Regulation 2019/2175 - Amendment of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority), Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 establishing a European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 on markets in financial instruments, Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 on indices used as benchmarks in financial instruments and financial contracts or to measure the performance of investment funds, and Regulation (EU) 2015/847 on information accompanying transfers of funds - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 334/1

Following the financial crisis and the recommendations of a group of high-level experts led by Jacques de Larosière, the Union has made important progress in creating not only stronger, but also more harmonised rules for the financial markets in the form of the Single Rulebook. The Union has also set up the European system of financial supervision (ESFS), built on a two-pillar system which combines micro-prudential supervision, coordinated by the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), and macro-prudential supervision through the establishment of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). The three ESAs, namely the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) (EBA) established by Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) (EIOPA) established by Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5), and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) (ESMA) established by Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) (collectively the ‘founding regulations’), became operational in January 2011. The overall objective of the ESAs is to sustainably reinforce the stability and effectiveness of the financial system throughout the Union and to enhance consumer and investor protection.

The ESAs have made a crucial contribution to the harmonisation of the rules of the financial markets in the Union by providing the Commission with input for its initiatives for regulations and directives adopted by the European Parliament and by the Council. The ESAs have also provided the Commission with drafts of detailed technical rules which have been adopted as delegated and implementing acts.

The ESAs have also contributed to the convergence in financial supervision and supervisory practices in the Union by means of guidelines directed at competent authorities, financial institutions or financial market participants and by coordinating reviews of supervisory practices.

Enhanced powers afforded to the ESAs, to enable them to meet their objective, would also require appropriate governance, an efficient use of resources and sufficient funding. Enhanced powers alone would not be sufficient to achieve the ESAs’ objectives where they do not have sufficient funding or where they are not governed in an effective and efficient manner.

When performing their tasks and exercising their powers, the ESAs should act in accordance with the principle of proportionality laid down in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), as well as with the better regulation policy. The content and form of the ESAs’ actions and measures including instruments such as guidelines, recommendations, opinions or questions and answers should always be based on and within the boundaries of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) of the founding regulations or within the scope of their powers. The ESAs should not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of this Regulation and should act proportionately to the nature, scale and complexity of the risks inherent in the financial activity or business of the affected financial institution or undertaking.

In its Communication of 8 June 2017 on the mid-term review of the Capital Markets Union Action Plan, the Commission emphasised that more effective and consistent supervision of financial markets and services is pivotal for the elimination of regulatory arbitrage between Member States in the exercise of their supervisory tasks, in order to accelerate market integration and to create internal market opportunities for financial entities and investors.

Further progress in supervisory convergence is therefore particularly urgent to complete the capital markets union. Ten years after the onset of the financial crisis and the establishment of the new supervisory system, financial services and the capital markets union will be increasingly driven by two major developments: sustainable finance and technological innovation. Both have the potential to transform financial services and our system of financial supervision should be equipped for them. It is therefore crucial that the financial system plays its full part in meeting critical sustainability challenges. This will require active contribution by the ESAs to create the appropriate regulatory and supervisory framework.

The ESAs should play an important role in identifying and reporting risks that environmental, social and governance related factors pose to financial stability, and in rendering financial markets activity more consistent with sustainability objectives. The ESAs should provide guidance on how sustainability considerations can be effectively embodied in relevant Union financial legislation and promote coherent implementation of those provisions upon adoption. When initiating and coordinating Union-wide assessments of the resilience of financial institutions to adverse market developments, the ESAs should duly consider risks that environmental, social and governance related factors could pose to the financial stability of those institutions.

Technological innovation has had an increasing impact on the financial sector and competent authorities have therefore taken various initiatives to deal with those technological developments. In order to continue promoting supervisory convergence and to exchange best practices between relevant authorities on the one hand, and between relevant authorities and financial institutions or financial market participants on the other hand, the role of the ESAs with regard to their oversight function and supervisory coordination should be strengthened.

Technological advancements in financial markets can improve financial inclusion, provide access to finance, enhance market integrity and operational efficiency and also lower barriers to entry in those markets. To the extent relevant for the applicable substantive rules, training of competent authorities should also extend to technological innovation. This should help prevent Member States developing divergent approaches in those matters.

EBA should, in its area of expertise, monitor the obstacles to or impact on prudential consolidation and could provide opinions or recommendations with the aim of identifying appropriate ways to address such obstacles or impact.

Questions and answers are an important convergence tool that promote common supervisory approaches and practices by giving guidance on the application of Union legal acts within the scope of the ESAs.

It is becoming increasingly important to promote consistent, systematic and effective monitoring and assessment of risks in relation to money laundering and terrorist financing in the Union’s financial system. The prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing is a shared responsibility of Member States and Union institutions and bodies, within their respective mandates. They should establish mechanisms for enhanced cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance, fully utilising all the tools and measures available under the existing regulatory and institutional framework.

Given the consequences for financial stability which may stem from abuses of the financial sector for money laundering or terrorist financing purposes, considering that it is in the banking sector that money laundering and terrorist financing risks are most likely to have systemic impact, and building on the experience already gained by EBA, which is an authority where the national competent authorities of all Member States are represented, in protecting the banking sector from such abuses, EBA should take a leading, coordinating and monitoring role at Union level to prevent the use of the financial system for such purposes. Therefore, it is necessary to entrust EBA, in addition to its current competences, with the power to act within the scope of Regulations (EU) No 1094/2010 and (EU) No 1095/2010 insofar as such power relates to the prevention and countering of money laundering or of terrorist financing where it concerns financial sector operators and the competent authorities supervising them, which are covered by those Regulations. Moreover, concentrating that mandate for the entire financial sector within EBA would optimise the use of its expertise and resources, and would be without prejudice to the material obligations laid down in Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7).

In order for EBA to exercise its mandate effectively, it should make full use of all its powers and tools under Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 while respecting the principle of proportionality. For that purpose, it should develop regulatory and supervisory standards, in particular by developing draft regulatory technical standards, draft implementing technical standards, guidelines and recommendations, and providing opinions for preventing and countering money laundering and terrorist financing in the financial sector and promoting their consistent implementation in line with the mandate provided for in the relevant legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) and Article 16 of the founding regulations. The measures that EBA adopts to promote integrity, transparency and security in the financial system and to prevent and counter money laundering and terrorist financing should not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of this Regulation or of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) of the founding regulations and should take duly into account the nature, scale and complexity of risks, business practices, business models and the size of financial sector operators and of markets.

In line with its new role, it is important that EBA collects all relevant information on weaknesses in relation to money laundering and terrorist financing activities identified by the relevant Union and national authorities, without prejudice to the tasks assigned to authorities under Directive (EU) 2015/849 and without any unnecessary duplication. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), EBA should store such information in a centralised database and foster cooperation among authorities by ensuring appropriate dissemination of relevant information. EBA should therefore be mandated to develop draft regulatory technical standards regarding the collection of information. EBA may also, where appropriate, transmit evidence in its possession which could give rise to criminal proceedings to the national judicial authorities of the Member State concerned and, to the extent it concerns Member States participating in enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office under Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 (9), to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, for those explicitly conferred tasks.

EBA should not collect information on concrete suspicious transactions which financial sector operators are obliged to report to EU Financial Intelligence Units in their Member States pursuant to Directive (EU) 2015/849. Weaknesses should be considered material where they constitute a breach or a potential breach by a financial sector operator, or constitute inappropriate or ineffective application by a financial sector operator, or inappropriate or ineffective application by a financial sector operator of its internal policies and procedures to comply with the legal provisions related to the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing. A breach is considered to have occurred where a financial sector operator fails to comply with the requirements of any Union act and of national law transposing such requirements referred to in Article 1(2) of the founding regulations to the extent that those acts contribute to the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing. A potential breach is where the competent authority has reasonable grounds to suspect that a breach has occurred, but at that stage is not in a position to finally conclude that it has occurred. However, due to the information obtained at that stage such as information from on-site inspections or off-site proceedings, it is very likely that a breach has occurred. Inappropriate or ineffective application of legal provisions is constituted by the failure of a financial sector operator to implement the requirements of those acts in a satisfactory manner. Inappropriate or ineffective application of a financial sector operator’s internal policies and procedures aiming at ensuring compliance with those acts should be considered as constituting a weakness substantially raising the risk that breaches have occurred or can occur.

When assessing vulnerabilities to and risks of money laundering and terrorist financing in the financial sector, EBA should also consider the implications for money laundering and terrorist financing from all predicate offences, including those that are tax crimes, where applicable.

Upon request, EBA should provide assistance to competent authorities in the exercise of their prudential supervisory functions. EBA should also coordinate closely, and, where appropriate, exchange information, with competent authorities including the European Central Bank, in its supervisory capacity, and with authorities entrusted with supervising obliged entities listed in points (1) and (2) of Article 2(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/849 to ensure efficiency and to avoid any form of duplicative or inconsistent actions in the prevention and countering of money laundering or of terrorist financing.

EBA should carry out peer reviews of competent authorities, as well as risk assessments on the appropriateness of the strategies and resources of competent authorities with a view to the most important emerging money laundering and terrorist financing risks as identified in the Supranational Risk Assessment. When conducting such peer reviews in accordance with Article 30 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010, EBA should take into account relevant evaluations, assessments or reports drawn up by international organisations and intergovernmental bodies with competence in the field of preventing and countering money laundering or terrorist financing as well as the biannual Report of the Commission under Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2015/849 and the National Risk Assessment of the relevant Member State prepared under Article 7 of that Directive.

Furthermore, EBA should have a leading role in contributing to facilitating cooperation between competent authorities in the Union and the relevant authorities in third countries on those matters with a view to better coordinate action at Union level in material cases of money laundering and terrorist financing having a cross-border and third-country dimension. Such role should be without prejudice to regular interactions by competent authorities with third-country authorities.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of supervisory control of compliance in the area of money laundering and terrorist financing and to ensure greater coordination of the enforcement by national competent authorities of breaches of directly applicable Union law or its national transposing measures, EBA should have the power to carry out analysis of the information collected and, if necessary, pursue investigations on allegations brought to its attention concerning material breaches or non-application of Union law, and, where there are indications of material breaches, to request competent authorities to investigate any possible breaches of the relevant rules, to consider taking decisions and imposing sanctions addressed to financial sector operators requiring them to comply with their legal obligations. That power should only be used where EBA has indications of material breaches.

For the purposes of the procedure for breach of Union law provided for in Article 17 of the founding regulations and in the interest of proper application of Union law, it is appropriate to ease, and speed up, the ESAs’ access to information. They should therefore be enabled to request information directly, via a duly justified and reasoned request, from other competent authorities whenever requesting information from the competent authority concerned has proven, or is deemed to be, insufficient to obtain the information that is deemed necessary for the purpose of investigating an alleged breach or non-application of Union law.

Harmonised supervision of the financial sector requires a consistent approach among competent authorities. To that end, the activities of the competent authorities are subject to peer reviews. The ESAs should also ensure that the methodology is applied in the same manner. Such peer reviews should not only focus on the convergence of supervisory practices, but also on the capacity of competent authorities to achieve high-quality supervisory outcomes, as well as on the independence of those competent authorities. The main findings of those peer reviews should be published to encourage compliance and increase transparency, unless such publication would involve risks to financial stability.

In view of the importance of ensuring that the Union supervisory framework for the prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing is applied effectively, peer reviews to provide objective and transparent perspectives on supervisory practices are of paramount importance. EBA should also assess the strategies, capacities and resources of the competent authorities to address emerging risks related to money laundering and terrorist financing.

For carrying out its tasks and exercising its powers for the prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing, it should be possible for EBA to take individual decisions addressed to financial sector operators in accordance with the procedure for breach of Union law and of the procedure of binding mediation even when the substantive rules are not directly applicable to financial sector operators, after having taken a decision addressed to the competent authority. Where the substantive rules are laid down in Directives, EBA should apply national law to the extent it is transposing those Directives. Where the relevant Union law is composed of Regulations and where, on the date of entry into force of this Regulation, those Regulations expressly grant options to Member States, EBA should apply national law to the extent that such options have been exercised.

Where this Regulation authorises EBA to apply national law transposing Directives, such national law can be applied by EBA only to the extent necessary for carrying out the tasks conferred on it by Union law. Therefore, EBA should apply all the relevant Union rules, and where such rules are laid down in Directives, it should apply national law transposing those Directives to the extent required by Union law, aiming at an even application of law throughout the Union while respecting the relevant national law.

Where a decision of EBA is based on, or connected with, its powers for the prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing and concerns financial sector operators or competent authorities within the remit of EIOPA or ESMA, EBA should only be able to take the decision in agreement with EIOPA or ESMA, respectively. EIOPA and ESMA, in each case taking into account the urgency of the relevant decision, should, when expressing their views, consider making use of expedited decision procedures in line with their respective internal governance rules.

