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1.A natural or legal person located in the Union that intends to act as an administrator shall apply to the competent authority designated under Article 40 of the Member State in which that person is located in order to receive:
(a)authorisation if it provides or intends to provide indices which are used or intended to be used as benchmarks within the meaning of this Regulation;
(b)registration if it is a supervised entity, other than an administrator, that provides or intends to provide indices which are used or intended to be used as benchmarks within the meaning of this Regulation, on condition that the activity of provision of a benchmark is not prevented by the sectoral discipline applying to the supervised entity and that none of the indices provided would qualify as a critical benchmark; or
(c)registration if it provides or intends to provide only indices which would qualify as non-significant benchmarks.
2.An authorised or registered administrator shall comply at all times with the conditions laid down in this Regulation and shall notify the competent authority of any material changes thereof.
3.The application referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made within 30 working days of any agreement entered into by a supervised entity to use an index provided by the applicant as a reference to a financial instrument or financial contract or to measure the performance of an investment fund.
4.The applicant shall provide all information necessary to satisfy the competent authority that the applicant has established, at the time of authorisation or registration, all the necessary arrangements to meet the requirements laid down in this Regulation.
5.Within 15 working days of receipt of the application, the relevant competent authority shall assess whether the application is complete and shall notify the applicant accordingly. If the application is incomplete, the applicant shall submit the additional information required by the relevant competent authority. The time limit referred to in this paragraph shall apply from the date on which such additional information is provided by the applicant.
6.The relevant competent authority shall:
(a)examine the application for authorisation and adopt a decision to authorise or refuse to authorise the applicant within four months of receipt of a complete application;
(b)examine the application for registration and adopt a decision to register or refuse to register the applicant within 45 working days of receipt of a complete application.
Within five working days of the adoption of a decision referred to in the first subparagraph, the competent authority shall notify it to the applicant. Where the competent authority refuses to authorise or to register the applicant, it shall give reasons for its decision.
7.The competent authority shall notify ESMA of any decision to authorise or to register an applicant within five working days of the date of adoption of said decision.
8.ESMA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to specify further the information to be provided in the application for authorisation and in the application for registration, taking into account that authorisation and registration are distinct processes where authorisation requires a more extensive assessment of the administrator's application, the principle of proportionality, the nature of the supervised entities applying for registration under point (b) of paragraph 1 and the costs to the applicants and competent authorities.
ESMA shall submit those draft regulatory technical standards to the Commission by 1 April 2017.
Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
1.A competent authority may withdraw or suspend the authorisation or registration of an administrator where the administrator:
(a)expressly renounces the authorisation or registration or has provided no benchmarks for the preceding 12 months;
(b)has obtained the authorisation or registration, or has endorsed a benchmark, by making false statements or by any other irregular means;
(c)no longer meets the conditions under which it was authorised or registered; or
(d)has seriously or repeatedly infringed the provisions of this Regulation.
2.The competent authority shall notify ESMA of its decision within five working days of the adoption of said decision.
ESMA shall promptly update the register provided for in Article 36.
3.Following the adoption of a decision to suspend the authorisation or registration of an administrator, and where cessation of the benchmark would result in a force majeure event, or frustrate or otherwise breach the terms of any financial contract or financial instrument, or the rules of any investment fund, which references that benchmark, as specified in the delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 51(6), the provision of the benchmark in question may be permitted by the relevant competent authority of the Member State where the administrator is located until the decision of suspension has been withdrawn. During that period of time, the use of such benchmark by supervised entities shall be permitted only for financial contracts, financial instruments and investment funds that already reference the benchmark.
4.Following the adoption of a decision to withdraw the authorisation or registration of an administrator, Article 28(2) shall apply.
