Regulation (EU) No 468/2014 of the European Central Bank of 16 April 2014 establishing the framework for cooperation within the Single Supervisory Mechanism between the European Central Bank and national competent authorities and with national designated authorities (SSM Framework Regulation) (ECB/2014/17)

By way of derogation from the three-year rule provided for in Article 47(1) to (3), and in the case of exceptional circumstances, including those referred to in paragraph 1, the ECB shall decide, in consultation with NCAs, whether the affected supervised entities are significant or less significant and the date from which supervision shall be carried out by the ECB or NCAs.

For the purpose of determining significance on the basis of the size criterion, the supervised group of consolidated undertakings shall consist of the undertakings which have to be consolidated for prudential purposes in accordance with Union law.

For the purpose of determining significance on the basis of the size criterion, the supervised group of consolidated undertakings shall include subsidiaries and branches in non-participating Member States and third countries.

The ECB shall take into account the following criteria, in particular, when assessing whether or not a supervised entity or a supervised group is significant for the economy of the Union or a participating Member State for reasons other than those set out in Article 56:

Article 52(3) shall apply accordingly.

An NCA may notify the ECB that it considers a supervised entity to be significant with regard to its domestic economy.

The ECB shall assess the NCA’s notification on the basis of the criteria set out in Article 57(1).

Article 57 shall apply accordingly.

A supervised group may be considered significant by the ECB on the basis of its cross-border activities only when the parent undertaking of a supervised group has established subsidiaries, which are themselves credit institutions, in more than one other participating Member State.

A supervised group may be considered significant by the ECB on the basis of its cross-border activities only if the total value of its assets exceeds EUR 5 billion and:

Article 52(3) shall apply accordingly.

‘Cross- border assets’, in the context of a supervised group, means the part of the total assets in respect of which the counterparty is a credit institution or other legal or natural person located in a participating Member State other than the Member State in which the parent undertaking of the relevant supervised group has its head office.

‘Cross-border liabilities’, in the context of a supervised group, means the part of the total liabilities in respect of which the counterparty is a credit institution or other legal or natural person located in a participating Member State other than the Member State in which the parent undertaking of the relevant supervised group has its head office.

Direct public financial assistance to a supervised entity is requested when a request is made by an ESM member for financial assistance to be granted by the ESM to that entity in accordance with a decision taken by the Board of Governors of the ESM under Article 19 of the Treaty establishing the European Stability Mechanism regarding the direct recapitalisation of a credit institution and with the instruments adopted under that decision.

Direct public financial assistance is received by a credit institution when the financial assistance has been received by the credit institution pursuant to the decision and instruments referred to in paragraph 1.

Without prejudice to the obligation set out in Article 96 to inform the ECB of the deterioration of the financial situation of a less significant supervised entity, the NCA shall inform the ECB as soon as it becomes aware of the possible need for public financial assistance for a less significant supervised entity to be granted at national level indirectly from the ESM and/or by the ESM.

The NCA shall submit its assessment of the financial situation of the less significant supervised entity to the ECB, for its consideration, before submitting it to the ESM, except in duly justified cases of urgency.

A supervised entity in respect of which direct public financial assistance is requested from the ESM or which has received direct public financial assistance from the ESM shall be classified as a significant supervised entity from the date on which direct public financial assistance was requested on its behalf.

The date on which the ECB shall assume the direct supervision shall be specified in an ECB decision in accordance with Title 2.

Article 52(3) shall apply accordingly.

A credit institution or a supervised group shall be classified as significant if it is one of the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups in a participating Member State.

For the purposes of identifying the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups in a participating Member State, the ECB and the relevant NCA shall take into account the size of the supervised entity and supervised group respectively, as determined in accordance with Articles 50 to 55.

With regard to each participating Member State, the ECB shall establish by 1 October of each calendar year whether or not three credit institutions or supervised groups with a parent undertaking established in such participating Member State should be classified as significant supervised entities.

At the request of the ECB, the NCAs shall inform the ECB of the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups established in their respective participating Member States by 1 October of the calendar year in question. The three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups shall be determined by the NCAs on the basis of the criteria laid down in Articles 50 to 55.