The ESAs should have in place dedicated reporting channels for receiving and handling information provided by a natural or legal person reporting on actual or potential breaches, abuse of law, or non-application of Union law. The ESAs should ensure that it is possible to submit that information anonymously or confidentially, and safely. The reporting person should be protected from retaliation. The ESAs should provide feedback to the reporting person.

Harmonised supervision of the financial sector also requires that disagreements between the competent authorities of different Member States in cross–border situations are settled efficiently. The existing rules for settling such disagreements are not fully satisfactory. They should therefore be adapted so that they can be more easily applied.

Integral to the work of the ESAs on the convergence of supervisory practices is the promotion of a Union supervisory culture. Therefore, the Authority may regularly identify up to two priorities of Union-wide relevance. Those priorities should be taken into account by competent authorities when drawing up their work programmes. The Board of Supervisors of each ESA should discuss the relevant activities by the competent authorities in the next year and draw conclusions.

Assessments by the peer review committees should allow in-depth studies based on self-assessment by the reviewed authorities, followed by an evaluation by the peer review committee. The member of a competent authority under review should not take part in the assessment when it relates to that competent authority.

Experience of the ESAs has revealed the benefits of enhanced coordination in certain areas via ad hoc groups or platforms. This Regulation should provide a legal basis for, and strengthen, such arrangements through the creation of a new tool, namely, the establishment of coordination groups. Such coordination groups should promote convergence in relation to the supervisory practices undertaken by competent authorities, in particular through the exchange of information and experience. The participation of all competent authorities in those coordination groups should be mandatory and competent authorities should provide the coordination groups with the necessary information. The setting up of coordination groups should be considered wherever the competent authorities identify a need to coordinate in view of specific market developments. Such coordination groups may be set up with regard to all areas covered by the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) of the founding regulations.

Orderly and well-functioning international financial markets require the monitoring of third-country equivalence decisions that have been adopted by the Commission. Each ESA should monitor the regulatory and supervisory developments and the enforcement practices in those third countries. It should do so in order to verify whether the criteria, on the basis of which those decisions have been taken and of any conditions set out therein, are still fulfilled. Each ESA should submit a confidential report on its monitoring activities to the Commission on an annual basis. In that context, each ESA should also, where possible, develop administrative arrangements with third-country competent authorities to obtain information for monitoring purposes and for coordinating supervisory activities. That enhanced supervisory regime should ensure that third-country equivalence is more transparent, more predictable for the third countries concerned and more consistent across all sectors.

The representative of the ESRB on the Board of Supervisors should present the common view of the General Board of the ESRB with a particular focus on financial stability.

To ensure that the appropriate level of expertise underpins decisions relating to the prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing measures, it is necessary to set up a permanent internal committee in the EBA. That committee should be composed of high-level representatives of authorities and bodies in charge of compliance with legislation on the prevention and countering of money laundering or of terrorist financing who have expertise and decision-making powers in the area of the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing. That committee should also include high-level representatives from the ESAs who have expertise in different business models and their respective sectoral specificities. That committee should examine and prepare decisions to be taken by EBA. In order to avoid duplication, the new committee will replace the existing anti-money laundering subcommittee which was set up within the ESAs Joint Committee. It should be possible for the ESAs to submit written observations on any draft decision of the internal committee, which the Board of Supervisors of EBA should duly consider before taking its final decision.

In line with the objective of achieving a more coherent and viable supervisory system in the Union to prevent and counter money laundering and terrorist financing, the Commission should, after consulting all relevant authorities and stakeholders, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the implementation, functioning and effectiveness of the specific tasks conferred on EBA under this Regulation related to preventing and countering money laundering and terrorist financing. In particular, the assessment should – to the extent possible – reflect experience gained from situations where EBA requests a competent authority to: investigate possible breaches of national laws to the extent that they transpose Directives or exercise options to Member States by Union law by financial sector operators; consider imposing sanctions on that operator in respect of such breaches; or consider adopting an individual decision addressed to that financial sector operator requiring it to undertake all necessary action to comply with its obligations under national laws to the extent that they transpose Directives or exercise options granted to Member States by Union law. It should similarly reflect such experience where EBA applies national law to the extent it transposes Directives or exercises options granted to Member States by Union law. The Commission should submit that assessment as part of its report pursuant to Article 65 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, together with legislative proposals, if appropriate, to the European Parliament and to the Council by 11 January 2022. Until that assessment has been submitted, the powers granted to EBA related to preventing the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing in Articles 9b, 17(6) and 19(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 should be considered a provisional solution to the extent that they allow EBA to base requests to competent authorities on possible breaches of national law or allow the application of national law by EBA.

To preserve the confidentiality of the work of the ESAs, the requirements of professional secrecy should also apply to any person who provides any service, directly or indirectly, permanently or occasionally, related to the tasks of the ESA concerned.

The founding regulations as well as sectoral legislative acts require the ESAs to seek effective administrative arrangements, involving the exchange of information with third-country supervisors. The need for effective cooperation and information exchange should become all the more important when, pursuant to this amending Regulation, some of the ESAs assume additional, broader responsibilities in relation to the supervision of non-EU entities and activities. Where, in that context, the ESAs process personal data, including by transferring such data outside the Union, they are bound by the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. In the absence of an adequacy decision or of appropriate safeguards, for example provided for in administrative arrangements within the meaning of point (b) of Article 48(3) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, the ESAs may exchange personal data with third-country authorities in accordance with and under the conditions of the public interest derogation set out in point (d) of Article 50(1) thereof, which in particular applies to cases of international data exchange between financial supervisory authorities.

The founding regulations provide that, in cooperation with the ESRB, the ESAs should initiate and coordinate Union-wide stress tests in order to assess the resilience of financial institutions or financial market participants to adverse market developments. It should also ensure that a consistent methodology is applied, to the extent possible, at national level to such tests. It should also be clarified, in respect of all of the ESAs, that the professional secrecy obligations of competent authorities should not prevent competent authorities from transmitting the results of stress tests to the ESAs for the purpose of publication.

To ensure a high level of convergence in the area of supervision and approval of internal models in accordance with Directive 2009/138/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (10), EIOPA should upon request be able to assist competent authorities in the decision related to the approval of internal models.

In order for the ESAs to perform their tasks related to consumer protection, they should be entitled to coordinate so-called ‘mystery shopping activities’ of the competent authorities, if applicable.

The ESAs should be properly and adequately resourced and staffed to effectively contribute to the consistent, efficient and effective financial supervision within their respective competences under this Regulation. Additional competences and workload conferred upon the ESAs should be matched with sufficient human and financial resources.

The evolution of the scope of direct supervision might require financial institutions, and financial market participants directly supervised by the ESAs, to make additional contributions based on the estimated expenditure of the relevant ESA.

Inconsistencies in the quality, formatting, reliability and cost of trading data have a detrimental effect on transparency, investor protection and market efficiency. In order to enhance the monitoring and reconstruction of trading data, and to improve the consistency and quality of those data and their availability and accessibility at reasonable cost throughout the Union for the relevant trading venues, Directive 2014/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (11) introduced a new legal framework for data reporting services, including the authorisation and supervision of data reporting services providers.

The quality of trading data and of the processing and provision of those data, including processing and provision of cross-border data, is of paramount importance to achieve the main objective of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12), namely, strengthening the transparency of financial markets. The provision of core data services is therefore pivotal for users to be able to obtain the desired overview of trading activity across Union financial markets and for competent authorities to receive accurate and comprehensive information on relevant transactions.

In addition, trading data is an increasingly essential tool for effective enforcement of requirements stemming from Regulation (EU) No 600/2014. Given the cross-border dimension of data handling, data quality and the necessity to achieve economies of scale, and to avoid the adverse impact of potential divergences on both data quality and the tasks of data reporting services providers, it is beneficial and justified to transfer authorisation and supervisory powers in relation to data reporting services providers from competent authorities to ESMA, except for those benefiting from a derogation, and to specify those powers in Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 enabling, at the same time, the consolidation of the benefits arising from pooling data-related competences within ESMA.

Retail investors should be adequately informed about potential risks when they decide to invest in a financial instrument. The legal framework of the Union aims to reduce the risk of misselling where retail investors are sold financial products which do not fit their needs or expectations. To that end, Directive 2014/65/EU and Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 enhance organisational and conduct of business requirements to ensure that investment firms act in the best interests of their clients. Those requirements include enhanced risk disclosure to clients, better assessment of suitability of products recommended as well as an obligation to distribute financial instruments to the identified target market, taking into account factors such as the solvency of issuers. ESMA should make full use of its powers to ensure supervisory convergence and support national authorities in achieving a high level of investor protection and effective oversight of risks associated with financial products.

It is important to ensure the effective and efficient submission, compilation, analysis and publication of data for the purposes of calculations for determining the requirements for the pre- and post-trade transparency and trading obligation regimes, as well as for the purposes of reference data in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 and Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13). ESMA, in addition to competent authorities, should therefore be conferred competences to undertake direct data gathering from market participants in relation to pre- and post-trade transparency requirements, as well as their authorisation and oversight of data reporting services providers.

Granting those competences to ESMA allows for a centrally managed authorisation and oversight, which would avoid the current situation where multiple trading venues, systematic internalisers, approved publication arrangements (APAs) and consolidated tape providers (CTPs) are required to provide multiple competent authorities with data which are only then provided to ESMA. Such a centrally managed system should be highly beneficial to the market participants in terms of higher data transparency, investor protection and market efficiency.

The conferral of data gathering powers, authorisation and oversight from competent authorities to ESMA is also instrumental to other tasks ESMA is performing under Regulation (EU) No 600/2014, such as market monitoring and ESMA’s temporary intervention powers.

For ESMA to exercise its supervisory powers effectively within the area of data processing and provision, ESMA should be able to conduct investigations and on-site inspections. ESMA should be able to impose fines or periodic penalty payments to compel data reporting services providers to put an end to an infringement, to supply complete and correct information required by ESMA or to submit them to an investigation or an on-site inspection, and to impose administrative sanctions or other administrative measures where it finds that a person has committed, intentionally or negligently, an infringement of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014.

Financial products using critical benchmarks are available in all Member States. Those benchmarks are therefore of crucial importance for the functioning of financial markets and financial stability in the Union. The supervision of a critical benchmark should therefore take a holistic view of potential impacts, not only in the Member State where the administrator is located and the Member States where its contributors are located, but across the entire Union. It is therefore appropriate that certain critical benchmarks are supervised at Union level by ESMA. To avoid duplication of tasks, administrators of critical benchmarks should be supervised only by ESMA, including any non-critical benchmarks they might administer.

As administrators of, and contributors to critical benchmarks are put under stricter requirements than administrators of, and contributors to, other benchmarks, the designation of benchmarks as critical benchmarks should be undertaken by the Commission or requested by ESMA and should be codified by the Commission. As national competent authorities have best access to data on, and information about, benchmarks they supervise, they should notify the Commission or ESMA of any benchmarks which, in their opinion, fulfil the criteria identifying critical benchmarks.

The procedure to determine the Member State of reference for benchmark administrators located in third countries that apply for recognition in the Union is cumbersome and time-consuming for both applicants and national competent authorities. Applicants might try to influence that determination in the hope of having supervisory arbitrage. Those benchmark administrators might choose their legal representative strategically in a Member State where they consider supervision less strict. A harmonised approach with ESMA as the competent authority for recognising third-country benchmark administrators avoids those risks and the costs of determining the Member State of reference as well as of the subsequent supervision. Furthermore, ESMA’s role as competent authority for recognised third-country benchmark administrators establishes it as the counterpart in the Union for supervisors in third countries, making cross-border cooperation more efficient and effective.

Many, if not the majority of, benchmark administrators are banks or financial services firms handling client money. In order not to undermine the Union’s fight against money laundering or terrorist financing, it should be a precondition for the conclusion of a cooperation arrangement with a competent authority under an equivalence regime that the country of the competent authority is not on the list of jurisdictions which have strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering, and countering the financing of terrorism, regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the Union.

Almost all benchmarks are referenced in financial products which are available in several Member States, if not the entire Union. To detect risks related to the provision of benchmarks that might no longer be reliable or representative of the market or economic reality that they intend to measure, competent authorities, including ESMA, should cooperate and assist each other, where appropriate.

It is appropriate to provide for a reasonable period to make the necessary arrangements for the delegated and implementing acts in order to enable the ESAs and the other parties concerned to apply the rules set out in this Regulation.

Regulations (EU) No 1093/2010, (EU) No 1094/2010, (EU) No 1095/2010, (EU) No 600/2014, Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14) and Regulation (EU) 2015/847 of the European Parliament and of the Council (15) should therefore be amended accordingly,

Article 1 is amended as follows:

Article 2 is amended as follows:

Article 3 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 3

Accountability of the Authorities

• 1. 

