Financial Industry Developments

FHFA Announces Increase in Maximum Conforming Loan Limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2017

On November 23, 2016, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced an increase in the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The maximum loan limit for one-unit properties in 2017 will increase from $417,000 to $424,100 for most of the United States. In certain higher-cost areas, there will be a higher loan limit. Release. A list of the 2017 maximum conforming loan limits for all counties and county‑equivalent areas in the country can be found here.

CFTC Unanimously Approves Final Rule Amendments to Its Regulations Regarding CPO Financial Reports

On November 21, 2016, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") announced that it had approved amendments to its regulations applicable to commodity pool operators and the financial reports they are required to provide on their pools' operations. The amendments are meant to incorporate into CFTC regulations certain exemptive relief previously provided through no-action or exemptive letters. Release.

Rating Agency Developments

On November 23, 2016, Moody's published its updated methodology for Special Assessment/Special Property Tax (Non-Ad Valorem) Debt. Release.

On November 17, 2016, Fitch published its updated criteria for Analysis of Commercial Real Estate Loans Securing Covered Bonds. Release.

On November 17, 2016, Fitch published its updated rating criteria for Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities and Loans in EMEA. Release.

European Financial Industry Developments

European Commission Adopts Delegated Regulation Amending List of High-Risk Third Countries Under the Fourth Money Laundering Directive

On November 28, 2016, the Council of the EU published a Commission Delegated Regulation (C(2016) 7495 final) amending Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 supplementing the Fourth Money Laundering Directive ((EU) 2015/849) ("MLD4") by identifying high-risk third countries with strategic deficiencies.

The Commission adopted Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 in July 2016. The Delegated Regulation, for the first time, identified high-risk third countries with strategic anti-money laundering ("AML") and counter-terrorist financing ("CTF") deficiencies. The Commission advised at the time that it had taken into account the most recent Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") public statements and that it would review the list, where appropriate.

The explanatory memorandum to the new Delegated Regulation explains that, as stressed in recital 28 to MLD4, the Commission will adapt its assessment to changes made to information sources from international organizations and standard setters, such as those issued by the FATF. As a consequence, the Commission aims to update the list to reflect the progress, or the lack of progress, made by high-risk third countries in removing the strategic deficiencies.

According to this latest information available to the Commission, it was found that Guyana has made significant progress on AML and CTF matters. On the basis of the progress made, with Guyana substantially completing all the action plan items agreed upon with the FATF, the FATF decided to conduct an on-site visit to Guyana to confirm that implementation had begun and that there is political commitment to continue to strengthen the AML and CTF regime. The FATF on‑site visit concluded that Guyana has a legal and institutional framework in place that addresses the strategic deficiencies of its AML and CTF regime. As a result, the FATF has removed Guyana from its document Improving global AML/CTF compliance: ongoing process.

The Commission's analysis has similarly concluded that Guyana should no longer be considered to be a third country with strategic AML and CTF deficiencies. As a result, it is removing Guyana from the list of high-risk third countries under MLD4.

The Commission adopted the Delegated Regulation on November 24, 2016. The new Delegated Regulation states that it will enter into force the day after it is published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJ).

European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) Publishes Country-Specific Warning on Vulnerabilities in the Residential Real Estate Sector

On November 28, 2016, the European Systemic Risk Board ("ESRB") published a report on vulnerabilities in the EU residential real estate sector, together with eight country-specific warnings and a Q&As document.

The warnings on medium-term vulnerabilities in the residential real estate sector are addressed to the relevant ministers in eight Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. The ESRB decided to issue the warnings following a forward-looking EU-wide assessment of vulnerabilities relating to residential real estate. These vulnerabilities may be a source of systemic risk to financial stability in the medium term. As a result, on September 22, 2016, the ESRB adopted warnings addressed to the eight member states and decided to make the warnings public. The member states were given a period of time to respond.

For the remaining member states, the ESRB has either not identified a build-up of any material vulnerabilities relating to the residential real estate sector, or such vulnerabilities have been identified but the current policy stance is sufficient to address them. The ESRB advises that the latter is the case for Estonia and Slovakia. It also advises that, for the UK, it has not assessed whether policies in place are appropriate and sufficient given the uncertain impact of the vote to leave the EU on the medium-term outlook for the UK housing market.

The ESRB has also published a recommendation on closing real estate data gaps (Recommendation ESRB/2016/14), which it adopted on October 31, 2016. The recommendation, which covers both the residential and commercial real estate sectors, aims to establish a more harmonized framework for monitoring developments in EU real estate markets. It provides a common set of indicators that national authorities are recommended to monitor in assessing risks originating from the real estate sector, along with working definitions of these indicators. The deadline for implementing the recommendation is the end of 2020. ESMA will monitor compliance with the recommendation via an "act of explain" mechanism. As follow-up work to the recommendation, the ESRB believes that a regular data collection on these indicators should take place at the EU level, and considers that the European Central Bank (ECB) is well placed to play a leading role in this.

European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Finalization of Basel III

On November 23, 2016, the European Parliament published a provisional version of the text of the resolution it has adopted on finalization of Basel III.

Among other things, in the resolution, the Parliament:

• Underlines the importance of sound global standards and principles for the prudential regulation of banks and welcomes the post-crisis work of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision ("BCBS") in this area. The Parliament notes the BCBS' ongoing work to finalize the Basel III framework and underlines the need for greater transparency and accountability to enhance the legitimacy and ownership of the BCBS' deliberations.
• Stresses that the current revision should respect the principle of not significantly increasing overall capital requirements, while at the same time strengthening the overall financial position of EU banks. The Parliament also underlines the equally important principle to be respected of promoting the level playing field at the global level, by mitigating rather than exacerbating the differences between jurisdictions and banking models, and by not unduly penalizing the EU banking model.
• Is concerned that early analysis of recent BCBS drafts indicates that the reform package at its current stage might not comply with the principles mentioned above. As a result, the Parliament calls on the BCBS to revise its proposals accordingly, and calls on the European Central Bank ("ECB") and the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) to ensure respect of the principles in finalizing and monitoring the new standard. The Parliament underlines that this approach would be instrumental in ensuring consistent implementation of the new standard by the Parliament as co-legislator.
• Calls for dialogue and an exchange of best practices among regulators concerning the application of the principle of proportionality to be established at EU and international levels.
• Calls on the European Commission to prioritize work on a "small banking box" for the least risky banking models. The Parliament also calls on the Commission to extend this work to an assessment of the feasibility of a future regulatory framework consisting of less complex and more appropriate and proportional prudential rules specifically adapted to different types of banking models.
• Stresses the importance of the role of the Commission, the ECB and the EBA in engaging in the BCBS' work, and in providing transparent and comprehensive updates on developments in the BCBS' discussions. The Parliament calls for this role to be given stronger visibility during meetings of the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), and for enhanced accountability to its Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON).

The Parliament has instructed its President to forward the resolution to the Commission.