rec_41

(41) The provision of services by third-country firms in the Union is subject to national regimes and requirements. Those regimes are highly differentiated and the firms authorised in accordance with them do not enjoy the freedom to provide services and the right of establishment in Member States other than the one where they are established. It is appropriate to introduce a common regulatory framework at Union level. The regime should harmonise the existing fragmented framework, ensure certainty and uniform treatment of third-country firms accessing the Union, ensure that an assessment of effective equivalence has been carried out by the Commission in relation to the prudential and business conduct framework of third countries, and should provide for a comparable level of protection to clients in the Union receiving services by third-country firms. In applying the regime the Commission and Member States should prioritise the areas covered by the G-20 commitments and agreements with the Union’s largest trading partners and should have regard to the central role that the Union plays in worldwide financial markets and ensure that the application of third-country requirements does not prevent Union investors and issuers from investing in or obtaining funding from third countries or third-country investors and issuers from investing, raising capital or obtaining other financial services in Union markets unless that is necessary for objective and evidence-based prudential reasons. In carrying out the assessments, the Commission should have regard to the International Organisation of Securities Commission’s (IOSCO) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation and its recommendations as amended and interpreted by IOSCO. Where a decision cannot be made determining effective equivalence, the provision of services by third-country firms in the Union remains subject to national regimes. The Commission should initiate the equivalence assessment on its own initiative. Member States should be able to indicate their interest that a certain third-country or certain third countries are subject to the equivalence assessment carried out by the Commission, without such indications being binding on the Commission to initiate the equivalence process. The equivalence assessment should be outcome-based; it should assess to what extent the respective third-country regulatory and supervisory framework achieves similar and adequate regulatory effects and to what extent it meets the same objectives as Union law. When initiating those equivalence assessments, the Commission should be able to prioritise among third-country jurisdictions taking into account the materiality of the equivalence finding to Union firms and clients, the existence of supervisory and cooperation agreements between the third country and the Member States, the existence of an effective equivalent system for the recognition of investment firms authorised under foreign regimes as well as the interest and willingness of the third country to engage in the equivalence assessment process. The Commission should monitor any significant changes to the regulatory and supervisory framework of the third country and review the equivalence decisions where appropriate.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.