  The Authorities referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 2(2) shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council. The European Central Bank shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council with regard to the exercise of the supervisory tasks conferred on it by Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013 in accordance with that Regulation.

• 2. 

  In accordance with Article 226 TFEU, the Authority shall fully cooperate with the European Parliament during any investigation carried out under that Article.

• 3. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall adopt an annual report on the activities of the Authority, including on the performance of the Chairperson’s duties, and shall, by 15 June each year, transmit that report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission, to the Court of Auditors and to the European Economic and Social Committee. The report shall be made public.

• 4. 

  At the request of the European Parliament, the Chairperson shall participate in a hearing before the European Parliament on the performance of the Authority. A hearing shall take place at least annually. The Chairperson shall make a statement before the European Parliament and answer any questions from its members, whenever so requested.

• 5. 

  The Chairperson shall report in writing on the activities of the Authority to the European Parliament when requested and at least 15 days before making the statement referred to in paragraph 4.

• 6. 

  In addition to the information referred to in Articles 11 to 18 and Articles 20 and 33, the report shall also include any relevant information requested by the European Parliament on an ad hoc basis.

• 7. 

  The Authority shall reply orally or in writing to any question addressed to it by the European Parliament or by the Council within five weeks of its receipt.

• 8. 

  Upon request, the Chairperson shall hold confidential oral discussions behind closed doors with the Chair, Vice-Chairs and Coordinators of the competent committee of the European Parliament. All participants shall respect the requirements of professional secrecy.

• 9. 

  Without prejudice to its confidentiality obligations stemming from participation in international fora, the Authority shall inform the European Parliament upon request about its contribution to a united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in such international fora.’;

Article 4 is amended as follows:

Article 8 is amended as follows:

Article 9 is amended as follows:

the following articles are inserted:

‘Article 9a

Special tasks related to preventing and countering money laundering and terrorist financing

• 1. 

  The Authority shall, within its respective competences, take a leading, coordinating and monitoring role in promoting integrity, transparency and security in the financial system by means of adopting measures to prevent and counter money laundering and terrorist financing in that system. In line with the principle of proportionality, those measures shall not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of this Regulation and of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) and shall have due regard to the nature, scale and complexity of risks, business practices, business models and size of financial sector operators and of markets. Those measures shall include:

By 31 December 2020, the Authority shall develop draft regulatory technical standards specifying the definition of weaknesses as referred to in point (a) of the first subparagraph, including the corresponding situations where weaknesses may occur, the materiality of weaknesses and the practical implementation of the information collection by the Authority as well as the type of information that should be provided pursuant to point (a) of the first subparagraph. In developing those technical standards, the Authority shall consider the volume of the information to be provided and the need to avoid duplication. It shall also set out arrangements to ensure effectiveness and confidentiality.

Power is delegated to the Commission to supplement this Regulation by adopting the regulatory technical standards referred to in the second subparagraph of this paragraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14.

• 2. 

  The Authority shall establish and keep up to date a central database of information collected pursuant to point (a) of paragraph 1. The Authority shall ensure that that information is analysed and made available to competent authorities on a need-to-know and confidential basis. The Authority may, where appropriate, transmit evidence that is in its possession which could give rise to criminal proceedings to the national judicial authorities and the competent authorities of the Member State concerned in accordance with national procedural rules. The Authority may also, where appropriate, transmit evidence to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office where such evidence concerns offences in respect of which the European Public Prosecutor’s Office exercises or could exercise competence in accordance with Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 (*19).

• 3. 

  Competent authorities may address to the Authority reasoned requests for information about financial sector operators relevant for their supervisory activities with regard to the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or of terrorist financing. The Authority shall assess those requests and provide the information requested by competent authorities on a need-to-know basis and in a timely manner. Where the Authority does not provide the requested information, it shall inform the requesting competent authority and give an explanation as to why the information is not provided. The Authority shall inform the competent authority, or any other authority or institution that has initially provided the requested information, of the identity of the requesting competent authority, the identity of the financial sector operator concerned, the reason for the information request as well as whether the information has been shared. In addition, the Authority shall analyse the information in order to share relevant information on its own initiative with competent authorities for their supervisory activities with regard to the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing. Where it does so share, it shall notify the competent authority that initially provided the information. It shall also conduct analysis on an aggregate basis for the opinion it is requested to deliver pursuant to Article 6(5) of Directive (EU) 2015/849.

By 31 December 2020, the Authority shall develop draft regulatory technical standards specifying how information is to be analysed and made available to competent authorities on a need-to-know and confidential basis.

Power is delegated to the Commission to supplement this Regulation by adopting the regulatory technical standards referred to in the second subparagraph of this paragraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14.

• 4. 

  The Authority shall promote convergence of supervisory processes referred to in Directive (EU) 2015/849, including by conducting peer reviews, and issuing related reports and follow-up measures in accordance with Article 30 of this Regulation. The Authority, when conducting such reviews in accordance with Article 30 of this Regulation, shall take into account relevant evaluations, assessments or reports drawn up by international organisations and intergovernmental bodies competent in the field of preventing money laundering or terrorist financing as well as the biannual report made by the Commission under Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, and the risk assessments carried out by Member States pursuant to Article 7 of that Directive.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall, with the participation of the competent authorities, perform risk assessments of the strategies, capacities and resources of competent authorities to address the most important emerging risks related to money laundering and terrorist financing at Union level as identified in the supranational risk assessment. It shall perform those risk assessments in particular for the purpose of issuing the opinion that it is requested to deliver pursuant to Article 6(5) of Directive (EU) 2015/849. The Authority shall perform risk assessments on the basis of the information available to it, including peer reviews in accordance with Article 30 of this Regulation, the analysis that it has conducted on an aggregate basis of the information collected for the purposes of the central database pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article, as well as relevant evaluations, assessments or reports drawn up by international organisations and intergovernmental bodies with competence in the field of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing and the risk assessments by the Member States prepared pursuant to Article 7 of Directive (EU) 2015/849. The Authority shall make the risk assessments available to all competent authorities.

For the purposes of the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the Authority, through the internal committee established under paragraph 7 of this Article, shall develop and apply methods to allow for an objective assessment, as well as a high- quality and consistent review of the assessments and the application of the methodology and to ensure a level playing field. That internal committee shall carry out the quality and consistency review of the risk assessments. It shall prepare the draft risk assessments for adoption by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 44.

• 6. 

  In cases where there are indications of breaches, on the part of financial sector operators, of the requirements laid down in Directive (EU) 2015/849 and where there is a cross-border dimension with third countries, the Authority shall have a leading role in contributing to facilitate cooperation between competent authorities in the Union and the relevant authorities in third countries where necessary. This role of the Authority shall be without prejudice to the regular interactions by competent authorities with third-country authorities.

• 7. 

  The Authority shall establish a permanent internal committee on anti-money-laundering and countering terrorist financing to coordinate measures in order to prevent and counter the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing and to prepare, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2015/847 and Directive (EU) 2015/849, all draft decisions to be taken by the Authority in accordance with Article 44 of this Regulation.

• 8. 

  The committee referred to in paragraph 7 shall be composed of high-level representatives of the authorities and bodies of all Member States competent to ensure the compliance of financial sector operators with Regulation (EU) 2015/847 and Directive (EU) 2015/849 who have expertise and decision-making powers in the area of the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or terrorist financing as well as high-level representatives who have expertise in the different business models and sectoral specificities of the Authority, of the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and of the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) respectively. The high-level representatives of the Authority and of those other European Supervisory Authorities shall participate in the meetings of that committee without the right to vote. In addition, the Commission, the ESRB, and the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank, shall each nominate a high-level representative to participate in meetings of that committee, as observers. The chair of that committee shall be elected by and from the voting members of that committee.

Each institution, authority and body referred to in the first subparagraph shall nominate an alternate representative from its staff, who may replace the member where that person is prevented from attending. Member States where more than one authority is competent for ensuring compliance with Directive (EU) 2015/849 for financial sector operators may nominate one representative for each competent authority. Irrespective of the number of competent authorities represented in the meeting, each Member State shall have one vote. That committee may establish internal working groups on specific aspects of its work with a view to preparing draft decisions of that committee. Those groups shall be open for participation to staff from all competent authorities represented in that committee and from the Authority, the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority).

• 9. 

  The Authority, the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) may at any time submit written observations on any draft decision of the committee referred to in paragraph 7 of this Article. The Board of Supervisors shall duly consider such observations before taking its final decision. Where a draft decision is based on, or connected with, the powers conferred upon the Authority under Article 9b, 17 or 19 and concerns:

the Authority may only take the decision in agreement with the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), in the case of point (a), or of the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), in the case of point (b). The European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) or the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) shall notify their views to the Authority within 20 days from the date of the draft decision by the committee referred to in paragraph 7. Where they do not notify their views to the Authority within 20 days nor request a duly justified prolongation for notifying such views the agreement shall be presumed.

Article 9b

Request for investigation related to the prevention and countering of money laundering and of terrorist financing

• 1. 

  In matters concerning the prevention of and countering the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering and terrorist financing, in accordance with Directive (EU) 2015/849, the Authority may, where it has indications of material breaches, request a competent authority as referred to in point (2)(iii) of Article 4: (a) to investigate possible breaches of Union law, and where such Union law is composed of Directives or explicitly grants options for Member States, breaches of national law to the extent that it transposes Directives or exercises options granted to Member States by Union law, by a financial sector operator; and (b) to consider imposing sanctions on that operator in respect of such breaches. Where necessary, it may also request a competent authority as referred to in point (2)(iii) of Article 4 to consider adopting an individual decision addressed to that financial sector operator requiring it to undertake all necessary action to comply with its obligations under directly applicable Union law, or under national law to the extent that it transposes Directives or exercises options granted to Member States by Union law, including the cessation of any practice. The requests referred to in this paragraph shall not impede ongoing supervisory measures by the competent authority to which the request is addressed.

• 2. 

  The competent authority shall comply with any request addressed to it in accordance with paragraph 1 and shall inform the Authority, as soon as possible and within 10 working days at the latest, of the steps it has taken or intends to take to comply with that request.

• 3. 

  Without prejudice to the powers of the Commission under Article 258 TFEU, where a competent authority does not inform the Authority within 10 working days of the steps it has taken or intends to take to comply with paragraph 2 of this Article, Article 17 of this Regulation shall apply.

Article 9c

No action letters

• 1. 

  The Authority shall take the measures referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article only in exceptional circumstances when it considers that the application of one of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or of any delegated or implementing acts based on those legislative acts, is liable to raise significant issues, for one of the following reasons:

• 2. 

  In the cases referred to in paragraph 1, the Authority shall send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist.

In the cases referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 1, the Authority shall provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency that, in the Authority’s judgment, is attached to the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.

In the case referred to in point (c) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall evaluate as soon as possible the need to adopt relevant guidelines or recommendations in accordance with Article 16.

The Authority shall act expeditiously, in particular with a view to contributing to the prevention of the issues referred to in paragraph 1, whenever possible.

• 3. 

  Where necessary in the cases referred to in paragraph 1, and pending the adoption and application of new measures following the steps referred to in paragraph 2, the Authority shall issue opinions regarding specific provisions of the acts referred to in paragraph 1 with a view to furthering consistent, efficient and effective supervisory and enforcement practices, and the common, uniform and consistent application of Union law.

• 4. 

  Where, on the basis of information received, in particular from competent authorities, the Authority considers that any of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or any delegated or implementing act based on those legislative acts, raises significant exceptional issues pertaining to market confidence, consumer, customer or investor protection, the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or commodity markets, or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, it shall, without undue delay, send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist. The Authority may provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency of the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.

(*19)  Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (“the EPPO”) (OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1).’;"

Article 10 is amended as follows:

in Article 13(1), the second subparagraph is deleted;

Article 15 is amended as follows:

Article 16 is amended as follows:

the following articles are inserted:

‘Article 16a

Opinions

• 1. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission, or on its own initiative, provide opinions to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission on all issues related to its area of competence.

• 2. 

  The request referred to in paragraph 1 may include a public consultation or a technical analysis.

• 3. 

  With regard to assessments referred to in Article 22 of Directive 2013/36/EU, and which according to that Article require consultation between competent authorities from two or more Member States, the Authority may, at the request of one of the competent authorities concerned, issue and publish an opinion on such assessments. The opinion shall be issued promptly and, in any event, before the end of the assessment period referred to in that Article.

