Article 32
Recognition of an administrator located in a third country
1.
Until such time as an equivalence decision is adopted in accordance with Article 30(2) and (3), a benchmark provided by an administrator located in a third country may be used by supervised entities in the Union, provided that that administrator acquires prior recognition by ESMA in accordance with this Article.
2.
An administrator located in a third country intending to obtain prior recognition as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall comply with the requirements established in this Regulation, excluding Article 11(4) and Articles 16, 20, 21 and 23. The administrator may fulfil that condition by applying the IOSCO principles for financial benchmarks or the IOSCO principles for PRAs, as applicable, provided that such application is equivalent to compliance with the requirements established in this Regulation, excluding Article 11(4), and Articles 16, 20, 21 and 23.
To determine whether the condition referred to in the first subparagraph is fulfilled and to assess compliance with the IOSCO principles for financial benchmarks or the IOSCO principles for PRAs, as applicable, ESMA may take into account an assessment by an independent external auditor or, a certification provided by the competent authority of the administrator in the third country where the administrator is located.
If, and to the extent that, an administrator is able to demonstrate that a benchmark it provides is a regulated-data benchmark or a commodity benchmark that is not based on submissions by contributors the majority of which are supervised entities, there shall be no obligation on the administrator to comply with requirements not applicable to the provision of regulated-data benchmarks and of commodity benchmarks as provided for in Article 17 and Article 19(1) respectively.
3.
An administrator located in a third country intending to obtain prior recognition as referred to in paragraph 1 shall have a legal representative. The legal representative shall be a natural or legal person located in the Union and expressly appointed by that administrator to act on behalf of that administrator with regard to the administrator’s obligations under this Regulation. The legal representative shall, together with the administrator, perform the oversight function relating to the provision of benchmarks performed by the administrator under this Regulation and, in that respect, be accountable to ESMA.
5.
An administrator located in a third country intending to obtain prior recognition as referred to in paragraph 1 shall apply for recognition with ESMA. The applicant administrator shall provide all information necessary to satisfy ESMA that it has established, at the time of recognition, all the necessary arrangements to meet the requirements referred to in paragraph 2 and shall provide the list of its actual or prospective benchmarks which are intended for use in the Union and shall, where applicable, indicate the competent authority in the third country responsible for its supervision.
Within 90 working days of receipt of the application referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph, ESMA shall verify that the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 are fulfilled.
Where ESMA considers that the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 are not fulfilled, it shall refuse the recognition request and set out the reasons for that refusal. In addition, no recognition shall be granted unless the following additional conditions are fulfilled:
(a)
where an administrator located in a third country is subject to supervision, an appropriate cooperation arrangement is in place between ESMA and the competent authority of the third country where the administrator is located, in compliance with the regulatory technical standards adopted pursuant to Article 30(5), to ensure an efficient exchange of information that enables the competent authority of that third country to carry out its duties in accordance with this Regulation;
(b)
the effective exercise by ESMA of its supervisory functions under this Regulation is neither prevented by the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of the third country where the administrator is located, nor, where applicable, by limitations in the supervisory and investigatory powers of that third country’s competent authority.
8.
ESMA shall suspend or, where appropriate, withdraw the recognition granted in accordance with paragraph 5 where it has well-founded reasons, based on documented evidence, to consider that the administrator:
(a)
is acting in a manner which is clearly prejudicial to the interests of users of its benchmarks or to the orderly functioning of markets;
(b)
has seriously infringed the relevant requirements set out in this Regulation;
(c)
made false statements or used any other irregular means to obtain the recognition.
9.
ESMA may develop draft regulatory technical standards to determine the form and content of the application referred to in paragraph 5 and, in particular, the presentation of the information required in paragraph 6.
In the event that such draft regulatory technical standards are developed, ESMA shall submit them to the Commission.
Power is conferred on 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.