BPCE - 2019 RISK REPORT Pillar III

CREDIT RISKS

RISK MEASUREMENT AND INTERNAL RATINGS

For fixed-income securities (bonds), short-term external ratings of the bond take precedence over external ratings of the issuer. If there are no external ratings for the bond, the issuer’s long-term external rating is taken into account for senior debt only, except in the specific case of exposure to institutions whose risk weight is derived from the credit rating of the sovereign country in which it is established. BACKTESTING All three credit risk inputs are subject to yearly backtesting in order to verify the performance of the rating system. More specifically, backtesting is aimed at measuring the overall performance of models used, primarily to ensure that the model’s discriminating power has not declined significantly relative to the modeling period. Observed default rates are then compared with estimated default rates for each rating. Ratings are checked for through-the-cycle applicability. More specifically, for portfolios with low default rates (large corporates, banks, sovereigns and specialized lending), a detailed analysis is carried out using additional indicators, including more qualitative analyses among other things. The scope of LGD default values is consistent with the values observed, i.e. limited exclusively to exposures at default. Estimated values therefore cannot be directly compared with LGD values measured in the outstanding portfolio. Downturn LGDs are also verified. Backtesting results may call for the implementation of action plans if the system is deemed not sufficiently prudent or effective. Backtesting results and the associated action plans are discussed by the Group Models Committee, then reviewed by the RCCP Standards & Methods Committee (see governance of the internal rating system). On the basis of these exercises, the rating system has been deemed satisfactory overall in terms of effective risk management. Moreover, the calibrations of risk parameters remain conservative on the whole, relative to actual risk observations. REPORTS ON CREDIT RISK MODELS Since the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) was implemented in 2014, the European Central Bank (ECB) has been working to strengthen governance of internal model supervision through various investigations. These include the TRIM (Targeted Review of Internal Models), aimed at assessing the regulatory compliance of internal models specifically targeted by the ECB. To that end, TRIM investigations are based on a set of standardized inspection methodologies and techniques, which the teams mandated by the ECB use on-site. BPCE was subject to TRIM reviews covering several scopes of operation from December 2015 to May 2018, giving rise to reports prepared by the ECB: a TRIM General Topics, then three specific reviews targeting internal credit risk models (one on the Corporate portfolio and two on the Retail portfolios). As a result, several new initiatives were launched with the aim of further improving the existing system.

The European Central Bank is continuing its work by applying a similar methodology via the Internal Model Investigation (IMI) process. Two reviews were scheduled in Q4 2019 (professional retail customers and lower-end corporates, small corporates). IMPACTS ON THE AMOUNT OF GUARANTEES THE INSTITUTION IS REQUIRED TO GIVE IN THE EVENT ITS CREDIT RATING IS DOWNGRADED The CRR2 and the Delegated Act require institutions to report to the competent authorities any contracts the conditions of which lead to additional liquidity outflows following a material deterioration of the credit quality of the institution ( e.g. a downgrade in its external credit assessment by three notches). The institution shall regularly review the extent of this deterioration in light of what is relevant under the contracts it has entered into and shall notify the result of its review to the competent authorities (CRR 423.2/AD 30.2). The competent authorities decide the weighting to be assigned to contracts deemed to have a material impact. For contracts containing early exit clauses on master agreements (framework agreements between the bank and a counterparty for OTC derivative transactions without collateral), the early termination clause allows one counterparty to terminate the contract early following the deterioration of the credit quality of the other counterparty. Accordingly, the number of early terminations generated by credit quality deterioration shall be estimated. It was agreed that the Group would measure outflows generated by reviewing all the Group’s master agreements or credit support annexes on the OTC market, in order to assess the amount of the deposit/collateral required following a downgrade of three notches in the institution’s long-term credit rating by three rating agencies (Moody’s, S&P, Fitch). The calculation also includes the amount of the deposit/collateral required following a downgrade of one notch in the institution’s short-term credit rating, with the Group considering such a downgrade inevitable if the institution’s LT credit rating is downgraded three notches. At Groupe BPCE level, the calculation covers BPCE SA, Natixis, Crédit Foncier and their funding vehicles: BP CB, GCE CB, BPCE SFH, FCT HL, SCF and VMG. Some intragroup contracts generate outflows at the individual institution level, but are neutralized at the Groupe BPCE consolidated level. The Group uses a conservative approach in its calculation: the impact for each contract is the maximum amount between • the three rating agencies between a 1-notch downgrade in the ST rating and a 3-notch downgrade in the LT rating; the amount of ratings triggers reported is the sum of all • impacts of a one-notch downgrade in the ST rating and a three-notch downgrade in the MLT rating; the assumption is made that all external ratings are • downgraded simultaneously by the 3 agencies and for all rated entities; as the national competent authority has not issued a • recommendation, a weighting of 100% is applied to reported outflows for the calculation of the LCR.

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RISK REPORT PILLAR III 2019 | GROUPE BPCE