• 4. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission provide technical advice to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission in the areas set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 16b

Questions and answers

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to paragraph 5 of this Article, questions relating to the practical application or implementation of the provisions of legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), associated delegated and implementing acts, and guidelines and recommendations, adopted pursuant to those legislative acts, may be submitted by any natural or legal person, including competent authorities and Union institutions and bodies, to the Authority in any official language of the Union.

Before submitting a question to the Authority, financial institutions shall consider whether to address the question in the first place to their competent authority.

Before publishing answers to admissible questions, the Authority may seek further clarification on questions asked by the natural or legal person referred to in this paragraph.

• 2. 

  Answers by the Authority to questions as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be non-binding. Answers shall be made available at least in the language in which the question was submitted.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall establish and maintain a web-based tool available on its website for the submission of questions and the timely publication of all questions received as well as all answers to all admissible questions pursuant to paragraph 1, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interest of those persons or would involve risks to the stability of the financial system. The Authority may reject questions it does not intend to answer. Rejected questions shall be published by the Authority on its website for a period of two months.

• 4. 

  Three voting members of the Board of Supervisors may request the Board of Supervisors to decide pursuant to Article 44 whether to address the issue of the admissible question referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article in guidelines pursuant to Article 16, to request advice from the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, to review questions and answers at appropriate intervals, to conduct open public consultations or to analyse potential related costs and benefits. Such consultations and analyses shall be proportionate in relation to the scope, nature and impact of the draft questions and answers concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. When involving the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, a duty of confidentiality shall apply.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall forward questions that require the interpretation of Union law to the Commission. The Authority shall publish any answers provided by the Commission.’;

Article 17 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 17a

Protection of reporting persons

• 1. 

  The Authority shall have in place dedicated reporting channels for receiving and handling information provided by a natural or legal person reporting on actual or potential breaches, abuse of law, or non-application of Union law.

• 2. 

  The natural or legal persons reporting through those channels shall be protected against retaliation in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*20), where applicable.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall ensure that all information may be submitted anonymously or confidentially, and safely. Where the Authority deems that the submitted information contains evidence or significant indications of a material breach, it shall provide feedback to the reporting person.

(*20)  Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17).’;"

in Article 18, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3.   Where the Council has adopted a decision pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article and, in exceptional circumstances, where coordinated action by competent authorities is necessary to respond to adverse developments which may seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union or customer and consumer protection, the Authority may adopt individual decisions requiring competent authorities to take the necessary action in accordance with the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) to address any such developments by ensuring that financial institutions and competent authorities satisfy the requirements laid down in those legislative acts.’;

Article 19 is amended as follows:

Article 21 is amended as follows:

Article 22 is amended as follows:

in Article 23, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   The Authority shall, in consultation with the ESRB, develop criteria for the identification and measurement of systemic risk and an adequate stress-testing regime which includes an evaluation of the potential for systemic risk posed by, or to, financial institutions to increase in situations of stress, including potential environmental-related systemic risk. The financial institutions that may pose a systemic risk shall be subject to strengthened supervision, and where necessary, the recovery and resolution procedures referred to in Article 25.’;

in Article 27(2), the third subparagraph is deleted;

Article 29 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 29a

Union strategic supervisory priorities

Following a discussion in the Board of Supervisors and taking into account contributions received from competent authorities, existing work by the Union Institutions, and analysis, warnings and recommendations published by the ESRB, the Authority shall, at least every three years, by 31 March, identify up to two priorities of Union-wide relevance which shall reflect future developments and trends. Competent authorities shall take those priorities into account when drawing up their work programmes and shall notify the Authority accordingly. The Authority shall discuss the relevant activities by the competent authorities in the following year and draw conclusions. The Authority shall discuss possible follow-up which may include guidelines, recommendations to competent authorities, and peer reviews, in the respective area.

The priorities of Union-wide relevance identified by the Authority shall not prevent competent authorities from applying their best practices, acting on their additional priorities and developments, and national specificities shall be considered.’;

Article 30 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 30

Peer reviews of competent authorities

• 1. 

  The Authority shall periodically conduct peer reviews of some or all of the activities of competent authorities, to further strengthen consistency and effectiveness in supervisory outcomes. To that end, the Authority shall develop methods to allow for an objective assessment and comparison between the competent authorities reviewed. When planning and conducting peer reviews, existing information and evaluations already made with regard to the competent authority concerned, including any relevant information provided to the Authority in accordance with Article 35, and any relevant information from stakeholders shall be taken into account.

• 2. 

  For the purposes of this Article, the Authority shall establish ad hoc peer review committees, which shall be composed of staff from the Authority and members of the competent authorities. The peer review committees shall be chaired by a member of the Authority’s staff. The Chairperson, after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation, shall propose the chair and the members of a peer review committee which shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors. The proposal shall be deemed to be approved unless, within 10 days of the Chairperson proposing it, the Board of Supervisors adopts a decision to reject it.

• 3. 

  The peer review shall include an assessment of, but shall not be limited to:

• 4. 

  The Authority shall produce a report setting out the results of the peer review. That peer review report shall be prepared by the peer review committee and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 44(3a). When drafting that report, the peer review committee shall consult the Management Board in order to maintain consistency with other peer review reports and to ensure a level playing field. The Management Board shall assess in particular whether the methodology has been applied in the same manner. The report shall explain and indicate the follow-up measures that are deemed appropriate, proportionate and necessary as a result of the peer review. Those follow-up measures may be adopted in the form of guidelines and recommendations pursuant to Article 16 and opinions pursuant to point (a) of Article 29(1).

In accordance with Article 16(3), the competent authorities shall make every effort to comply with any guidelines and recommendations issued.

When developing draft regulatory technical standards or draft implementing technical standards in accordance with Articles 10 to 15, or guidelines or recommendations in accordance with Article 16, the Authority shall take into account the outcome of the peer review, along with any other information acquired by the Authority in carrying out its tasks, in order to ensure convergence of the highest quality supervisory practices.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall submit an opinion to the Commission where, having regard to the outcome of the peer review or to any other information acquired by the Authority in carrying out its tasks, it considers that further harmonisation of Union rules applicable to financial institutions or competent authorities would be necessary from the Union’s perspective.

• 6. 

  The Authority shall undertake a follow-up report after two years of the publication of the peer review report. The follow-up report shall be prepared by the peer review committee and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 44(3a). When drafting that report, the peer review committee shall consult the Management Board in order to maintain consistency with other follow-up reports. The follow-up report shall include an assessment of, but shall not be limited to, the adequacy and effectiveness of the actions undertaken by the competent authorities that are subject to the peer review in response to the follow-up measures of the peer review report.

• 7. 

  The peer review committee shall, after consulting the competent authorities subject to the peer review, identify the reasoned main findings of the peer review. The Authority shall publish the reasoned main findings of the peer review and of the follow-up report referred to in paragraph 6. Where the reasoned main findings of the Authority differ from those identified by the peer review committee, the Authority shall transmit, on a confidential basis, the peer review committee’s findings to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission. Where a competent authority that is subject to the peer review is concerned that the publication of the Authority’s reasoned main findings would pose a risk to the stability of the financial system, it shall have the possibility to refer the matter to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors may decide not to publish those extracts.

• 8. 

  For the purposes of this Article, the Management Board shall make a proposal for a peer review work plan for the coming two years, which shall inter alia reflect the lessons learnt from the past peer review processes and discussions of coordination groups referred to in Article 45b. The peer review work plan shall constitute a separate part of the annual and multiannual working programme. It shall be made public. In case of urgency or unforeseen events, the Authority may decide to carry out additional peer reviews.’;

Article 31 is amended as follows:

the following Article is inserted:

‘Article 31a

Information exchange on fitness and propriety

The Authority shall, together with the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and with the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), establish a system for the exchange of information relevant to the assessment of the fitness and propriety of holders of qualifying holdings, directors and key function holders of financial institutions by competent authorities in accordance with the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).’;

Article 32 is amended as follows:

Article 33 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 33

International relations including equivalence

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to the respective competences of the Member States and the Union institutions, the Authority may develop contacts and enter into administrative arrangements with regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution authorities, international organisations and third-country administrations. Those arrangements shall not create legal obligations in respect of the Union and its Member States nor shall they prevent Member States and their competent authorities from concluding bilateral or multilateral arrangements with those third countries.

Where a third country, in accordance with a delegated act, which is in force, adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, is on the list of jurisdictions which have strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the Union, the Authority shall not conclude administrative arrangements with the regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution authorities of that third country. This shall not preclude other forms of cooperation between the Authority and the respective third-country authorities with a view to reduce threats to the financial system of the Union.

• 2. 

  The Authority shall assist the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions pertaining to regulatory and supervisory regimes in third countries following a specific request for advice from the Commission or where required to do so by the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

• 3. 

  The Authority shall monitor, with a particular focus on their implications for financial stability, market integrity, investor protection and the functioning of the internal market, relevant regulatory, supervisory and, where applicable, resolution developments, and enforcement practices and market developments in third countries, to the extent they are relevant to risk-based equivalence assessments, for which equivalence decisions have been adopted by the Commission pursuant to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

Furthermore, it shall verify whether the criteria, on the basis of which those equivalence decisions have been taken, and any conditions set out therein, are still fulfilled.

The Authority may liaise with relevant authorities in third countries. The Authority shall submit a confidential report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission and to the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) summarising the findings of its monitoring of all equivalent third countries. The report shall focus in particular on implications for financial stability, market integrity, investor protection or the functioning of the internal market.

Where the Authority identifies relevant developments in relation to the regulation, supervision or, where applicable, resolution, or the enforcement practices in the third countries referred to in this paragraph that may affect the financial stability of the Union or of one or more of its Member States, market integrity, investor protection or the functioning of the internal market, it shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on a confidential basis and without undue delay.

• 4. 

  Without prejudice to specific requirements set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) and subject to the conditions set out in the second sentence of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall cooperate where possible with the relevant competent authorities, and where applicable, also with resolution authorities, of third countries whose regulatory and supervisory regimes have been recognised as equivalent. In principle, that cooperation shall be pursued on the basis of administrative arrangements concluded with the relevant authorities of those third countries. When negotiating such administrative arrangements, the Authority shall include provisions on the following:

The Authority shall inform the Commission where a third-country competent authority refuses to conclude such administrative arrangements or when it refuses to effectively cooperate.

• 5. 

  The Authority may develop model administrative arrangements, with a view to establishing consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices within the Union and to strengthening international supervisory coordination. The competent authorities shall make every effort to follow such model arrangements.

In the report referred to in Article 43(5), the Authority shall include information on the administrative arrangements agreed upon with supervisory authorities, international organisations or administrations in third countries, the assistance provided by the Authority to the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions and the monitoring by the Authority in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.

• 6. 

  The Authority shall, within its powers pursuant to this Regulation and to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), contribute to the united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in international fora.’;

Article 34 is deleted;

Article 36 is amended as follows:

Article 37 is amended as follows:

Article 39 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 39

Decision-making procedures

• 1. 

  The Authority shall act in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 6 of this Article when adopting decisions pursuant to Articles 17, 18 and 19.

• 2. 

  The Authority shall inform any addressee of a decision of its intention to adopt the decision, in the official language of the addressee, setting a time limit within which the addressee may express its views on the subject-matter of the decision, taking full account of the urgency, complexity and potential consequences of the matter. The addressee may express its views in its official language. The provision laid down in the first sentence shall apply mutatis mutandis to recommendations as referred to in Article 17(3).

• 3. 

  The decisions of the Authority shall state the reasons on which they are based.

• 4. 

  The addressees of decisions of the Authority shall be informed of the legal remedies available under this Regulation.

• 5. 

  Where the Authority has taken a decision pursuant to Article 18(3) or 18(4), it shall review that decision at appropriate intervals.

• 6. 

  The decisions which the Authority takes pursuant to Article 17, 18 or 19 shall be made public. The publication shall disclose the identity of the competent authority or financial institution concerned and the main content of the decision, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interest of those financial institutions, or with the protection of their business secrets, or could seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system of the Union.’;

Article 40 is amended as follows:

Articles 41 and 42 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 41

Internal committees

• 1. 

  The Board of Supervisors, on its own initiative or at the request of the Chairperson, may establish internal committees for specific tasks attributed to it. Upon request from the Management Board or from the Chairperson, the Board of Supervisors may establish internal committees for specific tasks attributed to the Management Board. The Board of Supervisors may provide for the delegation of certain clearly defined tasks and decisions to internal committees, to the Management Board or to the Chairperson.

• 2. 

  For the purposes of Article 17, and without prejudice to the role of the committee referred to in Article 9a(7), the Chairperson shall propose a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation. The six other members shall not be representatives of the competent authority alleged to have breached Union law and shall not have any interest in the matter or direct links to the competent authority concerned.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 3. 