1.ESMA shall establish and maintain a public register that contains the following information:
(a)the identities of the administrators authorised or registered pursuant to Article 34 and the competent authorities responsible for the supervision thereof;
(b)the identities of administrators that comply with the conditions laid down in Article 30(1), the list of benchmarks referred to in point (c) of Article 30(1) and the third country competent authorities responsible for the supervision thereof;
(c)the identities of the administrators that acquired recognition in accordance with Article 32, the list of benchmarks referred to in Article 32(7) and, where applicable, the third country competent authorities responsible for the supervision thereof;
(d)the benchmarks that are endorsed in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 33, the identities of their administrators, and the identities of the endorsing administrators or endorsing supervised entities.
2.The register referred to in paragraph 1 shall be publicly accessible on the website of ESMA and shall be updated promptly, as necessary.
1.In accordance with Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010, a competent authority may delegate its tasks under this Regulation to the competent authority of another Member State with its prior consent.
The competent authorities shall notify ESMA of any proposed delegation 60 days prior to such delegation taking effect.
2.A competent authority may delegate some of its tasks under this Regulation to ESMA, subject to the agreement of ESMA.
3.ESMA shall notify the Member States of a proposed delegation within seven days. ESMA shall publish details of any agreed delegation within five working days of notification.
A competent authority may disclose information received from another competent authority only if:
it has obtained the written agreement of that competent authority and the information is disclosed only for the purposes for which that competent authority gave its agreement; or
such disclosure is necessary for legal proceedings.
1.A competent authority may request the assistance of another competent authority with regard to on-site inspections or investigations. The competent authority receiving the request shall cooperate to the extent possible and appropriate.
2.A competent authority making a request referred to in paragraph 1 shall inform ESMA thereof. In the event of an investigation or inspection with cross-border effect, the competent authorities may request ESMA to coordinate the on-site inspection or investigation.
3.Where a competent authority receives a request from another competent authority to carry out an on-site inspection or an investigation, it may:
(a)carry out the on-site inspection or investigation itself;
(b)allow the competent authority which submitted the request to participate in the on-site inspection or investigation;
(c)appoint auditors or experts to support or carry out the on-site inspection or investigation.
1.For administrators and supervised entities, each Member State shall designate the relevant competent authority responsible for carrying out the duties under this Regulation and shall inform the Commission and ESMA thereof.
2.Where a Member State designates more than one competent authority, it shall clearly determine their respective roles and shall designate a single authority to be responsible for coordinating cooperation and the exchange of information with the Commission, ESMA and other Member States' competent authorities.
3.ESMA shall publish on its website a list of the competent authorities designated in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2.
1.In order to fulfil their duties under this Regulation, competent authorities shall have, in conformity with national law, at least the following supervisory and investigatory powers:
(a)access to any document and other data in any form, and to receive or take a copy thereof;
(b)require or demand information from any person involved in the provision of, and contribution to, a benchmark, including any service provider to which functions, services or activities in the provision of a benchmark have been outsourced as provided for in Article 10, as well as their principals, and if necessary, summon and question any such person with a view to obtaining information;
(c)request, in relation to commodity benchmarks, information from contributors on related spot markets according, where applicable, to standardised formats and reports on transactions, and direct access to traders' systems;
(d)carry out on-site inspections or investigations, at sites other than the private residences of natural persons;
(e)enter premises of legal persons, without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, in order to seize documents and other data in any form, where a reasonable suspicion exists that documents and other data related to the subject-matter of the inspection or investigation may be relevant to prove a breach of this Regulation. Where prior authorisation is needed from the judicial authority of the Member State concerned, in accordance with national law, such power shall only be used after having obtained that prior authorisation;
(f)require existing recordings of telephone conversations, electronic communications or other data traffic records held by supervised entities;
(g)request the freezing or sequestration of assets or both;
(h)require temporary cessation of any practice that the competent authority considers contrary to this Regulation;
(i)impose a temporary prohibition on the exercise of professional activity;
(j)take all necessary measures to ensure that the public is correctly informed about the provision of a benchmark, including by requiring the relevant administrator or a person that has published or disseminated the benchmark or both to publish a corrective statement about past contributions to or figures of the benchmark.
