ESMA_QA_1654

Status: ✅ Answer Published

Link to ESMA Q&A tool: https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/1654


Regulatory Context

Regulation : MIF2

Level 1 Regulation: Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) Directive 2014/65/EU- Secondary Markets

Level 2 Regulation: No information available

Level 3 Regulation: No information available

Topic: Multilateral and bilateral systems

Subject Matter: Organized Trading facilities OTFs


Question

Submission Date: 03 October 2017

Can an OTF offer trading in C(6) REMIT wholesale energy products only?


ESMA Answer

Answer Date: 03-10-2017

[ESMA 70-872942901-38 MiFID II MiFIR market structures Q&A, Q&A 5.22] No. Under Article 4(1)(23) of MiFID II, an organised trading facility (OTF) is a multilateral trading system which organises the interaction of multiple third party buying and selling interests in bonds, structured finance products, emission allowances and derivatives, i.e. in financial instruments. Accordingly, to be authorised as an OTF, a multilateral trading system must offer trading in the financial instruments listed above, without prejudice to the other requirements to be met for such authorisation. However, a trading platform that is authorised as an OTF based on trading financial instruments can, in addition, offer trading in wholesale energy contracts that must be physically settled (“REMIT carve-out” contracts). ESMA highlights that the OTF must ensure that genuine trading in financial instruments takes place on the OTF to be authorised, and retain authorisation, as an OTF, with appropriate staff, IT, financial and other resources being devoted to this activity. Trading in financial instruments should not be designed for the sole purpose of obtaining an OTF license and with the end-objective of trading REMIT carve-out contracts almost exclusively.


This document was automatically extracted from the ESMA EMIR Q&A database.