  For the purposes of Article 19, and without prejudice to the role of the committee referred to in Article 9a(7), the Chairperson shall propose a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation. The six other members shall not be representatives of the competent authorities party to the disagreement and shall not have any interest in the matter or direct links to the competent authorities concerned.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 4. 

  For the purposes of conducting the inquiry provided for in the first subparagraph of Article 22(4), the Chairperson may propose a decision to launch the inquiry and a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 5. 

  The panels referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article or the Chairperson shall propose decisions under Article 17, or Article 19, except on matters concerning the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering or of terrorist financing, for final adoption by the Board of Supervisors. A panel referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article shall present the outcome of the inquiry conducted pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 22(4) to the Board of Supervisors.

• 6. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall adopt rules of procedure for the panels referred to in this Article.

Article 42

Independence of the Board of Supervisors

• 1. 

  When carrying out the tasks conferred upon them by this Regulation, the members of the Board of Supervisors shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from Union institutions or bodies, from any government or from any other public or private body.

• 2. 

  Member States, Union institutions or bodies, and any other public or private body, shall not seek to influence the members of the Board of Supervisors in the performance of their tasks.

• 3. 

  Members of the Board of Supervisors, the Chairperson as well as non-voting representatives and observers participating in the meetings of the Board of Supervisors shall, before such meetings, accurately and completely declare the absence or existence of any interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence in relation to any items on the agenda, and shall abstain from participating in the discussion of, and voting upon, such points.

• 4. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall lay down, in its rules of procedure, the practical arrangements for the rule on declaration of interest referred to in paragraph 3 and for the prevention and the management of conflict of interest.’;

Article 43 is amended as follows:

the following Article is inserted:

‘Article 43a

Transparency of decisions adopted by the Board of Supervisors

Notwithstanding Article 70, within six weeks of each meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Authority shall, at least provide the European Parliament with a comprehensive and meaningful record of the proceedings of that meeting that enables a full understanding of the discussions, including an annotated list of decisions. Such record shall not reflect discussions within the Board of Supervisors relating to individual financial institutions, unless otherwise provided for in Article 75(3) or in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).’;

Article 44 is amended as follows:

Article 45 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 45

Composition

• 1. 

  The Management Board shall be composed of the Chairperson and six members of the Board of Supervisors, elected by and from the voting members of the Board of Supervisors.

Other than the Chairperson, each member of the Management Board shall have an alternate, who may replace him or her if he or she is prevented from attending.

• 2. 

  The term of office of the members elected by the Board of Supervisors shall be two-and-a-half years. That term may be extended once. The composition of the Management Board shall be gender balanced and proportionate and shall reflect the Union as a whole. The Management Board shall include at least two representatives of non-participating Member States. Mandates shall be overlapping and an appropriate rotating arrangement shall apply.

• 3. 

  Meetings of the Management Board shall be convened by the Chairperson at his or her own initiative or at the request of at least a third of its members, and shall be chaired by the Chairperson. The Management Board shall meet prior to every meeting of the Board of Supervisors and as often as the Management Board deems necessary. It shall meet at least five times a year.

• 4. 

  The members of the Management Board may, subject to the rules of procedure, be assisted by advisers or experts. The non-voting members, with the exception of the Executive Director, shall not attend any discussions within the Management Board relating to individual financial institutions.’;

the following Articles are inserted:

‘Article 45a

Decision-making

• 1. 

  Decisions by the Management Board shall be adopted by simple majority of its members whilst striving for consensus. Each member shall have one vote. The Chairperson shall be a voting member.

• 2. 

  The Executive Director and a representative of the Commission shall participate in meetings of the Management Board without the right to vote. The representative of the Commission shall have the right to vote on matters referred to in Article 63.

• 3. 

  The Management Board shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.

Article 45b

Coordination Groups

• 1. 

  The Management Board may set up coordination groups on its own initiative or upon the request of a competent authority on defined topics for which there may be a need to coordinate having regard to specific market developments. The Management Board shall set up coordination groups on defined topics at the request of five members of the Board of Supervisors.

• 2. 

  All competent authorities shall participate in the coordination groups and shall provide, in accordance with Article 35, to the coordination groups the information necessary in order to allow the coordination groups to conduct their coordinating tasks in accordance with their mandate. The work of the coordination groups shall be based on information provided by the competent authorities and any findings identified by the Authority.

• 3. 

  The groups shall be chaired by a member of the Management Board. Each year, the respective member of the Management Board in charge of the coordination group shall report to the Board of Supervisors on the main elements of the discussions and findings and, where relevant, make a suggestion for a regulatory follow-up or a peer review in the respective area. Competent authorities shall notify the Authority as to how they have taken into account the work of coordination groups in their activities.

• 4. 

  When monitoring market developments that may be the focus of coordination groups, the Authority may request competent authorities in accordance with Article 35 to provide information necessary to allow the Authority to perform its monitoring role.’;

Article 46 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 46

Independence of the Management Board

The members of the Management Board shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Union institutions or bodies, from any government or from any other public or private body.

Member States, Union institutions or bodies and any other public or private body shall not seek to influence the members of the Management Board in the performance of their tasks.’;

Article 47 is amended as follows:

Article 48 is amended as follows:

Article 49 is amended as follows:

Article 49a is replaced by the following:

‘Article 49a

Expenses

The Chairperson shall make public all meetings held with external stakeholders within a period of two weeks following the meeting and any hospitality received. Expenses shall be recorded publicly in accordance with the Staff Regulations.’;

Article 50 is deleted;

Article 54 is amended as follows:

Article 55 is amended as follows:

Articles 56 and 57 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 56

Joint positions and common acts

Within the scope of its tasks set out in Chapter II of this Regulation, and in particular with respect to the implementation of Directive 2002/87/EC, where relevant, the Authority shall reach joint positions by consensus with, as appropriate, the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) and with the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority).

Where required by Union law, measures pursuant to Articles 10 to 16, and decisions pursuant to Articles 17, 18 and 19, of this Regulation in relation to the application of Directive 2002/87/EC and of any other legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) of this Regulation that also fall within the area of competence of the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority) or the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) shall be adopted, in parallel, by, as appropriate, the Authority, the European Supervisory Authority (European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority), and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority).

Article 57

Sub-Committees

• 1. 

  The Joint Committee may establish sub-committees for the purpose of preparing draft joint positions and common acts for the Joint Committee.

• 2. 

  Each sub-committee shall be composed of the individuals referred to in Article 55(1), and one high-level representative from the current staff of the relevant competent authority from each Member State.

• 3. 

  Each sub-committee shall elect a chairperson from among the representatives of the relevant competent authorities, who shall also be an observer in the Joint Committee.

• 4. 

  For the purposes of Article 56, a sub-committee on financial conglomerates to the Joint Committee shall be established.

• 5. 

  The Joint Committee shall make public on its website all established sub-committees including their mandates and a list of their members with their respective functions in the sub-committee.’;

Article 58 is amended as follows:

in Article 59, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   Members of the Board of Appeal, and staff of the Authority providing operational and secretariat support, shall not take part in any appeal proceedings in which they have any personal interest, if they have previously been involved as representatives of one of the parties to the proceedings, or if they have participated in the decision under appeal.’;

in Article 60, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   The appeal, together with a statement of grounds, shall be filed in writing at the Authority within three months of the date of notification of the decision to the person concerned, or, in the absence of a notification, of the day on which the Authority published its decision.

The Board of Appeal shall decide upon the appeal within three months after the appeal has been lodged.’;

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 60a

Exceeding of competence by the Authority

Any natural or legal person may send reasoned advice to the Commission if that person is of the opinion that the Authority has exceeded its competence, including by failing to respect the principle of proportionality referred to in Article 1(5), when acting under Articles 16 and 16b, and that is of direct and individual concern to that person.’;

in Article 62, paragraph 1 is amended as follows:

Articles 63, 64 and 65 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 63

Establishment of the budget

• 1. 

  Each year, the Executive Director shall draw up a provisional draft single programming document of the Authority for the three following financial years setting out the estimated revenue and expenditure, as well as information on staff, from its annual and multi-annual programming and shall forward it to the Management Board and the Board of Supervisors, together with the establishment plan.

• 2. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall, on the basis of the draft which has been approved by the Management Board, adopt the draft single programming document for the three following financial years.

• 3. 

  The single programming document shall be transmitted by the Management Board to the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council and to the European Court of Auditors by 31 January.

• 4. 

  Taking account of the single programming document, the Commission shall enter in the draft budget of the Union the estimates it deems necessary in respect of the establishment plan and the amount of the balancing contribution to be charged to the general budget of the Union in accordance with Articles 313 and 314 TFEU.

• 5. 

  The European Parliament and the Council shall adopt the establishment plan for the Authority. The European Parliament and the Council shall authorise the appropriations for the balancing contribution to the Authority.

• 6. 

  The budget of the Authority shall be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. It shall become final after the final adoption of the general budget of the Union. Where necessary, it shall be adjusted accordingly.

• 7. 

  The Management Board shall, without undue delay, notify the European Parliament and the Council of its intention to implement any project which may have significant financial implications for the funding of its budget, in particular any project relating to property, such as the rental or purchase of buildings.

• 8. 

  Without prejudice to Articles 266 and 267 of the Financial Regulation, authorisation from the European Parliament and the Council shall be required for any project which may have significant financial or long-term implications for the funding of the Authority’s budget, in particular any project relating to property, such as the rental or purchase of buildings, including break clauses.

Article 64

Implementation and control of the budget

• 1. 

  The Executive Director shall act as authorising officer and shall implement the Authority’s annual budget.

• 2. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall send the provisional accounts to the Commission’s accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors by 1 March of the following year. Article 70 shall not preclude the Authority from providing to the Court of Auditors any information requested by the Court of Auditors that is within its competence.

• 3. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall send, by 1 March of the following year, the required accounting information for consolidation purposes to the accounting officer of the Commission, in the manner and format laid down by that accounting officer.

• 4. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall also send, by 31 March of the following year, the report on budgetary and financial management to the members of the Board of Supervisors, to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Court of Auditors.

• 5. 

  After receiving the observations of the Court of Auditors on the provisional accounts of the Authority in accordance with Article 246 of the Financial Regulation, the Authority’s accounting officer shall draw up the Authority’s final accounts. The Executive Director shall send them to the Board of Supervisors, which shall deliver an opinion on those accounts.

• 6. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall, by 1 July of the following year, send the final accounts, accompanied by the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, to the accounting officer of the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the Court of Auditors.

The Authority’s accounting officer shall also send, by 15 June each year, a reporting package to the Commission’s accounting officer, in a standardised format as laid down by the Commission’s accounting officer for consolidation purposes.

• 7. 

  The final accounts shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by 15 November of the following year.

• 8. 

  The Executive Director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to the latter’s observations by 30 September and shall also send a copy of that reply to the Management Board and to the Commission.

• 9. 

  The Executive Director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter’s request and as provided for in Article 261(3) of the Financial Regulation, any information necessary for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for the financial year in question.

• 10. 

  The European Parliament, following a recommendation from the Council acting by qualified majority, shall, before 15 May of the year N + 2, grant a discharge to the Authority for the implementation of the budget for the financial year N.

• 11. 

  The Authority shall provide a reasoned opinion on the position of the European Parliament and on any other observations made by the European Parliament provided in the discharge procedure.

Article 65

Financial rules

The financial rules applicable to the Authority shall be adopted by the Management Board after consulting the Commission. Those rules may not depart from Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 (*23) unless the specific operational needs for the functioning of the Authority so require and only with the prior agreement of the Commission.

(*23)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18 December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 122, 10.5.2019, p. 1).’;"

in Article 66, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   For the purposes of combating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*24) shall apply to the Authority without any restriction.

(*24)  Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1).’;"

Article 70 is amended as follows:

Article 71 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 71

Data protection

This Regulation shall be without prejudice to the obligations of Member States relating to their processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or the obligations of the Authority relating to its processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*26) when fulfilling its responsibilities.

(*26)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).’;"

in Article 72, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   The Management Board shall adopt practical measures for applying Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.’;

in Article 74, the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘The necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for the Authority in the Member State where its seat is located and the facilities to be made available by that Member State, as well as the specific rules applicable in that Member State to the staff of the Authority and members of their families, shall be laid down in a Headquarters Agreement between the Authority and that Member State which they concluded after obtaining the approval of the Management Board.’;

Article 76 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 76

Relationship with the Committee of European Banking Supervisors

The Authority shall be considered the legal successor of Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS). By the date of establishment of the Authority, all assets and liabilities and all pending operations of CEBS shall be automatically transferred to the Authority. CEBS shall establish a statement showing its closing asset and liability situation as of the date of that transfer. That statement shall be audited and approved by CEBS and by the Commission.’;

Article 81 is amended as follows:

Article 1 is amended as follows:

Article 2 is amended as follows:

Article 3 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 3

Accountability of the Authorities

• 1. 

