Date: 2019-03-22Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/461 of 30 January 2019 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 as regards the exemption of the Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance.)
Issued by European Commission
Β· Directorate-General for Financial Stability
Executive Summary:
This Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/461 amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 to include the Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office in the list of exempted third-country central banks and debt management offices from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation). This inclusion is in anticipation of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The regulation enters into force the day following its publication and applies from the day following when Regulation EU No 596/2014 ceases to apply to the UK.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Exemption Extension:** The Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office are added to the list of exempted public entities in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522.
* **Justification:** This exemption is granted in light of the UK's withdrawal from the EU and a Commission report assessing the international treatment of these entities, and assurances from the UK regarding ESCB member rights.
* **Monitoring and Review:** The Commission will continue to monitor and may update the list of exempted entities based on regulatory developments in third countries and new information.
* **Entry into Force and Application:** The regulation enters into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and applies from the day following that on which Regulation EU No 596/2014 ceases to apply to and in the United Kingdom.
* **Annex I Amendment:** Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 is replaced with an updated list including the Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office.
Impact Analysis:
European Commission:
Impact: Responsible for monitoring the treatment of exempted entities and potentially updating the list based on regulatory changes in third countries.
Action Required: Continue regular monitoring of the listed central banks and public bodies, reassess as necessary, and update the list of exempted entities as required.
Bank of England and United Kingdom Debt Management Office:
Impact: Granted exemption from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation) once the United Kingdom is a third country, aligning their treatment with other exempted third-country entities.
Action Required: Continue adhering to the assurances provided regarding the status, rights, and obligations of ESCB members.
EU Member States:
Impact: Required to apply the regulation in its entirety, recognizing the exemption for the Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office after the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Action Required: Implement the changes into national law, and recognize the exemption of the Bank of England, and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Regulation EU No 596/2014: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse.
Commission Delegated Regulation EU 2016/522: A delegated regulation supplementing Regulation EU No 596/2014 regarding exemptions for certain third countries public bodies and central banks.
Bank of England: The central bank of the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom Debt Management Office: The executive agency of Her Majesty's Treasury responsible for debt and cash management for the UK government.
United Kingdom: A country in Europe that was formerly a member of the European Union.
European Parliament: The directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union.
Treaty on European Union: One of the primary treaties upon which the European Union is founded.
L 80/10 EN Official Journal of the European Union 22.3.2019
COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/461
of 30 January 2019
amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 as regards the exemption of the Bank of England
and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014
of the European Parliament and of the Council
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on
market abuse and repealing Directive 2003/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission
Directives 2003/124/EC, 2003/125/EC and 2004/72/EC (1), and in particular Article 6(5) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Transactions, orders or behaviour, in pursuit of monetary, exchange rate or public debt management policy by
a Member State, the members of the ESCB, a ministry, agency or special purpose vehicle of one or several
Member States, or by a person acting on its behalf, or, in the case of a Member State that is a federal state,
a member making up the federation are exempt from the scope of application of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014
pursuant to Article 6(1) thereof.
(2) Such an exemption from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 may be extended, in accordance with
Article 6(5) of that Regulation, to certain public bodies and central banks of third countries.
(3) The list of exempted central banks of third countries set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU)
2016/522 (2) should be updated, including with a view to extend, whenever necessary, the scope of the
exemption laid down in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 to other central banks and certain public
bodies of third countries. The Commission monitors and assesses relevant legislative and regulatory
developments in third countries and may undertake a review of the exemptions at any time.
(4) On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom submitted the notification of its intention to withdraw from the Union
pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The Treaties will cease to apply to the United Kingdom
from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement or failing that, two years after that notification,
unless the European Council, in agreement with the United Kingdom, unanimously decides to extend that period.
(5) The withdrawal agreement as agreed between the negotiators contains arrangements for the application of
provisions of Union law to and in the United Kingdom beyond the date the Treaties cease to apply to the United
Kingdom. If that agreement enters into force, Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, including the exemption provided
for in Article 6(1) of that Regulation, will apply to and in the United Kingdom during the transition period in
accordance with that agreement and will cease to apply at the end of that period.
(6) The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union would, in the absence of any special provisions, have the
effect that the Bank of England and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office will no longer benefit from the
existing exemption unless they are included in the list of exempted third-country central banks and debt
management offices.
(7) In light of information obtained from the United Kingdom, the Commission prepared and presented to the
European Parliament and to the Council a report assessing the international treatment of the Bank of England
and the United Kingdom Debt Management Office. That report (3) concluded that it is appropriate to grant an
exemption from the scope of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 to United Kingdom's central bank and debt
management office once the United Kingdom is a third country. Accordingly, the Bank of England and the United
Kingdom Debt Management Office should be included in the list of exempted public entities set out in Delegated
Regulation (EU) 2016/522.
(1) OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, p. 1.
(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 of 17 December 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European
Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for certain third countries public bodies and central banks, the indicators of
market manipulation, the disclosure thresholds, the competent authority for notifications of delays, the permission for trading during
closed periods and types of notifiable managers' transactions (OJ L 88, 5.4.2016, p. 1).
(3) Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Exemption for the Bank of England and the United
Kingdom Debt Management Office under the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) [COM(2019) 68].22.3.2019 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 80/11
(8) The authorities of the United Kingdom have provided assurances on the status, rights and obligations of ESCB
members, including their intention to grant to the members of the ESCB and other Union and Member States'
bodies performing monetary, exchange rate or public debt management policy an exemption comparable to the
one provided for in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.
(9) Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 should be amended accordingly.
(10) The Commission continues to monitor on a regular basis the treatment of those central banks and public bodies
exempted from the market abuse requirements laid down in the list in the Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU)
2016/522. That list may be updated in light of the development of the regulatory arrangements in those third
countries and taking into account any relevant new sources of information. Such reassessment could lead to the
removal of certain third countries from the list of exempted entities
(11) This Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency and should apply from the day following that on
which Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ceases to apply to and in the United Kingdom,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/522 is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.
It shall apply from the day following that on which Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ceases to apply to and in the United
Kingdom.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 30 January 2019.
For the Commission
The President
Jean-Claude JUNCKERL 80/12 EN Official Journal of the European Union 22.3.2019
ANNEX
βANNEX I
1. Australia:
β Reserve Bank of Australia;
β Australian Office of Financial Management;
2. Brazil:
β Central Bank of Brazil;
β National Treasury of Brazil;
3. Canada:
β Bank of Canada;
β Department of Finance Canada;
4. China:
β People's Bank of China;
5. Hong Kong SAR:
β Hong Kong Monetary Authority;
β Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of Hong Kong;
6. India:
β Reserve Bank of India;
7. Japan:
β Bank of Japan;
β Ministry of Finance of Japan;
8. Mexico:
β Bank of Mexico;
β Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico;
9. Singapore:
β Monetary Authority of Singapore;
10. South Korea:
β Bank of Korea;
β Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea;
11. Switzerland:
β Swiss National Bank;
β Federal Finance Administration of Switzerland;
12. Turkey:
β Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey;
β Undersecretariat of Treasury of the Republic of Turkey;
13. The United Kingdom:
β Bank of England;
β United Kingdom Debt Management Office;
14. The United States:
β Federal Reserve System;
β U.S. Department of the Treasury.β