required to meet the restrictions and conditions laid down in this article mutatis mutandis. This provision facilitates the formation of TLTRO groups among such institutions, where these institutions are part of the same legal entity. For the purpose of providing a confirmation in respect of the formation or change in composition of a TLTRO group of this nature, the provisions of paragraphs (3)(d)(iv) and (6)(c)(ii)(4) shall apply respectively.

4. If one or more of the institutions included in the application for TLTRO group recognition do not fulfil the conditions of paragraph 3, the relevant NCB may partially reject the application of the proposed group. In this case, the institutions submitting the application shall decide to act as a TLTRO group with the composition reduced accordingly or to withdraw the application for TLTRO group recognition.

5. In exceptional cases, where objective justifications arise, the Governing Council may decide to deviate from the restrictions and conditions noted in paragraphs 2 and 3.

6. Without prejudice to paragraph 5 above, the composition of a group recognised in accordance with paragraph 3 may change in the following circumstances:

(a) A member of the group shall be excluded from the TLTRO group if:

(i)

it loses its status as a credit institution; or

(ii)

it no longer fulfils the requirements of paragraph 3(a) and (c).

In the case of (i) or (ii) above, the lead institution shall be required to notify its NCB of the change in status of its group member(s).

(b) If a lead institution loses its eligibility as a counterparty for Eurosystem monetary policy open market operations, the TLTRO group shall lose its recognition as a TLTRO group.

(c) If, in relation to the TLTRO group, additional close links or indirect holding of required reserves with the Eurosystem were established after 31 July 2014, the TLTRO group composition may change to allow for the addition of a new member to the TLTRO group provided that:

(i)

the lead institution applies to its NCB for the recognition of a change in the TLTRO group's composition;

(ii)

the application includes: (1) the name of the lead institution; (2) the list of the MFI codes and names of all the institutions that should be included in the new composition of the TLTRO group; (3) an explanation of the basis for the application, including a list of the changes to the close links and/or indirect reserve holding relationships between the members of the group (identifying each member by its MFI code); (4) in the case of group members to which paragraph (3)(a)(ii) applies: a written confirmation from the lead institution certifying that every member of its TLTRO group has formally decided to be a member of the TLTRO group in question and not to participate in TLTROs as individual counterparties or as members of other TLTRO groups; the existence of valid agreements, such as those for the indirect holding of minimum reserves pursuant to Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1745/2003 (ECB/2003/9), shall allow a lead institution to make the necessary certification in respect of its TLTRO group members when those agreements explicitly state that the relevant group members participate exclusively in Eurosystem open market operations through the lead institution; the relevant NCB, in cooperation with the NCBs of the relevant group members, may decide to trigger ex post controls, on form and in substance, in respect of the validity of such a written confirmation; and (5) in the case of group members to which paragraph (3)(a)(i) applies, a written confirmation from any additional member of its formal decision to be a member of the TLTRO group in question and not to participate in TLTROs as individual counterparties or as members of other TLTRO groups and a written confirmation from each institution within the TLTRO group (included in the old and the new compositions) of its formal decision to agree to the new composition of the TLTRO group together with appropriate evidence, confirmed by the NCB of the relevant group member, as detailed in paragraph (3)(d)(v) above;

(iii)

the lead institution has obtained confirmation from its NCB that the changed TLTRO group has been recognised as such. Prior to issuing its confirmation, the relevant NCB may request the lead institution to provide any additional information relevant for its assessment of the new TLTRO group composition. In its assessment of a group application, the relevant NCB must also take into account the assessment of NCBs of group members that may be necessary, such as verifications of documentation provided in accordance with paragraph (6)(c)(ii) above.

7. Provided that facts entailing the exclusion of a group member have occurred or changes to the composition of a TLTRO group have been accepted by the Governing Council in accordance with paragraph 5 or 6, the following requirements shall apply, unless otherwise decided by the Governing Council:

(a) the lead institution may participate in a TLTRO on the basis of the new composition of its TLTRO group for the first time six weeks after that lead institution submits the successful application for the recognition of the group composition change to its NCB;

(b) an institution that is no longer a member of a TLTRO group shall not participate in any further TLTRO either individually or as member of another TLTRO group, unless it submits a new application in accordance with paragraph 1, 3 or 6.

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1745/2003 of the European Central Bank of 12 September 2003 on the application of minimum reserves (ECB/2003/9) (OJ L 250, 2.10.2003, p. 10).