1 min readWarningEBA reporting framework 4.2Updated 10 November 2026

Carrying amount cannot be negative (F 04.03.1, EBA rule v5658_s)

A warning in the financial reporting return (FINREP 9), on template F 04.03.1, breakdown of financial assets by instrument and by counterparty sector: financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income.

The rule in plain words

Carrying amount cannot be negative.

EBA checks it for 19 rows, from equity instruments (0010) to financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income (0180). That makes 19 checks. A failure names the one that failed.

How the Line4 Check report words itShow

The first of its checks, word for word as the report shows it when it fails. The others read the same, with their own column, row or sheet.

Carrying amount: of which: non-financial corporations >= 0

What to do if your filing fails it

  1. 01Open the template below and find the cells the rule reads.
  2. 02Look for a value with the wrong sign in these cells, such as an amount entered as a negative number.
  3. 03EBA compares the values exactly here: there is no rounding tolerance.
  4. 04It runs only when your filing indicators mark F 04.03.1 as reported.
  5. 05This is a warning. It does not stop the filing on its own, but your authority may ask you to explain it.

The cells it reads

Breakdown of financial assets by instrument and by counterparty sector: financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income (F 04.03.1)

Rows

  • 0010Equity instruments
  • 0020of which: credit institutions
  • 0030of which: other financial corporations
  • 0040of which: non-financial corporations
  • 0050Debt securities
  • 0060Central banks
  • 0070General governments
  • 0080Credit institutions
  • 0090Other financial corporations
  • 0100Non-financial corporations
  • 0110Loans and advances
  • 0120Central banks
  • 0130General governments
  • 0140Credit institutions
  • 0150Other financial corporations
  • 0160Non-financial corporations
  • 0165Of which: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
  • 0170Households
  • 0180FINANCIAL ASSETS AT FAIR VALUE THROUGH OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Column

  • 0010Carrying amount

A worked example

The first of its checks, with simple numbers.

What the rule then expects

Non-financial corporations, carrying amount must then be at least 0.

0Passes
-100Fails

A file that reports 0 passes. One that reports -100 fails, by 100.

The numbers are illustrative.

Show the rule as writtenShow

EBA's formula, as written out for the first of its checks. Cells are written as {template, row, column, sheet}.

{F_04.03.1,r0040,c0010,} >= 0

The next five:

{F_04.03.1,r0165,c0010,} >= 0{F_04.03.1,r0080,c0010,} >= 0{F_04.03.1,r0140,c0010,} >= 0{F_04.03.1,r0030,c0010,} >= 0{F_04.03.1,r0170,c0010,} >= 0

And 13 more, the same formula for the other cells it covers.

Every FINREP 9 rule, by template

Checks like this one, run at the point of submission, are the first step to real-time supervision.