ECB announces operational modalities of the expanded asset purchase programme

[Politics.be]

The expanded asset purchase programme will comprise the ongoing purchase programmes for asset-backed securities (ABSPP) and covered bonds (CBPP3), and, as a new element, purchases of additional euro-denominated securities that meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. They fulfil the collateral eligibility criteria for marketable assets in order to participate in Eurosystem monetary policy operations, as specified in Guideline ECB/2011/14, as amended, subject to the fulfilment of the additional criteria listed in points 2-4 below.

2. They are issued by an entity established in the euro area classified in one of the following categories: central government, certain agencies established in the euro area or certain international or supranational institutions located in the euro area.

3. They have a first-best credit assessment from an external credit assessment institution of at least CQS3 for the issuer or the guarantor, provided the guarantee is eligible in accordance with Guideline ECB/2011/14, as amended.

4. Securities that do not achieve the CQS3 rating will be eligible, as long as the Eurosystem’s minimum credit quality threshold is not applied for the purpose of their collateral eligibility. Moreover, during reviews in the context of financial assistance programmes for a euro area Member State, eligibility would be suspended and would resume only in the event of a positive outcome of the review.

Inflation-linked and floating rate securities issued by central governments, certain agencies established in the euro area and certain international or supranational institutions located in the euro area are eligible for purchase under the expanded asset purchase programme.

Bron: politics.be