2.Competent authorities shall exercise their functions and powers referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and the powers to impose sanctions referred to in Article 42, in accordance with their national legal frameworks, in any of the following ways:
(a)directly;
(b)in collaboration with other authorities or with market undertakings;
(c)under their responsibility by delegation to such authorities or to market undertakings;
(d)by application to the competent judicial authorities.
For the exercise of those powers, competent authorities shall have in place adequate and effective safeguards in regard to the right of defence and fundamental rights.
3.Member States shall ensure that appropriate measures are in place so that competent authorities have all the supervisory and investigatory powers that are necessary to fulfil their duties.
4.An administrator or any other supervised entity making information available to a competent authority in accordance with paragraph 1 shall not be considered to be in breach of any restriction on disclosure of information posed by any contractual, legislative, regulatory or administrative provision.
[F11. Without prejudice to the supervisory powers of competent authorities in accordance with Article 41, and the right of Member States to provide for and impose criminal sanctions, Member States shall, in conformity with national law, provide for competent authorities to have the power to impose appropriate administrative sanctions and other administrative measures in relation to at least the following infringements:
(a) any infringement of Article 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19a, 19b, 19c, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 34 where they apply; and
(b) any failure to cooperate or comply in an investigation or with an inspection or request covered by Article 41.]
Those administrative sanctions and other administrative measures shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
2.In the event of an infringement referred to in paragraph 1, Member States shall, in conformity with national law, confer on competent authorities the power to impose at least the following administrative sanctions and other administrative measures:
(a)an order requiring the administrator or supervised entity responsible for the infringement to cease the conduct and to desist from repeating that conduct;
(b)the disgorgement of the profits gained or losses avoided because of the infringement where those can be determined;
(c)a public warning which indicates the administrator or supervised entity responsible and the nature of the infringement;
(d)withdrawal or suspension of the authorisation or the registration of an administrator;
(e)a temporary ban prohibiting any natural person, who is held responsible for such infringement, from exercising management functions in administrators or supervised contributors;
(f)the imposition of maximum administrative pecuniary sanctions of at least three times the amount of the profits gained or losses avoided because of the infringement where those can be determined;
(g)in respect of a natural person, maximum administrative pecuniary sanctions of at least:
for infringements of Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, points (a), (b), (c) and (e) of Article 11(1), Article 11(2) and (3), and Articles 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 34, EUR 500 000 or in the Member States whose official currency is not the euro, the corresponding value in the national currency on 30 June 2016; or
for infringements of point (d) of Article 11(1) or of Article 11(4), EUR 100 000 or in the Member States whose official currency is not the euro, the corresponding value in the national currency on 30 June 2016;
(h)in respect of a legal person, maximum administrative pecuniary sanctions of at least:
for infringements of Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, points (a), (b), (c) and (e) of Article 11(1), Article 11(2) and (3), and Articles 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 34, either EUR 1 000 000 or, in the Member States whose official currency is not the euro, the corresponding value in the national currency on 30 June 2016, or 10 % of its total annual turnover according to the last available accounts approved by the management body, whichever is the higher; or
for infringements of point (d) of Article 11(1) or of Article 11(4), either EUR 250 000 or, in the Member States whose official currency is not the euro, the corresponding value in the national currency on 30 June 2016, or 2 % of its total annual turnover according to the last available accounts approved by the management body, whichever is the higher.
For the purposes of point (h)(i) and (ii), where the legal person is a parent undertaking or a subsidiary of a parent undertaking which has to prepare consolidated financial accounts in accordance with Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(1), the relevant total annual turnover shall be the total annual turnover or the corresponding type of income in accordance with Council Directive 86/635/EEC(2) for banks and Council Directive 91/674/EEC(3) for insurance companies according to the last available consolidated accounts approved by the management body of the ultimate parent undertaking or if the person is an association, 10 % of the aggregate turnovers of its members.
