(7)It is expected that the exclusion of certain central bank exposures from the total exposure measure pursuant to Article 429a(5) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 until 31 March 2022 will support credit institutions in continuing to fulfil their role in funding the real economy while preserving the key elements of the prudential regulatory framework during the exceptional period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The end date of 31 March 2022 was chosen to facilitate the implementation of the exceptional monetary policy measures linked to the situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the currently envisaged horizon of net purchases under the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP).