BAILII [Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback]

United Kingdom Statutory Instruments


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Statutory Instruments >> The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 No. 763
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2007/20070763.html

[New search] [Help]



STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS


2007 No. 763

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

  Made 8th March 2007 
  Laid before Parliament 9th March 2007 
  Coming into force in accordance with regulation 1(2)

The Treasury are a government department designated[1] for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972[2] in relation to investment firms and to the provision of investment services;

     The Treasury make regulation 7 in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 39(1), 417(1)[3] and 428(3) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000[4];

     The Treasury make regulation 8 in exercise of the powers conferred on them by paragraph 22 of Schedule 3 to, and section 428(3) of, that Act;

     The Treasury make regulation 9 in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 349(1), (2) and (3), 417(1)[5] and 428(3) of that Act;

     The Treasury make the remainder of these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972:

Citation, commencement and interpretation
     1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) (Amendment) Regulations 2007.

    (2) These Regulations come into force—

    (3) In these Regulations, "the principal regulations" means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) Regulations 2007[6].

Exempt investment firms
     2. —(1) In regulation 2 of the principal regulations (interpretation) after the definition of "Part IV permission" insert—

    (2) In Part 2 of the principal regulations (Part IV permission: investment firms)—

    (3) In regulation 10 of the principal regulations (interpretation of Part 3) omit the definitions of "regulated activity" and "Schedule 3".

Transitional provision in relation to exempt investment firms
     3. In Part 3 of the principal regulations (transitional and saving provisions), after regulation 9, insert—

Transitional provision in relation to Part IV permissions
    
4. In Part 3 of the principal regulations, after regulation 9A (inserted by regulation 3), insert—

     5. In regulation 10 of the principal regulations, before the definition of "ancillary service" insert—

     6. After Schedule 7 to the principal regulations, insert—



Amendment of the Appointed Representatives Regulations
    
7. In the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Appointed Representatives) Regulations 2001[13], after regulation 3 insert—

Amendment of the EEA Passport Rights Regulations
    
8. In regulation 1(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (EEA Passport Rights) Regulations 2001[14], in paragraph (a) of the definition of "UK investment firm", after "investment firm" insert "(within the meaning of section 424A of the Act)".

Amendment of the Disclosure of Confidential Information Amendment Regulations
     9. In regulation 1(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2006[15]—


Frank Roy

Claire Ward
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury

8th March 2007



EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)


These Regulations, which amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Markets in Financial Instruments) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/126) ("the principal regulations"), the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Appointed Representatives) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/1217), the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (EEA Passport Rights) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/2511) and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3413), implement in part Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on markets in financial instruments (OJ No L 145, 30.4.2004, p.1) ("the Directive"). The Directive is also implemented by other statutory instruments including the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment No. 3) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3384) ("the 2006 Order") and by the Financial Services Authority ("the FSA") using powers under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8) ("the Act").

Regulations 2 and 3 implement Article 3 of the Directive which allows Member States to exempt certain investment firms from the requirements of the Directive provided that they (1) are not allowed the freedoms which investment firms subject to the Directive have to provide investment services in and establish branches in other Member States, and (2) comply with specified requirements limiting the scope of their activities ("the limiting requirements"). The Regulations achieve this by inserting new provisions into the principal regulations. In particular, new regulation 4A(3) defines the expression "exempt investment firm", new regulation 4B ensures that exempt investment firms do not have the freedoms mentioned and new regulation 4C applies the limiting requirements to exempt investment firms as if they were requirements imposed by the FSA under the Act.

The regulation 2 and 3 amendments come into force for all purposes on 1 November 2007 and a transitional provision, in regulation 9A, provides that an authorised investment firm complying with the limiting requirements immediately before that date automatically becomes an exempt investment firm on that date unless its FSA permission under Part 4 of the Act permits it to carry on certain activities or it has previously given the FSA notice that it does not wish to become an exempt investment firm. The amendments come into force on 1 April 2007 for the purposes of giving such notice.

Regulations 4 to 6 contain transitional provision consequential on the amendment of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/544) ("the RAO") by the 2006 Order to make operating a multilateral trading facility a separate specified activity and to extend the specified investments of options, futures and contracts for differences as required by the Directive. The transitional provisions extend the permissions under Part 4 of the Act of authorised persons who are investment firms, credit institutions or UCITS management companies, without the need for the person to make an application or for the FSA to amend the permission. Permissions are only extended where immediately before 1st November 2007 the authorised person has permission under Part 4 of the Act to carry on an approximately equivalent regulated activity or where immediately before 1st November 2007 the authorised person has a permission under Part 4 of the Act in relation to an approximately equivalent kind of investment. The transitional provisions are framed by reference to the categories used by the FSA for permissions under Part 4 of the Act. These categories use terms defined in FSA rules under the Act by reference to the RAO.

Regulation 7, which amends the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Appointed Representatives) Regulations 2001, contain transitional provision in relation to the contracts of appointed representatives of principals who are investment firms or credit institutions. Regulations 8 and 9 make corrections to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (EEA Passport Rights) Regulations 2001 and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Disclosure of Confidential Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2006.

A transposition note has been prepared which sets out how the main elements of the Directive will be transposed into UK law. A Regulatory Impact Assessment of the effect of this instrument and the other instruments transposing the Directive on the costs of business has been prepared. Both may be obtained from the Financial Services Strategy Team, HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. They are also available on HM Treasury's website (
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk). Copies of both documents have been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.


Notes:

[1] S.I. 1993/2661.back

[2] 1972 c.68; section 2(2) was amended by section 27 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (c. 51). By virtue of the amendment of section 1(2) made by section 1 of the European Economic Area Act 1993 (c. 51) regulations may be made under section 2(2) to implement obligations of the United Kingdom created by or arising under the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 (Cm 2073, OJ No L 1, 3.11.1994, p. 3) and the Protocol adjusting that Agreement signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993 (Cm 2183, OJ No L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 572). For the decision of the EEA Joint Committee in relation to Directive 2004/39/EC, see Decision No 65/2005 of 29th April 2005 (OJ No L 239, 15.9.2005, p.50).back

[3] See the definition of "prescribed".back

[4] 2000 c. 8.back

[5] See the definition of "prescribed".back

[6] S.I. 2007/126.back

[7] OJ No L 177, 30.6.2006, p. 210.back

[8] OJ No L 26, 30.1.77, p. 1.back

[9] OJ No L 177, 30.6.2006, p. 1.back

[10] OJ No L 375, 31.12.1985, p. 3.back

[11] S.I. 2001/544.back

[12] S.I. 2006/3384.back

[13] S.I. 2001/1217, amended by S.I. 2006/3414.back

[14] S.I. 2001/2511, amended by S.I. 2006/3385; there are other amendments but none is relevant.back

[15] S.I. 2006/3413.back



ISBN 978 0 11 076009 4


 © Crown copyright 2007

Prepared 14 March 2007


BAILII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Donate to BAILII
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/legis/num_reg/2007/20070763.html