3.By 1 January 2018, Member States shall notify the rules regarding paragraphs 1 and 2 to the Commission and ESMA.
Member States may decide not to lay down rules for administrative sanctions as provided for in paragraph 1 where the infringements referred to in that paragraph are subject to criminal sanctions under their national law. In that case, Member States shall communicate to the Commission and ESMA the relevant criminal law provisions along with the notification referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph.
They shall notify the Commission and ESMA without delay of any subsequent amendment thereto.
4.Member States may provide competent authorities under national law to have other powers to impose sanctions in addition to those referred to in paragraph 1 and may provide for higher levels of sanctions than those established in paragraph 2.
Textual Amendments
1.Member States shall ensure that, when determining the type and level of administrative sanctions and other administrative measures, competent authorities take into account all relevant circumstances, including where appropriate:
(a)the gravity and duration of the infringement;
(b)the criticality of the benchmark to financial stability and the real economy;
(c)the degree of responsibility of the responsible person;
(d)the financial strength of the responsible person, as indicated, in particular, by the total annual turnover of the responsible legal person or the annual income of the responsible natural person;
(e)the level of the profits gained or losses avoided by the responsible person, insofar as they can be determined;
(f)the level of cooperation of the responsible person with the competent authority, without prejudice to the need to ensure disgorgement of profits gained or losses avoided by that person;
(g)previous infringements by the person concerned;
(h)measures taken, after the infringement, by a responsible person to prevent the repetition of the infringement.
2.In the exercise of their powers to impose administrative sanctions and other administrative measures under Article 42, competent authorities shall cooperate closely to ensure that the supervisory and investigative powers and administrative sanctions and other administrative measures produce the desired results of this Regulation. They shall also coordinate their action in order to avoid possible duplication and overlap when applying supervisory and investigative powers and administrative sanctions, including pecuniary sanctions, and other administrative measures to cross-border cases.
1.Where Member States have chosen, in accordance with Article 42, to lay down criminal sanctions for infringements of the provisions referred to in that Article, they shall ensure that appropriate measures are in place so that competent authorities have all the necessary powers to liaise with judicial authorities within their jurisdiction to receive specific information relating to criminal investigations or proceedings commenced for possible infringements of this Regulation. Those competent authorities shall provide that information to other competent authorities and ESMA, in order to fulfil their obligation to cooperate with each other and ESMA for the purposes of this Regulation.
2.Competent authorities shall provide assistance to competent authorities of other Member States. In particular, they shall exchange information and cooperate in any investigation or supervisory activities. Competent authorities may also cooperate with competent authorities of other Member States with respect to facilitating the recovery of pecuniary sanctions.
1.Subject to paragraph 2, a competent authority shall publish any decision imposing an administrative sanction or other administrative measure in relation to infringements of this Regulation on its official website immediately after the person subject to that decision has been informed of that decision. Such publication shall include at least information on the type and nature of the infringement and the identity of the persons subject to the decision.
The first subparagraph does not apply to decisions imposing measures that are of an investigatory nature.
2.Where a competent authority considers that the publication of the identity of the legal person or of the personal data of a natural person, would be disproportionate following a case-by-case assessment conducted on the proportionality of the publication of such data, or where such publication would jeopardise the stability of financial markets or an on-going investigation, it shall do any of the following:
(a)defer publication of the decision until such time as the reasons for that deferral cease to exist;
(b)publish the decision on an anonymous basis in accordance with national law where such anonymous publication ensures an effective protection of the personal data concerned;
(c)not publish the decision at all in the event that the competent authority is of the opinion that publication in accordance with point (a) or (b) will be insufficient to ensure:
that the stability of financial markets is not jeopardised; or
the proportionality of the publication of such decisions with regard to measures which are deemed to be of a minor nature.
