TITLE II

AUTHORISATION AND OPERATING CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT FIRMS
CHAPTER II

Operating conditions for investment firms
Section 4

SME growth markets

SME growth markets
Article 33
1
Member States shall provide that the operator of a MTF may apply to its home competent authority to have the MTF registered as an SME growth market.
2
Member States shall provide that the home competent authority may register the MTF as an SME growth market if the competent authority receives an application referred to in paragraph 1 and is satisfied that the requirements in paragraph 3 are complied with in relation to the MTF.
3
Member States shall ensure that MTFs are subject to effective rules, systems and procedures which ensure that the following is complied with:
a
at least 50 % of the issuers whose financial instruments are admitted to trading on the MTF are SMEs at the time when the MTF is registered as an SME growth market and in any calendar year thereafter;
b
appropriate criteria are set for initial and ongoing admission to trading of financial instruments of issuers on the market;
c
on initial admission to trading of financial instruments on the market there is sufficient information published to enable investors to make an informed judgment about whether or not to invest in the financial instruments, either an appropriate admission document or a prospectus if the requirements laid down in Directive 2003/71/EC are applicable in respect of a public offer being made in conjunction with the initial admission to trading of the financial instrument on the MTF;
d
there is appropriate ongoing periodic financial reporting by or on behalf of an issuer on the market, for example audited annual reports;
e
issuers on the market as defined in point (21) of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, persons discharging managerial responsibilities as defined in point (25) of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 and persons closely associated with them as defined in point (26) of Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 comply with relevant requirements applicable to them under Regulation (EU) No 596/2014;
f
regulatory information concerning the issuers on the market is stored and disseminated to the public;
g
there are effective systems and controls aiming to prevent and detect market abuse on that market as required under the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.
4
The criteria in paragraph 3 are without prejudice to compliance by the investment firm or market operator operating the MTF with other obligations under this Directive relevant to the operation of MTFs. They also do not prevent the investment firm or market operator operating the MTF from imposing additional requirements to those specified in that paragraph.
5
Member States shall provide that the home competent authority may deregister a MTF as an SME growth market in any of the following cases:
a
the investment firm or market operator operating the market applies for its deregistration;
b
the requirements in paragraph 3 are no longer complied with in relation to the MTF.
6
Members States shall require that if a home competent authority registers or deregisters an MTF as an SME growth market under this Article it shall as soon as possible notify ESMA of that registration or deregistration. ESMA shall publish on its website a list of SME growth markets and shall keep that list up to date.
7
Member States shall require that where a financial instrument of an issuer is admitted to trading on one SME growth market, the financial instrument may also be traded on another SME growth market only where the issuer has been informed and has not objected. In such a case however, the issuer shall not be subject to any obligation relating to corporate governance or initial, ongoing or ad hoc disclosure with regard to the latter SME growth market.
8
The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 further specifying the requirements laid down in paragraph 3 of this Article. The measures shall take into account the need for the requirements to maintain high levels of investor protection to promote investor confidence in those markets while minimising the administrative burdens for issuers on the market and that de-registrations do not occur nor shall registrations be refused as a result of a merely temporary failure to meet the conditions set out in point (a) of paragraph 3 of this Article.
9
The Commission shall set up an expert stakeholder group by
1 July 2020
to monitor the functioning and success of SME growth markets. By
1 July 2021
, the expert stakeholder group shall publish a report on its conclusions.
Inserted by Regulation (EU) 2019/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Directive 2014/65/EU and Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 and (EU) 2017/1129 as regards the promotion of the use of SME growth markets (Text with EEA relevance).