1.   An OTC derivative contract shall be deemed to have been designed to circumvent the application of any provision of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 if the way in which that contract has been concluded is considered, when viewed as a whole and having regard to all the circumstances, to have as its primary purpose the avoidance of the application of any provision of that Regulation.

2.   For the purposes of paragraph 1, a contract shall be considered as having for primary purpose the avoidance of the application of any provision of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 if the primary purpose of an arrangement or series of arrangements related to the OTC derivative contract, is to defeat the object, spirit and purpose of any provision of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 that would otherwise apply including when it is part of an artificial arrangement or artificial series of arrangements.

An arrangement that intrinsically lacks business rationale, commercial substance or relevant economic justification and consists of any contract, transaction, scheme, action, operation, agreement, grant, understanding, promise, undertaking or event shall be considered an artificial arrangement. The arrangement may comprise more than one step or part.