Where a competent authority decides to publish a decision on an anonymous basis as referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph, it may postpone the publication of the relevant data for a reasonable period of time where it is foreseeable that the reasons for anonymous publication shall cease to exist during that period.
3.Where the decision is subject to an appeal before a national judicial, administrative or other authority, the competent authority shall also publish, immediately, on its official website such information and any subsequent information on the outcome of such appeal. Any decision annulling a previous decision to impose a sanction or a measure shall also be published.
4.The competent authority shall ensure that any decision that is published in accordance with this Article shall remain accessible on its official website for a period of at least five years after its publication. Personal data contained in the publication shall only be kept on the official website of the competent authority for the period which is necessary in accordance with the applicable data protection rules.
5.Member States shall annually provide ESMA with aggregated information regarding all administrative sanctions and other administrative measures imposed pursuant to Article 42. That obligation does not apply to measures of an investigatory nature. ESMA shall publish that information in an annual report.
Where Member States have chosen, in accordance with Article 42, to lay down criminal sanctions for infringements of the provisions referred to in that Article, their competent authorities shall annually provide ESMA with anonymised and aggregated data regarding all criminal investigations undertaken and criminal sanctions imposed. ESMA shall publish data on criminal sanctions imposed in an annual report.
1.Within 30 working days from the inclusion of a benchmark referred to in points (a) and (c) of Article 20(1) in the list of critical benchmarks, with the exception of benchmarks where the majority of contributors are non-supervised entities, the competent authority shall establish a college.
2.The college shall comprise the competent authority of the administrator, ESMA, and the competent authorities of supervised contributors.
3.Competent authorities of other Member States shall have the right to be members of the college where, if the critical benchmark in question were to cease to be provided, it would have a significant adverse impact on the market integrity, financial stability, consumers, real economy, or financing of households and businesses of those Member States.
Where a competent authority intends to become a member of a college, it shall submit a request to the competent authority of the administrator containing evidence that the requirements of the first subparagraph of this paragraph are fulfilled. The relevant competent authority of the administrator shall consider the request and notify the requesting authority within 20 working days of receipt of the request whether or not it considers those requirements to be fulfilled. Where it considers those requirements not to be fulfilled, the requesting authority may refer the matter to ESMA in accordance with paragraph 9.
4.ESMA shall contribute to promoting and monitoring the efficient, effective and consistent functioning of colleges referred to in this Article in accordance with Article 21 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010. To that end, ESMA shall participate as appropriate and shall be considered to be a competent authority for that purpose.
Where ESMA acts in accordance with Article 17(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 regarding a critical benchmark, it shall ensure appropriate exchange of information and cooperation with the other members of the college.
5.The competent authority of an administrator shall chair the meetings of the college, coordinate the actions of the college and ensure efficient exchange of information among members of the college.
Where an administrator provides more than one critical benchmark, the competent authority of that administrator may establish a single college in respect of all the benchmarks provided by that administrator.
6.The competent authority of an administrator shall establish written arrangements within the framework of the college regarding the following matters:
(a)the information to be exchanged between competent authorities;
(b)the decision-making process between the competent authorities and the time frame within which each decision has to be taken;
(c)the cases in which the competent authorities must consult each other;
(d)the cooperation to be provided under Article 23(7) and (8).
7.The competent authority of an administrator shall give due consideration to any advice provided by ESMA concerning the written arrangements under paragraph 6 before agreeing their final text. The written arrangements shall be set out in a single document containing full reasons for any significant deviation from the advice of ESMA. The competent authority of the administrator shall transmit the written arrangements to the members of the college and to ESMA.
8.Before taking any measures referred to in Article 23(6), (7) and (9), and Articles 34, 35 and 42, the competent authority of an administrator shall consult the members of the college. The members of the college shall do everything reasonable within their power to reach an agreement within the time frame specified in the written arrangements referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article.