  The Authorities referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 2(2) shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council.

• 2. 

  In accordance with Article 226 TFEU, the Authority shall fully cooperate with the European Parliament during any investigation carried out under that Article.

• 3. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall adopt an annual report on the activities of the Authority, including on the performance of the Chairperson’s duties, and shall, by 15 June each year, transmit that report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission, to the Court of Auditors and to the European Economic and Social Committee. The report shall be made public.

• 4. 

  At the request of the European Parliament, the Chairperson shall participate in a hearing before the European Parliament on the performance of the Authority. A hearing shall take place at least annually. The Chairperson shall make a statement before the European Parliament and answer any questions from its members, whenever so requested.

• 5. 

  The Chairperson shall report in writing on the activities of the Authority to the European Parliament when requested and at least 15 days before making the statement referred to in paragraph 4.

• 6. 

  In addition to the information referred to in Articles 11 to 18 and Articles 20 and 33, the report shall also include any relevant information requested by the European Parliament on an ad hoc basis.

• 7. 

  The Authority shall reply orally or in writing to any question addressed to it by the European Parliament or by the Council within five weeks of its receipt.

• 8. 

  Upon request, the Chairperson shall hold confidential oral discussions behind closed doors with the Chair, Vice-Chairs and Coordinators of the competent committee of the European Parliament. All participants shall respect the requirements of professional secrecy.

• 9. 

  Without prejudice to its confidentiality obligations stemming from participation in international fora, the Authority shall inform the European Parliament upon request about its contribution to a united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in such international fora.’;

in Article 4, point (2), point (ii) is replaced by the following:

In Article 7 the following paragraph is added:

‘The location of the seat of the Authority shall not affect the Authority’s execution of its tasks and powers, the organisation of its governance structure, the operation of its main organisation, or the main financing of its activities, while allowing, where applicable, for the sharing with Union agencies of administrative support services and facility management services which are not related to the core activities of the Authority.’;

Article 8 is amended as follows:

Article 9 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 9a

No action letters

• 1. 

  The Authority shall take the measures referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article only in exceptional circumstances when it considers that the application of one of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or of any delegated or implementing acts based on those legislative acts, is liable to raise significant issues, for one of the following reasons:

• 2. 

  In the cases referred to in paragraph 1, the Authority shall send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist.

In the cases referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 1, the Authority shall provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency that, in the Authority’s judgment, is attached to the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.

In the case referred to in point (c) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall evaluate as soon as possible the need to adopt relevant guidelines or recommendations in accordance with Article 16.

The Authority shall act expeditiously, in particular with a view to contributing to the prevention of the issues referred to in paragraph 1, whenever possible.

• 3. 

  Where necessary in the cases referred to in paragraph 1, and pending the adoption and application of new measures following the steps referred to in paragraph 2, the Authority shall issue opinions regarding specific provisions of the acts referred to in paragraph 1 with a view to furthering consistent, efficient and effective supervisory and enforcement practices, and the common, uniform and consistent application of Union law.

• 4. 

  Where, on the basis of information received, in particular from competent authorities, the Authority considers that any of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or any delegated or implementing act based on those legislative acts, raises significant exceptional issues pertaining to market confidence, consumer, customer or investor protection, the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or commodity markets, or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, it shall without undue delay send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist. The Authority may provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency of the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.’;

Article 10 is amended as follows:

in Article 13(1), the second subparagraph is deleted;

Article 15 is amended as follows:

Article 16 is amended as follows:

the following articles are inserted:

‘Article 16a

Opinions

• 1. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission, or on its own initiative, provide opinions to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission on all issues related to its area of competence.

• 2. 

  The request referred to in paragraph 1 may include a public consultation or a technical analysis.

• 3. 

  With regard to the prudential assessment of mergers and acquisitions falling within the scope of Directive 2009/138/EC and which, according to that Directive, require consultation between competent authorities from two or more Member States, the Authority may, at the request of one of the competent authorities concerned, issue and publish an opinion on a prudential assessment, except in relation to the criteria set out in point (e) of Article 59(1) of Directive 2009/138/EC. The opinion shall be issued promptly and, in any event, before the end of the assessment period in accordance with Directive 2009/138/EC.

• 4. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission provide technical advice to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission in the areas set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 16b

Questions and answers

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to paragraph 5 of this Article, questions relating to the practical application or implementation of the provisions of legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), associated delegated and implementing acts, and guidelines and recommendations, adopted pursuant to those legislative acts, may be submitted by any natural or legal person, including competent authorities and Union institutions and bodies, to the Authority in any official language of the Union.

Before submitting a question to the Authority, financial institutions shall consider whether to address the question in the first place to their competent authority.

Before publishing answers to admissible questions, the Authority may seek further clarification on questions asked by the natural or legal person referred to in this paragraph.

• 2. 

  Answers by the Authority to questions as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be non-binding. Answers shall be made available at least in the language in which the question was submitted.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall establish and maintain a web-based tool available on its website for the submission of questions and the timely publication of all questions received as well as all answers to all admissible questions pursuant to paragraph 1, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interest of those persons or would involve risks to the stability of the financial system. The Authority may reject questions it does not intend to answer. Rejected questions shall be published by the Authority on its website for a period of two months.

• 4. 

  Three voting members of the Board of Supervisors may request the Board of Supervisors to decide pursuant to Article 44 whether to address the issue of the admissible question referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article in guidelines pursuant to Article 16, to request advice from the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, to review questions and answers at appropriate intervals, to conduct open public consultations or to analyse potential related costs and benefits. Such consultations and analyses shall be proportionate in relation to the scope, nature and impact of the draft questions and answers concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. When involving the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, a duty of confidentiality shall apply.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall forward questions that require the interpretation of Union law to the Commission. The Authority shall publish any answers provided by the Commission.’;

Article 17 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 17a

Protection of reporting persons

• 1. 

  The Authority shall have in place dedicated reporting channels for receiving and handling information provided by a natural or legal person reporting on actual or potential breaches, abuse of law, or non-application of Union law.

• 2. 

  The natural or legal persons reporting through those channels shall be protected against retaliation in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*32), where applicable.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall ensure that all information may be submitted anonymously or confidentially, and safely. Where the Authority deems that the submitted information contains evidence or significant indications of a material breach, it shall provide feedback to the reporting person.

(*32)  Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17).’;"

in Article 18, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3.   Where the Council has adopted a decision pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article and, in exceptional circumstances, where coordinated action by competent authorities is necessary to respond to adverse developments which may seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, or customer and consumer protection, the Authority may adopt individual decisions requiring competent authorities to take the necessary action in accordance with the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) to address any such developments by ensuring that financial institutions and competent authorities satisfy the requirements laid down in those legislative acts.’;

Article 19 is amended as follows:

Article 21 is amended as follows:

Article 22 is amended as follows:

in Article 23, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   The Authority shall, in consultation with the ESRB, develop criteria for the identification and measurement of systemic risk and an adequate stress-testing regime which includes an evaluation of the potential for systemic risk posed by, or to, financial market participants to increase in situations of stress, including potential environmental-related systemic risk. The financial market participants that may pose a systemic risk shall be subject to strengthened supervision, and where necessary, the recovery and resolution procedures referred to in Article 25.’;

Article 29 is amended as follows:

the following Article is inserted:

‘Article 29a

Union strategic supervisory priorities

Following a discussion in the Board of Supervisors and taking into account contributions received from competent authorities, existing work by the Union institutions, and analysis, warnings and recommendations published by the ESRB, the Authority shall, at least every three years, by 31 March, identify up to two priorities of Union-wide relevance which shall reflect future developments and trends. Competent authorities shall take those priorities into account when drawing up their work programmes and shall notify the Authority accordingly. The Authority shall discuss the relevant activities by the competent authorities in the following year and draw conclusions. The Authority shall discuss possible follow up which may include guidelines, recommendations to competent authorities, and peer reviews, in the respective area.

The priorities of Union-wide relevance identified by the Authority shall not prevent competent authorities from applying their best practices, acting on their additional priorities and developments, and national specificities shall be considered.’;

Article 30 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 30

Peer reviews of competent authorities

• 1. 

  The Authority shall periodically conduct peer reviews of some or all of the activities of competent authorities, to further strengthen consistency and effectiveness in supervisory outcomes. To that end, the Authority shall develop methods to allow for an objective assessment and comparison between the competent authorities reviewed. When planning and conducting peer reviews, existing information and evaluations already made with regard to the competent authority concerned, including any relevant information provided to the Authority in accordance with Article 35, and any relevant information from stakeholders shall be taken into account.

• 2. 

  For the purposes of this Article, the Authority shall establish ad hoc peer review committees, which shall be composed of staff from the Authority and members of the competent authorities. The peer review committees shall be chaired by a member of the Authority’s staff. The Chairperson, after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation, shall propose the chair and the members of a peer review committee which shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors. The proposal shall be deemed to be approved unless, within 10 days of the Chairperson proposing it, the Board of Supervisors adopts a decision to reject it.

• 3. 

  The peer review shall include an assessment of, but shall not be limited to:

• 4. 

  The Authority shall produce a report setting out the results of the peer review. That peer review report shall be prepared by the peer review committee and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 44(4). When drafting that report, the peer review committee shall consult the Management Board in order to maintain consistency with other peer review reports and to ensure a level playing field. The Management Board shall assess in particular whether the methodology has been applied in the same manner. The report shall explain and indicate the follow-up measures that are deemed appropriate, proportionate and necessary as a result of the peer review. Those follow-up measures may be adopted in the form of guidelines and recommendations pursuant to Article 16 and opinions pursuant to point (a) of Article 29(1).

In accordance with Article 16(3), the competent authorities shall make every effort to comply with any guidelines and recommendations issued.

When developing draft regulatory technical standards or draft implementing technical standards in accordance with Articles 10 to 15, or guidelines or recommendations in accordance with Article 16, the Authority shall take into account the outcome of the peer review, along with any other information acquired by the Authority in carrying out its tasks, in order to ensure convergence of the highest quality supervisory practices.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall submit an opinion to the Commission where, having regard to the outcome of the peer review or to any other information acquired by the Authority in carrying out its tasks, it considers that further harmonisation of Union rules applicable to financial institutions or competent authorities would be necessary from the Union’s perspective.

• 6. 

  The Authority shall undertake a follow-up report after two years of the publication of the peer review report. The follow-up report shall be prepared by the peer review committee and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with Article 44(4). When drafting that report, the peer review committee shall consult the Management Board in order to maintain consistency with other follow up reports. The follow-up report shall include an assessment of, but shall not be limited to, the adequacy and effectiveness of the actions undertaken by the competent authorities that are subject to the peer review in response to the follow up measures of the peer review report.

• 7. 

  The peer review committee shall, after consulting the competent authorities subject to the peer review, identify the reasoned main findings of the peer review. The Authority shall publish the reasoned main findings of the peer review and of the follow-up report referred to in paragraph 6. Where the reasoned main findings of the Authority differ from those identified by the peer review committee, the Authority shall transmit, on a confidential basis, the peer review committee’s findings to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission. Where a competent authority that is subject to the peer review is concerned that the publication of the Authority’s reasoned main findings would pose a risk to the stability of the financial system, it shall have the possibility to refer the matter to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors may decide not to publish those extracts.

• 8. 

  For the purposes of this Article, the Management Board shall make a proposal for a peer review work plan for the coming two years, which shall inter alia reflect the lessons learnt from the past peer review processes and discussions of coordination groups referred to in Article 45b. The peer review work plan shall constitute a separate part of the annual and multiannual working programme. It shall be made public. In case of urgency or unforeseen events, the Authority may decide to carry out additional peer reviews.’;

Article 31 is amended as follows:

the following Article is inserted:

‘Article 31a

Information exchange on fitness and propriety

The Authority shall, together with the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and with the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority), establish a system for the exchange of information relevant to the assessment of the fitness and propriety of holders of qualifying holdings, directors and key function holders of financial institutions by competent authorities in accordance with the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).’;

Article 32 is amended as follows:

Article 33 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 33

International relations including equivalence

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to the respective competences of the Member States and the Union institutions, the Authority may develop contacts and enter into administrative arrangements with regulatory and supervisory authorities, international organisations and third-country administrations. Those arrangements shall not create legal obligations in respect of the Union and its Member States nor shall they prevent Member States and their competent authorities from concluding bilateral or multilateral arrangements with those third countries.

