EU Publishes Further Statement on Endorsement by EU Credit Rating Agencies of UK Ratings After the Brexit Transition Period

The European Securities and Markets Authority has published a further statement confirming that U.K. credit ratings can be endorsed by EU credit rating agencies from January 1, 2021, when the Brexit transition period ends. The EU CRA Regulation provides that banks, investment firms, insurers, reinsurers, management companies, investment companies, alternative investment fund managers and CCPs may use credit ratings only for certain regulatory purposes if a rating is issued by: (i) an EU CRA registered with ESMA; or (ii) a third-country CRA under the endorsement regime or the equivalence/certification regime. There is currently no equivalence decision for the U.K. CRA regime. Therefore, EU entities may use U.K. credit ratings only for regulatory purposes if the rating has been endorsed by an EU CRA. ESMA confirmed in March 2019 a positive assessment of the U.K.'s CRA regime for the purposes of endorsement. However, the final decision to endorse is for an EU CRA.

The U.K. has also positively assessed the EU regime for the purposes of endorsement under the U.K. CRA Regulation. However, in addition to those measures, the U.K. has also established: (i) a conversion regime for U.K. and third-country CRAs currently registered or certified by ESMA; and (ii) a temporary registration regime for newly established U.K. entities that are part of a group of CRAs with an existing ESMA registration.

View ESMA's latest statement on endorsement of U.K. credit ratings.

View details of the FCA's statement on endorsement of EU credit ratings.

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