CHAPTER 2

REGISTRATION
SECTION 8

Conflicts of interest

Independence and avoidance of conflicts of interest
Article 20
1
A credit rating agency shall provide ESMA with information regarding its policies and procedures with respect to the identification, management and disclosure of conflicts of interest and the rules on rating analysts and other persons directly involved in credit rating activities covering at least the requirements set out in Annex VIII.
2
A credit rating agency shall describe the process used to ensure that the relevant persons are aware of the policies and procedures referred to in paragraph 1. A credit rating agency shall describe the arrangements in place to ensure that the review function responsible for reviewing the methodologies set out in point 9 of Section A of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 is independent of the business lines which are responsible for credit rating activities.
3
A credit rating agency shall describe the controls put in place, including the controls implemented through information systems, in order to comply with the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3) of Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on the negotiation of fees and the rules on persons involved in rating activities.
4
A credit rating agency shall describe any other measures and controls put in place to ensure the independence of its rating analysts.

Inventory of conflicts of interest
Article 21
1
A credit rating agency shall provide ESMA with an up-to-date inventory of existing and potential conflicts of interest relevant to it. Where a credit rating agency is part of a group of undertakings, it shall include in the inventory any conflicts of interest arising from other entities which belong to its group of undertakings.
2
The inventory of existing and potential conflicts of interest shall identify the following potential conflicts of interest:
a
any potential conflicts of interest with related third parties;
b
any potential conflicts of interest arising from the carrying out of ancillary services and the outsourced rating activities;
3
The inventory referred to in paragraph 1 shall explain how the potential conflicts of interest are to be eliminated or managed and disclosed.

Conflicts of interest with respect to ancillary services
Article 22
1
A credit rating agency shall provide ESMA with a description of the resources, both human and technical, shared by the rating and ancillary services of the credit rating agency or shared with the group of undertakings to which it belongs.
2
A credit rating agency shall describe the arrangements in place to prevent, disclose and mitigate any existing or potential conflicts of interest between the rating business and ancillary services.
3
A credit rating agency shall provide ESMA with a copy of the results of any internal assessment performed to identify any existing or potential conflict of interest between the rating business and ancillary services.