Home / DIRECTIVE 2011/61/EU / ENACTING TERMS / Paragraphs 72 - 79

Paragraphs 72 - 79

(72) It is necessary to clarify the powers and duties of the competent authorities responsible for implementing this Directive, and to strengthen the mechanisms necessary to ensure effective cross-border supervisory cooperation. Under certain circumstances it should be possible for the competent authorities of the host Member States of an AIFM to take direct action to supervise compliance with provisions for which they are responsible. For other provisions the competent authorities of the host Member States should under certain circumstances be allowed to request action from the competent authorities of the home Member State and to intervene if no such action is undertaken.

(73) This Directive provides for a general coordinating role for ESMA, and the possibility of binding mediation procedures, chaired by ESMA, to resolve disputes between competent authorities.

(74) ESMA should develop draft regulatory technical standards on the contents of the cooperation arrangements that must be concluded by the home Member State or by the Member State of reference of the AIFM and the relevant third-country supervisory authorities and on the procedures for the exchange of information. The draft regulatory technical standards should ensure that pursuant to those cooperation arrangements all necessary information is to be provided to enable the competent authorities of both the home and the host Member States to exercise their supervisory and investigatory powers under this Directive. ESMA should also have a facilitating role in the negotiation and conclusion of the cooperation arrangements. For example, ESMA should be able to use its facilitating role by providing for a standard format for such cooperation arrangements.

(75) Member States should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Directive and ensure that they are implemented. The penalties should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.

(76) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised, in particular, in the TFEU and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Charter), in particular the right to the protection of personal data recognised in Article 16 TFEU and in Article 8 of the Charter. Any exchange or transmission of information by competent authorities should be in accordance with the rules on the transfer of personal data as laid down in Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data ( 1 ). Any exchange or transmission of information by ESMA should be in accordance with the rules on the transfer of personal data as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data ( 2 ), which should be fully applicable to the processing of personal data for the purposes of this Directive.

(77) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Directive, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers ( 3 ).

(78) The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU where expressly provided for in this Directive. In particular, the Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts to specify the methods of leverage as defined in this Directive, including any financial and/or legal structures involving third parties controlled by the relevant AIF where those structures are specifically set up to directly or indirectly create leverage at the level of the AIF. In particular for private equity and venture capital funds this means that leverage that exists at the level of a portfolio company is not intended to be included when referring to such financial or legal structures.

(79) Delegated acts should also be adopted to specify how to calculate the thresholds for the lighter regime and how to treat AIFMs whose assets under management, including any assets acquired through use of leverage, in one and the same calendar year occasionally exceed and/or fall below the relevant threshold; to specify the obligations to register for the AIFMs falling below the thresholds and to provide information in order to effectively monitor systemic risk and the obligation for such AIFMs to notify the relevant competent authorities where they no longer fulfil the conditions for application of the lighter regime.

(1) OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 31.

(2) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13.