CHAPTER IX

COMPETENT AUTHORITIES
SECTION 1

Designation, powers and redress procedures

Responsibility of competent authorities in Member States
Article 45
1
The prudential supervision of an AIFM shall be the responsibility of the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM, whether the AIFM manages and/or markets AIFs in another Member State or not, without prejudice to those provisions of this Directive which confer the responsibility for supervision on the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM.
2
The supervision of an AIFM’s compliance with Articles 12 and 14 shall be the responsibility of the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM where the AIFM manages and/or markets AIFs through a branch in that Member State.
3
The competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM may require an AIFM managing or marketing AIFs in its territory, whether or not through a branch, to provide the information necessary for the supervision of the AIFM’s compliance with the applicable rules for which those competent authorities are responsible.
Those requirements shall not be more stringent than those which the host Member State of the AIFM imposes on AIFMs for which it is the home Member State for the monitoring of their compliance with the same rules.
4
Where the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM ascertain that an AIFM managing and/or marketing AIFs in its territory, whether or not through a branch, is in breach of one of the rules in relation to which they have responsibility for supervising compliance, those authorities shall require the AIFM concerned to put an end to that breach and inform the competent authorities of the home Member State thereof.
5
If the AIFM concerned refuses to provide the competent authorities of its host Member State with information falling under their responsibility, or fails to take the necessary steps to put an end to the breach referred to in paragraph 4, the competent authorities of its host Member State shall inform the competent authorities of its home Member State thereof. The competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM shall, at the earliest opportunity:
a
take all appropriate measures to ensure that the AIFM concerned provides the information requested by the competent authorities of its host Member State pursuant to paragraph 3, or puts an end to the breach referred to in paragraph 4;
b
request the necessary information from the relevant supervisory authorities in third countries.
The nature of the measures referred to in point (a) shall be communicated to the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM.
6
If, despite the measures taken by the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM pursuant to paragraph 5 or because such measures prove to be inadequate or are not available in the Member State in question, the AIFM continues to refuse to provide the information requested by the competent authorities of its host Member State pursuant to paragraph 3, or persists in breaching the legal or regulatory provisions, referred to in paragraph 4, in force in its host Member State, the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM may, after informing the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM, take appropriate measures, including those laid down in Articles 46 and 48, to prevent or penalise further irregularities and, in so far as necessary, to prevent that AIFM from initiating any further transactions in its host Member State. Where the function carried out in the host Member State of the AIFM is the management of AIFs, the host Member State may require the AIFM to cease managing those AIFs.
7
Where the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM have clear and demonstrable grounds for believing that the AIFM is in breach of the obligations arising from rules in relation to which they have no responsibility for supervising compliance, they shall refer those findings to the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM which shall take appropriate measures, including, if necessary, request additional information from the relevant supervisory authorities in third countries.
8
If despite the measures taken by the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM or because such measures prove to be inadequate, or because the home Member State of the AIFM fails to act within a reasonable timeframe, the AIFM persists in acting in a manner that is clearly prejudicial to the interests of the investors of the relevant AIF, the financial stability or the integrity of the market in the host Member State of the AIFM, the competent authorities of the host Member State of the AIFM may, after informing the competent authorities of the home Member State of the AIFM, take all appropriate measures needed in order to protect the investors of the relevant AIF, the financial stability and the integrity of the market in the host Member State, including the possibility of preventing the AIFM concerned to further market the units or shares of the relevant AIF in the host Member State.
9
The procedure laid down in paragraphs 7 and 8 shall also apply in the event that the competent authorities of the host Member State have clear and demonstrable grounds for disagreement with the authorisation of a non-EU AIFM by the Member State of reference.
10
Where the competent authorities concerned disagree on any of the measures taken by a competent authority pursuant to paragraphs 4 to 9, they may bring the matter to the attention of ESMA, which may act in accordance with the powers conferred to it under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.
11
Where applicable, ESMA shall facilitate the negotiation and conclusion of the cooperation arrangements required by this Directive between the competent authorities of the Member States and the supervisory authorities of third countries.