Where a third country, in accordance with a delegated act, which is in force, adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, is on the list of jurisdictions which have strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and in countering the financing of terrorism regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the Union, the Authority shall not conclude administrative arrangements with the regulatory and supervisory authorities of that third country. This shall not preclude other forms of cooperation between the Authority and the respective third-country authorities with a view to reducing threats to the financial system of the Union.

• 2. 

  The Authority shall assist the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions pertaining to regulatory and supervisory regimes in third countries following a specific request for advice from the Commission or where required to do so by the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

• 3. 

  The Authority shall monitor, with a particular focus on their implications for financial stability, market integrity, policy holder protection and the functioning of the internal market, relevant regulatory and supervisory developments and enforcement practices and market developments in third countries, to the extent they are relevant to risk-based equivalence assessments, for which equivalence decisions have been adopted by the Commission pursuant to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

Furthermore, it shall verify whether the criteria on the basis of which those equivalence decisions have been taken, and any conditions set out therein are still fulfilled.

The Authority may liaise with relevant authorities in third countries. The Authority shall submit a confidential report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission and to the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and to the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) summarising the findings of its monitoring of all equivalent third countries. The report shall focus in particular on implications for financial stability, market integrity, policy holder protection or the functioning of the internal market.

Where the Authority identifies relevant developments in relation to the regulation and supervision or the enforcement practices in the third countries referred to in this paragraph that may affect the financial stability of the Union or of one or more of its Member States, market integrity, policy holder protection or the functioning of the internal market, it shall inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on a confidential basis and without undue delay.

• 4. 

  Without prejudice to specific requirements set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) and subject to the conditions set out in the second sentence of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall cooperate where possible with the relevant competent authorities of third countries whose regulatory and supervisory regimes have been recognised as equivalent. In principle, that cooperation shall be pursued on the basis of administrative arrangements concluded with the relevant authorities of those third countries. When negotiating such administrative arrangements, the Authority shall include provisions on the following:

The Authority shall inform the Commission, where a third-country competent authority refuses to conclude such administrative arrangements or when it refuses to effectively cooperate.

• 5. 

  The Authority may develop model administrative arrangements, with a view to establishing consistent, efficient and effective supervisory practices within the Union and to strengthening international supervisory coordination. The competent authorities shall make every effort to follow such model arrangements.

In the report referred to in Article 43(5), the Authority shall include information on the administrative arrangements agreed upon with supervisory authorities, international organisations or administrations in third countries, the assistance provided by the Authority to the Commission in preparing equivalence decisions and the monitoring by the Authority in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article.

• 6. 

  The Authority shall, within its powers pursuant to this Regulation and to the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), contribute to the united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in international fora.’;

Article 34 is deleted;

Article 36 is amended as follows:

Article 37 is amended as follows:

Article 39 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 39

Decision-making procedures

• 1. 

  The Authority shall act in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 6 of this Article when adopting decisions pursuant to Articles 17, 18 and 19.

• 2. 

  The Authority shall inform any addressee of a decision of its intention to adopt the decision, in the official language of the addressee, setting a time limit within which the addressee may express its views on the subject-matter of the decision, taking full account of the urgency, complexity and potential consequences of the matter. The addressee may express its views in its official language. The provision laid down in the first sentence shall apply mutatis mutandis to recommendations as referred to in Article 17(3).

• 3. 

  The decisions of the Authority shall state the reasons on which they are based.

• 4. 

  The addressees of decisions of the Authority shall be informed of the legal remedies available under this Regulation.

• 5. 

  Where the Authority has taken a decision pursuant to Article 18(3) or 18(4), it shall review that decision at appropriate intervals.

• 6. 

  The decisions which the Authority takes pursuant to Article 17, 18 or 19 shall be made public. The publication shall disclose the identity of the competent authority or financial institution concerned and the main content of the decision, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interest of those financial institutions, or with the protection of their business secrets, or could seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system of the Union.’;

Article 40 is amended as follows

Articles 41 and 42 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 41

Internal committees

• 1. 

  The Board of Supervisors, on its own initiative or at the request of the Chairperson, may establish internal committees for specific tasks attributed to it. Upon request from the Management Board or from the Chairperson, the Board of Supervisors may establish internal committees for specific tasks attributed to the Management Board. The Board of Supervisors may provide for the delegation of certain clearly defined tasks and decisions to internal committees, to the Management Board or to the Chairperson.

• 2. 

  For the purposes of Article 17, the Chairperson shall propose a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation. The six other members shall not be representatives of the competent authority alleged to have breached Union law and shall not have any interest in the matter or direct links to the competent authority concerned.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 3. 

  For the purposes of Article 19, the Chairperson shall propose a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation. The six other members shall not be representatives of the competent authorities party to the disagreement and shall not have any interest in the conflict or direct links to the competent authorities concerned.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 4. 

  For the purposes of conducting the inquiry provided for in the first subparagraph of Article 22(4), the Chairperson may propose a decision to launch the inquiry and a decision to convene an independent panel, to be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The independent panel shall consist of the Chairperson and six other members, to be proposed by the Chairperson after consulting the Management Board and following an open call for participation.

Each member of the panel shall have one vote.

Decisions of the panel shall be taken where at least four members vote in favour.

• 5. 

  The panels referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article or the Chairperson shall propose decisions under Article 17, or Article 19, for final adoption by the Board of Supervisors. A panel referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article shall present the outcome of the inquiry conducted pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 22(4) to the Board of Supervisors.

• 6. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall adopt rules of procedure for the panels referred to in this Article.

Article 42

Independence of the Board of Supervisors

• 1. 

  When carrying out the tasks conferred upon them by this Regulation, the members of the Board of Supervisors shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from Union institutions or bodies, from any government or from any other public or private body.

• 2. 

  Member States, Union institutions or bodies, and any other public or private body, shall not seek to influence the members of the Board of Supervisors in the performance of their tasks.

• 3. 

  Members of the Board of Supervisors, the Chairperson as well as non-voting representatives and observers participating in the meetings of the Board of Supervisors shall, before such meetings, accurately and completely declare the absence or existence of any interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence in relation to any items on the agenda, and shall abstain from participating in the discussion of, and voting upon, such points.

• 4. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall lay down, in its rules of procedure, the practical arrangements for the rule on declaration of interest referred to in paragraph 3 and for the prevention and the management of conflict of interest.’;

Article 43 is amended as follows:

the following Article is inserted:

‘Article 43a

Transparency of decisions adopted by the Board of Supervisors

Notwithstanding Article 70, within six weeks of each meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Authority shall, at least, provide the European Parliament with a comprehensive and meaningful record of the proceedings of that meeting that enables a full understanding of the discussions, including an annotated list of decisions. Such record shall not reflect discussions within the Board of Supervisors relating to individual financial institutions, unless otherwise provided for in Article 75(3) or in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).’;

Article 44 is amended as follows:

Article 45 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 45

Composition

• 1. 

  The Management Board shall be composed of the Chairperson and six members of the Board of Supervisors, elected by and from the voting members of the Board of Supervisors.

Other than the Chairperson, each member of the Management Board shall have an alternate who may replace him if he is prevented from attending.

• 2. 

  The term of office of the members elected by the Board of Supervisors shall be two-and-a-half years. That term may be extended once. The composition of the Management Board shall be gender balanced and proportionate and shall reflect the Union as a whole. Mandates shall be overlapping and an appropriate rotating arrangement shall apply.

• 3. 

  Meetings of the Management Board shall be convened by the Chairperson at his or her own initiative or at the request of at least a third of its members, and shall be chaired by the Chairperson. The Management Board shall meet prior to every meeting of the Board of Supervisors and as often as the Management Board deems necessary. It shall meet at least five times a year.

• 4. 

  The members of the Management Board may, subject to the rules of procedure, be assisted by advisers or experts. The non-voting members, with the exception of the Executive Director, shall not attend any discussions within the Management Board relating to individual financial institutions.’;

the following Articles are inserted:

‘Article 45a

Decision-making

• 1. 

  Decisions by the Management Board shall be adopted by simple majority of its members whilst striving for consensus. Each member shall have one vote. The Chairperson shall be a voting member.

• 2. 

  The Executive Director and a representative of the Commission shall participate in meetings of the Management Board without the right to vote. The representative of the Commission shall have the right to vote on matters referred to in Article 63.

• 3. 

  The Management Board shall adopt and make public its rules of procedure.

Article 45b

Coordination Groups

• 1. 

  The Management Board may set up coordination groups on its own initiative or upon the request of a competent authority on defined topics for which there may be a need to coordinate having regard to specific market developments. The Management Board shall set up coordination groups on defined topics at the request of five members of the Board of Supervisors.

• 2. 

  All competent authorities shall participate in the coordination groups and shall provide, in accordance with Article 35, to the coordination groups the information necessary in order to allow the coordination groups to conduct their coordinating tasks in accordance with their mandate. The work of the coordination groups shall be based on information provided by the competent authorities and any findings identified by the Authority.

• 3. 

  The groups shall be chaired by a member of the Management Board. Each year, the respective member of the Management Board in charge of the coordination group shall report to the Board of Supervisors on the main elements of the discussions and findings and, where relevant, make a suggestion for a regulatory follow-up or a peer review in the respective area. Competent authorities shall notify the Authority as to how they have taken into account the work of coordination groups in their activities.

• 4. 

  When monitoring market developments that may be the focus of coordination groups, the Authority may request competent authorities in accordance with Article 35 to provide information necessary to allow the Authority to perform its monitoring role.’;

Article 46 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 46

Independence of the Management Board

The members of the Management Board shall act independently and objectively in the sole interest of the Union as a whole and shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Union institutions or bodies, from any government or from any other public or private body.

Member States, Union institutions or bodies and any other public or private body shall not seek to influence the members of the Management Board in the performance of their tasks.’;

Article 47 is amended as follows:

Article 48 is amended as follows:

Article 49 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 49a

Expenses

The Chairperson shall make public all meetings held with external stakeholders within a period of two weeks following the meeting and any hospitality received. Expenses shall be recorded publicly in accordance with the Staff Regulations.’;

Article 50 is deleted;

Article 54 is amended as follows:

Article 55 is amended as follows:

Articles 56 and 57 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 56

Joint positions and common acts

Within the scope of its tasks set out in Chapter II of this Regulation, and in particular with respect to the implementation of Directive 2002/87/EC, where relevant, the Authority shall reach joint positions by consensus with, as appropriate, the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and with the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority).

Where required by Union law, measures pursuant to Articles 10 to 16, and decisions pursuant to Articles 17, 18 and 19, of this Regulation in relation to the application of Directive 2002/87/EC and of any other legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) of this Regulation that also fall within the area of competence of the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) or the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority) shall be adopted, in parallel, by, as appropriate, the Authority, the European Supervisory Authority (European Banking Authority) and the European Supervisory Authority (European Securities and Markets Authority).

Article 57

Sub-Committees

• 1. 

  The Joint Committee may establish sub-committees for the purposes of preparing draft joint positions and common acts for the Joint Committee.

• 2. 

  Each sub-committee shall be composed of the individuals referred to in Article 55(1), and one high-level representative from the current staff of the relevant competent authority from each Member State.

• 3. 

  Each sub-Committee shall elect a chairperson from among the representatives of the relevant competent authorities, who shall also be an observer in the Joint Committee.

• 4. 

  For the purposes of Article 56, a sub-committee on financial conglomerates to the Joint Committee shall be established.

• 5. 

  The Joint Committee shall make public on its website all established Sub-Committees including their mandates and a list of their members with their respective functions in the sub-committee.’;

Article 58 is amended as follows:

in Article 59, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   Members of the Board of Appeal, and staff of the Authority providing operational and secretariat support, shall not take part in any appeal proceedings in which they have any personal interest, if they have previously been involved as representatives of one of the parties to the proceedings, or if they have participated in the decision under appeal.’;

in Article 60, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   The appeal, together with a statement of grounds, shall be filed in writing at the Authority within three months of the date of notification of the decision to the person concerned, or, in the absence of a notification, of the day on which the Authority published its decision.

The Board of Appeal shall decide upon the appeal within three months after the appeal has been lodged.’;

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 60a

Exceeding of competence by the Authority

Any natural or legal person may send reasoned advice to the Commission if that person is of the opinion that the Authority has exceeded its competence, including by failing to respect the principle of proportionality referred to in Article 1(5), when acting under Articles 16 and 16b, and that is of direct and individual concern to that person.’;

in Article 62, paragraph 1 is amended as follows:

Articles 63, 64 and 65 are replaced by the following:

‘Article 63

Establishment of the budget

• 1. 

  Each year, the Executive Director shall draw up a provisional draft single programming document of the Authority for the three following financial years setting out the estimated revenue and expenditure, as well as information on staff, from its annual and multi-annual programming and shall forward it to the Management Board and the Board of Supervisors, together with the establishment plan.

