CHAPTER VII

SPECIFIC RULES IN RELATION TO THIRD COUNTRIES

Conditions for the marketing in the Union with a passport of non-EU AIFs managed by a non-EU AIFM
Article 40
1
Member States shall ensure that a duly authorised non-EU AIFM may market units or shares of a non-EU AIF it manages to professional investors in the Union with a passport as soon as the conditions laid down in this Article are met.
2
In addition to the requirements in this Directive in relation to EU-AIFMs, for non-EU AIFMs the following conditions shall be met:
a
appropriate cooperation arrangements are in place between the competent authorities of the Member State of reference and the supervisory authority of the third country where the non-EU AIF is established in order to ensure at least an efficient exchange of information that allows the competent authorities to carry out their duties in accordance with this Directive;
b
the third country where the non-EU AIF is established is not listed as a Non-Cooperative Country and Territory by FATF;
c
the third country where the non-EU AIF is established has signed an agreement with the Member State of reference and with each other Member State in which the units or shares of the non-EU AIF are intended to be marketed which fully complies with the standards laid down in Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital and ensures an effective exchange of information in tax matters including any multilateral tax agreements.
Where a competent authority of another Member State disagrees with the assessment made on the application of points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph by the competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM, the competent authorities concerned may refer the matter to the ESMA which may act in accordance with the powers conferred on it under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
3
The AIFM shall submit a notification to the competent authorities of its Member State of reference in respect of each non-EU AIF that it intends to market in its Member State of reference.
That notification shall comprise the documentation and information set out in Annex III.
4
No later than 20 working days after receipt of a complete notification pursuant to paragraph 3, the competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall inform the AIFM whether it may start marketing the AIF identified in the notification referred to in paragraph 3 in its territory. The competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM may prevent the marketing of the AIF only if the AIFM’s management of the AIF does not or will not comply with this Directive or the AIFM otherwise does not or will not comply with this Directive. In the case of a positive decision, the AIFM may start marketing the AIF in its Member State of reference from the date of the notification by the competent authorities to that effect.
The competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall also inform ESMA that the AIFM may start marketing units or shares of the AIF in the Member State of reference of the AIFM.
5
If the AIFM intends to market the units or shares of a non-EU AIF also in Member States other than its Member State of reference, the AIFM shall submit a notification to the competent authorities of its Member State of reference in respect of each non-EU AIF that it intends to market.
That notification shall comprise the documentation and information set out in Annex IV.
6
The competent authorities of the Member State of reference shall, no later than 20 working days after the date of receipt of the complete notification file referred to in paragraph 5, transmit the complete notification file to the competent authorities of the Member States where the units or shares of the AIF are intended to be marketed. Such transmission shall occur only if the AIFM’s management of the AIF complies and will continue to comply with this Directive and that in general the AIFM complies with this Directive.
The competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall enclose a statement to the effect that the AIFM concerned is authorised to manage AIFs with a particular investment strategy.
7
Upon transmission of the notification file, the competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall, without delay, notify the AIFM of the transmission. The AIFM may start marketing the AIF in the relevant host Member States of the AIFM as of the date of that notification.
The competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall also inform ESMA that the AIFM may start marketing the units or shares of the AIF in the host Member States of the AIFM.
8
Arrangements referred to in point (h) of Annex IV shall be subject to the laws and supervision of the host Member States of the AIFM, in so far as those Member States are different than the Member State of reference.
9
Member States shall ensure that the notification letter by the AIFM referred to in paragraph 5 and the statement referred to in paragraph 6 are provided in a language customary in the sphere of international finance.
Member States shall ensure that electronic transmission and filing of the documents referred to in paragraph 6 are accepted by their competent authorities.
10
In the event of a material change to any of the particulars communicated in accordance with paragraph 3 or 5, the AIFM shall give written notice of that change to the competent authorities of the Member State of reference at least 1 month before implementing a planned change, or immediately after an unplanned change has occurred.
If, pursuant to a planned change, the AIFM’s management of the AIF would no longer comply with this Directive, or the AIFM would otherwise no longer comply with this Directive, the competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall inform the AIFM, without undue delay, that it is not to implement the change.
If the planned change is implemented notwithstanding the first and second subparagraphs, or if an unplanned change has taken place pursuant to which the AIFM’s management of the AIF no longer complies with this Directive or the AIFM otherwise no longer complies with this Directive, the competent authorities of the Member State of reference of the AIFM shall take all due measures in accordance with Article 46, including, if necessary, the express prohibition of marketing of the AIF.
If the changes are acceptable because they do not affect the compliance of the AIFM’s management of the AIF with this Directive or the compliance by the AIFM with this Directive otherwise, the competent authorities of the Member State of reference shall, without delay, inform ESMA in so far as the changes concern the termination of the marketing of certain AIFs or additional AIFs being marketed and, in so far as applicable, the competent authorities of the host Member States of the AIFM of those changes.
11
The Commission shall adopt, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Article 56 and subject to the conditions of Articles 57 and 58, measures regarding the cooperation arrangements referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 in order to design a common framework to facilitate the establishment of those cooperation arrangements with third countries.
12
In order to ensure uniform application of this Article, ESMA may develop guidelines to determine the conditions of application of the measures adopted by the Commission regarding the cooperation arrangements referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2.
13
ESMA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to determine the minimum content of the cooperation arrangements referred to in point (a) of paragraph 2 so as to ensure that the competent authorities of the Member State of reference and the competent authorities of the host Member States receive sufficient information in order to be able to exercise their supervisory and investigatory powers under this Directive.
Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
14
In order to ensure consistent harmonisation of this Article, ESMA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to specify the procedures for coordination and exchange of information between the competent authority of the Member State of reference and the competent authorities of the host Member States of the AIFM.
Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
15
In case a competent authority rejects a request to exchange information in accordance with the regulatory technical standards referred to in paragraph 14, the competent authorities concerned may refer the matter to ESMA, which may act in accordance with the powers conferred on it under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
16
In order to ensure uniform conditions of application of this Article, ESMA may develop draft implementing technical standards to determine:
a
the form and content of a model for the notification letter referred to in paragraphs 3 and 5;
b
the form and content of a model for the statement referred to in paragraph 6;
c
the form of the transmission referred to in paragraph 6; and
d
the form of the written notice referred to in paragraph 10.
Power is conferred on the Commission to adopt the implementing technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
17
Without prejudice to Article 43(1), Member States shall require that the AIFs managed and marketed by the AIFM be marketed only to professional investors.