It is therefore appropriate that only credit institutions as defined in point (1) of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 be permitted to issue covered bonds under Union law. Specialised mortgage credit institutions are characterised by the fact that they do not take deposits, but rather take other repayable funds from the public, and as such they fall within the definition of ‘credit institution’ as laid down in Regulation (EU) No 575/2013. Without prejudice to ancillary activities permitted under applicable national law, specialised mortgage credit institutions are institutions that carry out only mortgage and public sector lending, including funding loans purchased from other credit institutions. The main purpose of this Directive is to regulate the conditions under which credit institutions can issue covered bonds as a financing tool, by laying down the product requirements and establishing specific product supervision to which credit institutions are subject, in order to ensure a high level of investor protection.