Any decision of the competent authority of the administrator to take such measures shall take into account the impact on the other Member States concerned, in particular the potential impact on the stability of their financial systems.
With regard to the decision to withdraw the authorisation or registration of an administrator in accordance with Article 35, whenever the cessation of a benchmark would result in a force majeure event, frustrate or otherwise breach the terms of any financial contract or financial instrument, or the rules of any investment fund, which references that benchmark in the Union, within the meaning specified by the Commission in any delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 51(6), the competent authorities within the college shall consider whether to adopt measures to mitigate the effects referred to in this paragraph, including:
(a)a change to the code of conduct referred to in Article 15, the methodology or other rules of the benchmark;
(b)a transitional period, during which the procedures envisaged under Article 28(2) shall apply.
9.In the absence of agreement between the members of a college, competent authorities may refer to ESMA any of the following situations:
(a)where a competent authority has not communicated essential information;
(b)where, following a request made under paragraph 3, the competent authority of the administrator has notified the requesting authority that the requirements of that paragraph are not fulfilled or where it has not acted upon such request within a reasonable time;
(c)where the competent authorities have failed to reach an agreement on the matters set out in paragraph 6;
(d)where there is a disagreement concerning the measures to be taken in accordance with Articles 34, 35 and 42;
(e)where there is a disagreement concerning the measures to be taken in accordance with Article 23(6);
(f)where there is a disagreement concerning the measures to be taken in accordance with the third subparagraph of paragraph 8 of this Article.
10.In the situations referred to in points (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of paragraph 9, if the issue is not settled within 30 days after referral to ESMA, the competent authority of an administrator shall take the final decision and provide a detailed explanation of its decision in writing to the competent authorities referred to in that paragraph and to ESMA.
The period of time referred to in point (a) of Article 34(6) shall be suspended from the date of referral to ESMA until such time as a decision is taken in accordance with the first subparagraph of this paragraph.
Where ESMA considers that the competent authority of the administrator has taken any measures referred to in paragraph 8 of this Article which may not be in conformity with Union law it shall act in accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
11.In the situation referred to in point (e) of paragraph 9 of this Article, and without prejudice to Article 258 TFEU, ESMA may act in accordance with the powers conferred on it under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
The power of the competent authority of an administrator under Article 23(6) may be exercised until such time as ESMA publishes its decision.
1.The competent authorities shall cooperate with ESMA for the purposes of this Regulation, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
2.The competent authorities shall, without delay, provide ESMA with all information necessary to carry out its duties, in accordance with Article 35 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
3.ESMA shall develop draft implementing technical standards to determine the procedures and forms for exchange of information as referred to in paragraph 2.
ESMA shall submit the draft implementing technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph to the Commission by 1 April 2017.
Power is conferred to the Commission to adopt the implementing technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
1.Any confidential information received, exchanged or transmitted pursuant to this Regulation shall be subject to the conditions of professional secrecy laid down in paragraph 2.
2.The obligation of professional secrecy applies to all persons who work or who have worked for the competent authority or for any authority or market undertaking or natural or legal person to whom the competent authority has delegated its powers, including auditors and experts contracted by the competent authority.
3.Information covered by professional secrecy may not be disclosed to any other person or authority except by virtue of provisions laid down by Union or national law.
4.All information exchanged between the competent authorities under this Regulation that concerns business or operational conditions and other economic or personal affairs shall be considered confidential and shall be subject to the requirements of professional secrecy, except where the competent authority states at the time of communication that such information may be disclosed or where such disclosure is necessary for legal proceedings.
Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings, amending Directive 2006/43/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC (OJ L 182, 29.6.2013, p. 19).
Council Directive 86/635/EEC of 8 December 1986 on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of banks and other financial institutions (OJ L 372, 31.12.1986, p. 1).
Council Directive 91/674/EEC of 19 December 1991 on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of insurance undertakings (OJ L 374, 31.12.1991, p. 7).