Article 33
International relations including equivalence
1.
Without prejudice to the respective competences of the Member States and the Union institutions, the Authority may develop contacts and enter into administrative arrangements with regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution authorities, international organisations and third-country administrations. Those arrangements shall not create legal obligations in respect of the Union and its Member States nor shall they prevent Member States and their competent authorities from concluding bilateral or multilateral arrangements with those third countries.
Where a third country, in accordance with a delegated act, which is in force, adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, is on the list of jurisdictions which have strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the Union, the Authority shall not conclude administrative arrangements with the regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution authorities of that third country. This shall not preclude other forms of cooperation between the Authority and the respective third-country authorities with a view to reduce threats to the financial system of the Union.
2.
The Authority shall assist the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions pertaining to regulatory and supervisory regimes in third countries following a specific request for advice from the Commission or where required to do so by the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).
3.
The Authority shall monitor, with a particular focus on their implications for financial stability, market integrity, investor protection and the functioning of the internal market, relevant regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution developments, and enforcement practices and market developments in third countries, to the extent they are relevant to risk-based equivalence assessments, for which equivalence decisions have been adopted by the Commission pursuant to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).
Furthermore, it shall verify whether the criteria, on the basis of which those equivalence decisions have been taken, and any conditions set out therein, are still fulfilled.
The Authority may liaise with relevant authorities in third countries. The Authority shall submit a confidential report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission and to the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) summarising the findings of its monitoring of all equivalent third countries. The report shall focus in particular on implications for financial stability, market integrity, investor protection or the functioning of the internal market.
Where the Authority identifies relevant developments in relation to the regulation, supervision or, where applicable, resolution, or the enforcement practices in the third countries referred to in this paragraph that may affect the financial stability of the Union or of one or more of its Member States, market integrity, investor protection or the functioning of the internal market, it shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on a confidential basis and without undue delay.
4.
Without prejudice to specific requirements set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) and subject to the conditions set out in the second sentence of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall cooperate where possible with the relevant competent authorities, and where applicable, also with resolution authorities, of third countries whose regulatory and supervisory regimes have been recognised as equivalent. In principle, that cooperation shall be pursued on the basis of administrative arrangements concluded with the relevant authorities of those third countries. When negotiating such administrative arrangements, the Authority shall include provisions on the following:
(a)
the mechanisms which allow the Authority to obtain relevant information, including information on the regulatory regime, the supervisory approach, relevant market developments and any changes that may affect the equivalence decision;
(b)
to the extent necessary for the follow-up of such equivalence decisions, the procedures concerning the coordination of supervisory activities including, where necessary, on-site inspections.
The Authority shall inform the Commission where a third-country competent authority refuses to conclude such administrative arrangements or when it refuses to effectively cooperate.
5.
The Authority may develop model administrative arrangements, with a view to establishing consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices within the Union and to strengthening international supervisory coordination. The competent authorities shall make every effort to follow such model arrangements.
In the report referred to in Article 43(5), the Authority shall include information on the administrative arrangements agreed upon with supervisory authorities, international organisations or administrations in third countries, the assistance provided by the Authority to the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions and the monitoring by the Authority in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.
6.
The Authority shall, within its powers pursuant to this Regulation and to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), contribute to the united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in international fora.