• 2. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall, on the basis of the draft which has been approved by the Management Board, adopt the draft single programming document for the three following financial years.

• 3. 

  The single programming document shall be transmitted by the Management Board to the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council and to the European Court of Auditors by 31 January.

• 4. 

  Taking account of the single programming document, the Commission shall enter in the draft budget of the Union the estimates it deems necessary in respect of the establishment plan and the amount of the balancing contribution to be charged to the general budget of the Union in accordance with Articles 313 and 314 TFEU.

• 5. 

  The European Parliament and the Council shall adopt the establishment plan for the Authority. The European Parliament and the Council shall authorise the appropriations for the balancing contribution to the Authority.

• 6. 

  The budget of the Authority shall be adopted by the Board of Supervisors. It shall become final after the final adoption of the general budget of the Union. Where necessary, it shall be adjusted accordingly.

• 7. 

  The Management Board shall, without undue delay, notify the European Parliament and the Council of its intention to implement any project which may have significant financial implications for the funding of its budget, in particular any project relating to property, such as the rental or purchase of buildings.

• 8. 

  Without prejudice to Articles 266 and 267 of the Financial Regulation, authorisation from the European Parliament and the Council shall be required for any project which may have significant financial or long- term implications for the funding of the Authority’s budget, in particular any project relating to property, such as the rental or purchase of buildings, including break clauses.

Article 64

Implementation and control of the budget

• 1. 

  The Executive Director shall act as authorising officer and shall implement the Authority’s annual budget.

• 2. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall send the provisional accounts to the Commission’s accounting officer and to the Court of Auditors by 1 March of the following year. Article 70 shall not preclude the Authority from providing to the Court of Auditors any information requested by the Court of Auditors that is within its competence.

• 3. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall send, by 1 March of the following year, the required accounting information for consolidation purposes to the accounting officer of the Commission, in the manner and format laid down by that accounting officer.

• 4. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall also send, by 31 March of the following year, the report on budgetary and financial management to the members of the Board of Supervisors, to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Court of Auditors.

• 5. 

  After receiving the observations of the Court of Auditors on the provisional accounts of the Authority in accordance with Article 246 of the Financial Regulation, the Authority’s accounting officer shall draw up the Authority’s final accounts. The Executive Director shall send them to the Board of Supervisors, which shall deliver an opinion on those accounts.

• 6. 

  The Authority’s accounting officer shall, by 1 July of the following year, send the final accounts, accompanied by the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, to the accounting officer of the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the Court of Auditors.

The Authority’s accounting officer shall also send, by 15 June each year, a reporting package to the Commission’s accounting officer, in a standardised format as laid down by the Commission’s accounting officer for consolidation purposes.

• 7. 

  The final accounts shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by 15 November of the following year.

• 8. 

  The Executive Director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to the latter’s observations by 30 September and shall also send a copy of that reply to the Management Board and to the Commission.

• 9. 

  The Executive Director shall submit to the European Parliament, at the latter’s request and as provided for in Article 261(3) of the Financial Regulation, any information necessary for the smooth application of the discharge procedure for the financial year in question.

• 10. 

  The European Parliament, following a recommendation from the Council acting by qualified majority, shall, before 15 May of the year N + 2, grant a discharge to the Authority for the implementation of the budget for the financial year N.

• 11. 

  The Authority shall provide a reasoned opinion on the position of the European Parliament and on any other observations made by the European Parliament provided in the discharge procedure.

Article 65

Financial rules

The financial rules applicable to the Authority shall be adopted by the Management Board after consulting the Commission. Those rules may not depart from Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 (*35) unless the specific operational needs for the functioning of the Authority so require and only with the prior agreement of the Commission.

(*35)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/715 of 18 December 2018 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies set up under the TFEU and Euratom Treaty and referred to in Article 70 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 122, 10.5.2019, p. 1).’;"

in Article 66, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

‘1.   For the purposes of combating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity, Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*36) shall apply to the Authority without any restriction.

(*36)  Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1).’;"

Article 70 is amended as follows:

Article 71 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 71

Data protection

This Regulation shall be without prejudice to the obligations of Member States relating to their processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or the obligations of the Authority relating to its processing of personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*38) when fulfilling its responsibilities.

(*38)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).’;"

in Article 72, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

‘2.   The Management Board shall adopt practical measures for applying Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001.’;

in Article 74, the first paragraph is replaced by the following:

‘The necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for the Authority in the Member State where its seat is located and the facilities to be made available by that Member State, as well as the specific rules applicable in that Member State to the staff of the Authority and members of their families, shall be laid down in a Headquarters Agreement between the Authority and that Member State which they concluded after obtaining the approval of the Management Board.’;

Article 76 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 76

Relationship with the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors

The Authority shall be considered the legal successor of the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS). By the date of establishment of the Authority, all assets and liabilities and all pending operations of CEIOPS shall be automatically transferred to the Authority. CEIOPS shall establish a statement showing its closing asset and liability situation as of the date of that transfer. That statement shall be audited and approved by CEIOPS and by the Commission.’;

Article 81 is amended as follows:

Article 1 is amended as follows:

Article 2 is amended as follows:

Article 3 is replaced by the following:

‘Article 3

Accountability of the Authorities

• 1. 

  The Authorities referred to in points (a) to (d) of Article 2(2) shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council.

• 2. 

  In accordance with Article 226 TFEU, the Authority shall fully cooperate with the European Parliament during any investigation carried out under that Article.

• 3. 

  The Board of Supervisors shall adopt an annual report on the activities of the Authority, including on the performance of the Chairperson’s duties, and shall, by 15 June each year, transmit that report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Commission, to the Court of Auditors and to the European Economic and Social Committee. The report shall be made public.

• 4. 

  At the request of the European Parliament, the Chairperson shall participate in a hearing before the European Parliament on the performance of the Authority. A hearing shall take place at least annually. The Chairperson shall make a statement before the European Parliament and answer any questions from its members, whenever so requested.

• 5. 

  The Chairperson shall report in writing on the activities of the Authority to the European Parliament when requested and at least 15 days before making the statement referred to in paragraph 4.

• 6. 

  In addition to the information referred to in Articles 11 to 18 and Articles 20 and 33, the report shall also include any relevant information requested by the European Parliament on an ad hoc basis.

• 7. 

  The Authority shall reply orally or in writing to any question addressed to it by the European Parliament or by the Council within five weeks of its receipt.

• 8. 

  Upon request, the Chairperson shall hold confidential oral discussions behind closed doors with the Chair, Vice-Chairs and Coordinators of the competent committee of the European Parliament. All participants shall respect the requirements of professional secrecy.

• 9. 

  Without prejudice to its confidentiality obligations stemming from participation in international fora, the Authority shall inform the European Parliament upon request about its contribution to a united, common, consistent and effective representation of the Union’s interests in such international fora.’;

in Article 4, point (3), point (ii) is replaced by the following:

in Article 7, the following paragraph is added:

‘The location of the seat of the Authority shall not affect the Authority’s execution of its tasks and powers, the organisation of its governance structure, the operation of its main organisation, or the main financing of its activities, while allowing, where applicable, for the sharing with Union agencies of administrative support services and facility management services which are not related to the core activities of the Authority.’;

Article 8 is amended as follows:

Article 9 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 9a

No action letters

• 1. 

  The Authority shall take the measures referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article only in exceptional circumstances when it considers that the application of one of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or of any delegated or implementing acts based on those legislative acts, is liable to raise significant issues, for one of the following reasons:

• 2. 

  In the cases referred to in paragraph 1, the Authority shall send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist.

In the cases referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 1, the Authority shall provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency that, in the Authority’s judgment, is attached to the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.

In the case referred to in point (c) of paragraph 1 of this Article, the Authority shall evaluate as soon as possible the need to adopt relevant guidelines or recommendations in accordance with Article 16.

The Authority shall act expeditiously, in particular with a view to contributing to the prevention of the issues as referred to in paragraph 1, whenever possible.

• 3. 

  Where necessary in the cases referred to in paragraph 1, and pending the adoption and application of new measures following the steps referred to in paragraph 2, the Authority shall issue opinions regarding specific provisions of the acts referred to in paragraph 1 with a view to furthering consistent, efficient and effective supervisory and enforcement practices, and the common, uniform and consistent application of Union law.

• 4. 

  Where, on the basis of information received, in particular from competent authorities, the Authority considers that any of the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), or any delegated or implementing act based on those legislative acts, raises significant exceptional issues pertaining to market confidence, customer or investor protection, the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or commodity markets, or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union, it shall, without undue delay, send a detailed account in writing to the competent authorities and the Commission of the issues it considers to exist. The Authority may provide the Commission with an opinion on any action it considers appropriate, in the form of a new legislative proposal or a proposal for a new delegated or implementing act, and on the urgency of the issue. The Authority shall make its opinion public.’;

Article 10 is amended as follows:

in Article 13(1), the second subparagraph is deleted;

Article 15 is amended as follows:

Article 16 is amended as follows:

the following articles are inserted:

‘Article 16a

Opinions

• 1. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission, or on its own initiative, provide opinions to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on all issues related to its area of competence.

• 2. 

  The request referred to in paragraph 1 may include a public consultation or a technical analysis.

• 3. 

  With regard to the prudential assessment of mergers and acquisitions falling within the scope of Directive 2014/65/EU and which according to that Directive require consultation between competent authorities from two or more Member States, the Authority may, at the request of one of the competent authorities concerned, issue and publish an opinion on a prudential assessment, except in relation to the criteria set out in in point (e) of Article 13(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU. The opinion shall be issued promptly and, in any event, before the end of the assessment period in accordance with Directive 2014/65/EU.

• 4. 

  The Authority may, upon a request from the European Parliament, from the Council or from the Commission provide technical advice to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission in the areas set out in the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2).

Article 16b

Questions and answers

• 1. 

  Without prejudice to paragraph 5 of this Article, questions relating to the practical application or implementation of the provisions of legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2), associated delegated and implementing acts, and guidelines and recommendations, adopted pursuant to those legislative acts, may be submitted by any natural or legal person, including competent authorities and Union institutions and bodies, to the Authority in any official language of the Union.

Before submitting a question to the Authority, financial market participants shall consider whether to address the question in the first place to their competent authority.

Before publishing answers to admissible questions, the Authority may seek further clarification on questions asked by the natural or legal person referred to in this paragraph.

• 2. 

  Answers by the Authority to questions as referred to in paragraph 1 shall be non-binding. Answers shall be made available at least in the language in which the question was submitted.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall establish and maintain a web-based tool available on its website for the submission of questions and the timely publication of all questions received as well as all answers to all admissible questions pursuant to paragraph 1, unless such publication is in conflict with the legitimate interest of those persons or would involve risks to the stability of the financial system. The Authority may reject questions it does not intend to answer. Rejected questions shall be published by the Authority on its website for a period of two months.

• 4. 

  Three voting members of the Board of Supervisors may request the Board of Supervisors to decide pursuant to Article 44 whether to address the issue of the admissible question referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article in guidelines pursuant to Article 16, to request advice from the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, to review questions and answers at appropriate intervals, to conduct open public consultations or to analyse potential related costs and benefits. Such consultations and analyses shall be proportionate in relation to the scope, nature and impact of the draft questions and answers concerned or in relation to the particular urgency of the matter. When involving the Stakeholder Group referred to in Article 37, a duty of confidentiality shall apply.

• 5. 

  The Authority shall forward questions that require the interpretation of Union law to the Commission. The Authority shall publish any answers provided by the Commission.’;

Article 17 is amended as follows:

the following article is inserted:

‘Article 17a

Protection of reporting persons

• 1. 

  The Authority shall have in place dedicated reporting channels for receiving and handling information provided by a natural or legal person reporting on actual or potential breaches, abuse of law, or non-application of Union law.

• 2. 

  The natural or legal persons reporting through those channels shall be protected against retaliation in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*45), where applicable.

• 3. 

  The Authority shall ensure that all information may be submitted anonymously or confidentially, and safely. Where the Authority deems that the submitted information contains evidence or significant indications of a material breach, it shall provide feedback to the reporting person.

(*45)  Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (OJ L 305, 26.11.2019, p. 17).’;"

in Article 18, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

‘3.   Where the Council has adopted a decision pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article, and in exceptional circumstances, where coordinated action by competent authorities is necessary to respond to adverse developments which may seriously jeopardise the orderly functioning and integrity of financial markets or the stability of the whole or part of the financial system in the Union or customer and investor protection, the Authority may adopt individual decisions requiring competent authorities to take the necessary action in accordance with the legislative acts referred to in Article 1(2) to address any such developments by ensuring that financial market participants and competent authorities satisfy the requirements laid down in those legislative acts.’;

Article 19 is amended as follows:

Article 21 is amended as follows: