Article 6b
Suspension of clearing obligation in the case of resolution
1.
Where a CCP meets the conditions under Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2021/23 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 15 ), the resolution authority of the CCP designated under Article 3(1) of that Regulation or the competent authority designated in accordance with Article 22(1) of this Regulation may, on their own initiative or at the request of a competent authority responsible for the supervision of a clearing member of the CCP under resolution, request that the Commission suspend the clearing obligation referred to in Article 4(1) of this Regulation for specific classes of OTC derivatives or for a specific type of counterparty where the following conditions are met:
(a)
the CCP under resolution is authorised to clear the specific classes of OTC derivatives subject to the clearing obligation for which the suspension is requested; and
(b)
the suspension of the clearing obligation for those specific classes of OTC derivatives or for a specific type of counterparty is necessary to avoid or address a serious threat to financial stability or to the orderly functioning of financial markets in the Union in connection with the resolution of the CCP, and that suspension is proportionate to those aims.
The request referred to in the first subparagraph shall be accompanied by evidence that the conditions laid down in points (a) and (b) of that subparagraph are met.
The authority referred to in the first subparagraph shall notify its reasoned request to ESMA and the ESRB at the same time that the request is submitted to the Commission.
2.
ESMA shall, within 24 hours of notification of the request from the authority referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this Article, and, to the extent possible, after consulting the ESRB, issue an opinion on the intended suspension taking into account the necessity to avoid or address a serious threat to financial stability or to the orderly functioning of financial markets in the Union, the resolution objectives laid down in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2021/23 and the criteria set out in Article 5(4) and (5) of this Regulation.
3.
Where the suspension of the clearing obligation is considered by ESMA to be a material change in the criteria for the trading obligation to take effect referred to in Article 32(5) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014, ESMA may request the Commission to suspend the trading obligation laid down in Article 28(1) and (2) of that Regulation for the same specific classes of OTC derivatives that are subject to the request to suspend the clearing obligation.
ESMA shall submit its reasoned request to the authority referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 and the ESRB at the same time the request is submitted to the Commission.
4.
The requests referred to in paragraphs 1 and 3 and the opinion referred to in paragraph 2 shall not be made public.
5.
The Commission shall, without undue delay after receipt of the request referred to in paragraph 1, on the basis of the reasons and evidence provided by the authority referred to in paragraph 1, either suspend the clearing obligation for the specific classes of OTC derivatives by way of an implementing act, or reject the requested suspension.
In adopting the implementing act referred to in the first subparagraph, the Commission shall take into account the opinion issued by ESMA referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, the resolution objectives referred to in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2021/23, the criteria set out in Article 5(4) and (5) of this Regulation regarding those OTC derivative classes and the necessity of the suspension to avoid or address a serious threat to financial stability or the orderly functioning of financial markets in the Union.
Where the Commission rejects the requested suspension, it shall provide reasons therefor in writing to the requesting authority referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 and to ESMA. The Commission shall immediately inform the European Parliament and the Council thereof and forward them the reasons provided to the requesting authority referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 and to ESMA. Such information shall not be made public.
The implementing act referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 86(3).
6.
Where requested by ESMA in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article, the implementing act suspending the clearing obligation may also suspend the trading obligation laid down in Article 28(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 for the same specific classes of OTC derivatives that are subject to the suspension of the clearing obligation.
7.
The suspension of the clearing obligation and, where applicable, of the trading obligation shall be communicated to the requesting authority referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this Article and to ESMA and shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, on the Commission’s website and in the public register referred to in Article 6.
8.
The suspension of the clearing obligation pursuant to paragraph 5 shall be valid for an initial period of no more than three months from the date of application of that suspension.
The suspension of the trading obligation referred to in paragraph 6 shall be valid for the same initial period.
9.
Where the grounds for the suspension continue to apply, the Commission may, by way of an implementing act, extend the suspension referred to in paragraph 5 for additional periods of no more than three months, with the total period of the suspension of no more than 12 months. Any extensions of the suspension shall be published in accordance with paragraph 7.
The implementing act referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 86(3).
10.
Any of the authorities referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 may, in sufficient time before the end of the initial suspension period referred to in paragraph 5, or the extension period referred to in paragraph 9, issue a request to the Commission to extend the suspension of the clearing obligation.
The request shall be accompanied by evidence that the conditions laid down in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 continue to be met.
The authority referred to in the first subparagraph shall notify its reasoned request to ESMA and the ESRB at the same time that the request is notified to the Commission.
The request referred to in the first subparagraph shall not be made public.
ESMA shall without undue delay after the receipt of the notification of the request and, if it deems necessary, after consulting the ESRB, issue an opinion to the Commission on whether the grounds for the suspension continue to apply taking into account the necessity to avoid or address a serious threat to financial stability or the orderly functioning of financial markets in the Union, the resolution objectives laid down in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2021/23 and the criteria set out in Article 5(4) and (5) of this Regulation. ESMA shall send a copy of that opinion to the European Parliament and to the Council. That opinion shall not be made public.
The implementing act extending the suspension of the clearing obligation may also extend the period of the suspension of the trading obligation referred to in paragraph 6.
The extension of the suspension of the trading obligation shall be valid for the same period as the extension of the suspension of the clearing obligation.
( 15 ) Regulation (EU) 2021/23 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a framework for the recovery and resolution of central counterparties and amending Regulations (EU) No 1095/2010, (EU) No 648/2012, (EU) No 600/2014, (EU) No 806/2014 and (EU) 2015/2365 and Directives 2002/47/EC, 2004/25/EC, 2007/36/EC, 2014/59/EU and (EU) 2017/1132 (OJ L 022, 22.1.2021, p. 1).