(1)

Article 24(2) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 requires competent authorities to provide the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) with all necessary information to carry out its duties, in accordance with Article 35 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2). Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 requires competent authorities to cooperate and exchange information with each other and with ESMA, with the Commission (in relation to commodities which are agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty), with the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and national regulatory authorities (in relation to wholesale energy products), and with relevant national and third-country regulatory authorities responsible for related spot markets, including, in relation to emission allowances, the auction monitor and competent authorities, registry administrators, including the Central Administrator, and other public bodies charged with supervision of the greenhouse gas allowance trading scheme.

(2)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/292 (3) has already established procedures and forms for exchange of information and assistance between competent authorities, pursuant to Article 25 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014. It is expected that separate rules with regard to cooperation with third-country regulatory authorities responsible for related spot markets will be established. This Regulation should therefore cover for cooperation and for exchange of information with ESMA under Article 24(2) of that Regulation, and cooperation with other entities under Article 25 of that Regulation.

(3)

Information should normally be exchanged in writing. However, oral communications should be possible in appropriate cases, including in particular before a written request for cooperation or exchange of information is sent, to provide information about that upcoming request for cooperation or to discuss any issues that might make it difficult to carry out that request. In urgent cases, it should also be possible for a request for cooperation to be communicated orally, provided such urgency is not simply due to a delay on the part of the requesting party.

(4)

A request should contain sufficient information about the subject matter of the cooperation, including the reasons for the request and its context, to enable the requested authority to process the request easily and efficiently. Indicating the facts giving rise to suspicion should not be considered as a precondition for a requesting authority to receive assistance where that requested information is necessary for that authority to fulfil its duties.

(5)

Where ESMA and ACER jointly specify a secure communication interface to be used by competent authorities and ESMA for exchanging information with ACER and national regulatory authorities, the use of that particular interface should be required for the relevant specified purposes.

(6)

The procedures and forms for the exchange of information and the provision of cooperation should ensure that any information exchanged or transmitted is kept confidential, and that rules with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of personal data are complied with.

(7)

This Regulation is based on the draft implementing technical standards submitted to the Commission by ESMA.

(8)

ESMA did not conduct open public consultations on the draft implementing technical standards on which this Regulation is based, nor did it analyse the potential related costs and benefits of introducing the procedures and forms to be used by the authorities and entities to which this Regulation applies as this would have been disproportionate in relation to the scope and impact of those draft implementing technical standards, taking into account that this Regulation would only affect those authorities and entities and would not affect market participants.

(9)

ESMA has requested the opinion of the Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group established in accordance with Article 37 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010,