The Commission may adopt a decision in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 51(2) in relation to a third country stating that the legal and supervisory arrangements of that third country ensure all of the following:

Where the scale and scope of the services provided and the activities performed by third‐country firms in the Union following the adoption of the decision referred to in the first subparagraph are likely to be of systemic importance for the Union, the legally binding prudential, organisational and business conduct requirements referred to in the first subparagraph may only be considered to have equivalent effect to the requirements set out in the acts referred to in that subparagraph after a detailed and granular assessment. To that end, the Commission shall also assess and take into account the supervisory convergence between the third country concerned and the Union.

The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 50 to supplement this Regulation by further specifying the circumstances under which the scale and scope of the services provided and activities performed by third‐country firms in the Union following the adoption of an equivalence decision referred to in the paragraph 1 are likely to be of systemic importance to the Union.

Where the scale and scope of the services provided and activities performed by third‐country firms are likely to be of systemic importance for the Union, the Commission may attach specific operational conditions to equivalence decisions to ensure that ESMA and national competent authorities have the necessary tools to prevent regulatory arbitrage and monitor the activities of third‐country investment firms registered in accordance with Article 46(2) in respect of services provided and activities performed in the Union by ensuring that those firms comply with:

When adopting the decision referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission shall take into account whether the third country is identified as a non‐cooperative jurisdiction for tax purposes under the relevant Union policy or as a high‐risk third country pursuant to Article 9(2) of Directive (EU) 2015/849.

The prudential, organisational and business conduct framework of a third country may be considered to have equivalent effect where that framework fulfils all of the following conditions:

For the purposes of paragraph 1a of this Article, when assessing the equivalence of third-country rules as regards the trading obligation set out in Articles 23 and 28, the Commission shall also assess whether the third country’s legal framework provides for criteria for the designation of trading venues as eligible for compliance with the trading obligation which have a similar effect to those set out under this Regulation or under Directive 2014/65/EU.

ESMA shall establish cooperation arrangements with the relevant competent authorities of third countries whose legal and supervisory frameworks have been recognised as effectively equivalent in accordance with paragraph 1. Such arrangements shall specify at least:

A third-country firm established in a country whose legal and supervisory framework has been recognised to be effectively equivalent in accordance with paragraph 1, and which is authorised in accordance with Article 39 of Directive 2014/65/EU shall be able to provide the services and activities covered under the authorisation to eligible counterparties and professional clients within the meaning of Section I of Annex II to Directive 2014/65/EU in other Member States of the Union without the establishment of new branches. For that purpose, it shall comply with the information requirements for the cross-border provision of services and activities in Article 34 of Directive 2014/65/EU.

A third-country firm may no longer use the rights under Article 46(1) where the Commission adopts a decision in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 51(2) withdrawing its decision under paragraph 1 of this Article in relation to that third country.

ESMA shall monitor the regulatory and supervisory developments, the enforcement practices and other relevant market developments in third countries for which equivalence decisions have been adopted by the Commission pursuant to paragraph 1 in order to verify that the conditions on the basis of which those decisions have been taken are still fulfilled. ESMA shall submit a confidential report on its findings to the Commission on an annual basis. Where considered appropriate by ESMA, ESMA may consult EBA with regard to the report.

The report shall also reflect the trends observed on the basis of the data collected under Article 46(6a), in particular as regards firms providing services or performing the activities referred to in points (3) and (6) of Section A of Annex I to Directive 2014/65/EU.

The Commission shall, on the basis of the report referred to in paragraph 5, submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council at least on an annual basis. The report shall include a list of the equivalence decisions taken or withdrawn by the Commission in the reporting year, as well as any measures taken by ESMA pursuant to Article 49, and provide the rationale for those decisions and measures.

The Commission report shall include information on the monitoring of the regulatory and supervisory developments, the enforcement practices and other relevant market developments in third countries for which equivalence decisions have been adopted. It shall also take stock of how the cross‐border provision of investment services by third‐country firms has evolved in general and in particular as regards the services and activities referred to in points (3) and (6) of Section A of Annex I to Directive 2014/65/EU. In due course, the report shall also include information concerning ongoing equivalence assessments that the Commission is undertaking in relation to a third country.