THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive 2013/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms [Directive 2013/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on access to the activity of credit institutions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions and investment firms, amending Directive 2002/87/EC and repealing Directives 2006/48/EC and 2006/49/EC (OJ L 176, 27.6.2013, p. 338).], and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 140(7) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The calculation of the institution-specific countercyclical capital buffer rates requires that the location of the own funds requirements for all credit exposures of a specific institution, including exposures held in the trading book and all securitisation exposures, are identified geographically.

(2) The geographical location should be determined in the basis of the location of the risk of the exposures. That will ensure that the build-up of additional reserves from implementing the countercyclical buffer is allocated to the financial system with excess credit growth.