1. A UCITS may invest no more than 5 % of its assets in transferable securities or money market instruments issued by the same body. A UCITS may not invest more than 20 % of its assets in deposits made with the same body.
The risk exposure to a counterparty of the UCITS in an OTC derivative transaction may not exceed:
10 % of its assets when the counterpart is a credit institution referred to in Article 19(1)(f), or
5 % of its assets, in other cases.
2. Member States may raise the 5 % limit laid down in the first sentence of paragraph 1 to a maximum of 10 %. However, the total value of the transferable securities and the money market instruments held by the UCITS in the issuing bodies in each of which it invests more than 5 % of its assets must not then exceed 40 % of the value of its assets. This limitation does not apply to deposits and OTC derivative transactions made with financial institutions subject to prudential supervision.
Notwithstanding the individual limits laid down in paragraph 1, a UCITS may not combine:
investments in transferable securities or money market instruments issued by,
deposits made with, and/or
exposures arising from OTC derivative transactions undertaken with
a single body in excess of 20 % of its assets.
3. The Member States may raise the 5 % limit laid down in the first sentence of paragraph 1 to a maximum of 35 % if the transferable securities or money market instruments are issued or guaranteed by a Member State, by its local authorities, by a non-member State or by public international bodies to which one or more Member States belong.
4. Member States may raise the 5 % limit laid down in the first sentence of paragraph 1 to a maximum of 25 % in the case of certain bonds when these are issued by a credit institution which has its registered office in a Member State and is subject by law to special public supervision designed to protect bond-holders. In particular, sums deriving from the issue of these bonds must be invested in conformity with the law in assets which, during the whole period of validity of the bonds, are capable of covering claims attaching to the bonds and which, in the event of failure of the issuer, would be used on a priority basis for the reimbursement of the principal and payment of the accrued interest.
When a UCITS invests more than 5 % of its assets in the bonds referred to in the first subparagraph and issued by one issuer, the total value of these investments may not exceed 80 % of the value of the assets of the UCITS.
The Member States shall send the Commission a list of the aforementioned categories of bonds together with the categories of issuers authorised, in accordance with the laws and supervisory arrangements mentioned in the first subparagraph, to issue bonds complying with the criteria set out above. A notice specifying the status of the guarantees offered shall be attached to these lists. The Commission shall immediately forward that information to the other Member States together with any comments which it considers appropriate, and shall make the information available to the public. [F2Such communications may be the subject of exchanges of views within the European Securities Committee.]
5. The transferable securities and money market instruments referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 shall not be taken into account for the purpose of applying the limit of 40 % referred to in paragraph 2.
The limits provided for in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 may not be combined, and thus investments in transferable securities or money market instruments issued by the same body or in deposits or derivative instruments made with this body carried out in accordance with paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall under no circumstances exceed in total 35 % of the assets of the UCITS.
Companies which are included in the same group for the purposes of consolidated accounts, as defined in accordance with Directive 83/349/EEC (1) or in accordance with recognised international accounting rules, are regarded as a single body for the purpose of calculating the limits contained in this Article.
Member States may allow cumulative investment in transferable securities and money market instruments within the same group up to a limit of 20 %.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Directive 2001/108/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 January 2002 amending Council Directive 85/611/EEC on the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS), with regard to investments of UCITS.
F2 Substituted by Directive 2005/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2005 amending Council Directives 73/239/EEC, 85/611/EEC, 91/675/EEC, 92/49/EEC and 93/6/EEC and Directives 94/19/EC, 98/78/EC, 2000/12/EC, 2001/34/EC, 2002/83/EC and 2002/87/EC in order to establish a new organisational structure for financial services committees (Text with EEA relevance).
[F1Seventh Council Directive 83/349/EEC of 13 June 1983 based on the Article 54(3)(g) of the Treaty on consolidated accounts ( OJ L 193, 18.7.1983, p. 1 ). Directive as last amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Directive 2001/108/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 January 2002 amending Council Directive 85/611/EEC on the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS), with regard to investments of UCITS.