For each of the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups in the participating Member States, the relevant NCA shall provide the ECB with a report setting out the supervisory history and risk profile in each case, unless the credit institution or supervised group is already classified as significant.

If, on 1 October of a given year, one or more of the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups in a participating Member State are not classified as significant supervised entities, the ECB shall adopt a decision in accordance with Title 2 in respect of any of the three most significant credit institutions or supervised groups which are not classified as significant.

Article 52(3) shall apply accordingly.

The ECB may, pursuant to Article 6(5)(b) of the SSM Regulation, decide at any time, by means of an ECB decision, to exercise directly the supervision of a less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group where this is necessary to ensure consistent application of high supervisory standards.

Before taking the ECB decision referred to in paragraph 1, the ECB shall take into account, inter alia, any of the following factors:

The ECB shall, at the request of an NCA, assess whether or not it is necessary to exercise direct supervision in accordance with the SSM Regulation in respect of a less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards.

The NCA’s request shall: (a) identify the less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group in respect of which the NCA is of the view that the ECB should assume direct supervision, and (b) state why supervision of the less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group by the ECB is necessary in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards.

The NCA’s request shall be accompanied by a report indicating the supervisory history and risk profile of the relevant less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group.

If the ECB does not agree with the NCA’s request, it shall consult with the NCA concerned prior to its final assessment as to whether supervision by the ECB of the less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group is necessary in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards.

If the ECB decides that direct supervision by the ECB of the less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group is necessary in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards, it shall adopt an ECB decision in accordance with Title 2.

The ECB may request an NCA to provide a report setting out the supervisory history and risk profile of a less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group. The ECB shall specify the date by which such report should be submitted to it.

The ECB shall consult with the NCA prior to its final assessment as to whether supervision of the less significant supervised entity or the less significant supervised group by the ECB is necessary in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards.

If the ECB concludes that direct supervision by the ECB of the less significant supervised entity or less significant supervised group is necessary in order to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards, it shall adopt an ECB decision in accordance with Title 2.

Particular circumstances, as referred to in the second and fifth subparagraphs of Article 6(4) of the SSM Regulation (hereinafter the ‘particular circumstances’) exist where there are specific and factual circumstances that make the classification of a supervised entity as significant inappropriate, taking into account the objectives and principles of the SSM Regulation and, in particular, the need to ensure the consistent application of high supervisory standards.

The term ‘particular circumstances’ shall be strictly interpreted.

Whether particular circumstances exist that justify classifying what would otherwise be a significant supervised entity as less significant shall be determined on a case-by-case basis and specifically for the supervised entity or supervised group concerned, but not for categories of supervised entities.

Article 40 shall apply accordingly.

Articles 44 to 46 and Articles 48 and 49 shall apply accordingly. The ECB shall state in an ECB decision the reasons leading to its conclusion that particular circumstances exist.

The ECB shall, with the support of the relevant NCAs, review at least once a year whether particular circumstances continue to exist with respect to a supervised entity or a supervised group that is classified as less significant because of particular circumstances.

The supervised entity concerned shall provide any information and documents requested by the ECB in order to carry out a review as referred to in paragraph 1.

If the ECB considers that particular circumstances no longer exist it shall adopt an ECB decision addressed to the relevant supervised entity determining that it is classified as significant and that particular circumstances no longer exist.

Title 2 of Part IV shall apply accordingly.

An NCA that receives an application for an authorisation to take up the business of a credit institution to be established in a participating Member State shall notify the ECB of the receipt of such application within 15 working days.

The NCA shall also inform the ECB of the time limit within which a decision on the application has to be taken and notified to the applicant in accordance with the relevant national law.

If the application is not complete, the NCA, either at its own initiative or at the ECB’s request, shall ask the applicant to provide the required additional information. The NCA shall send any such additional information that it receives to the ECB within 15 working days following receipt thereof by the NCA.

If the NCA is satisfied that the application complies with all conditions for authorisation laid down in the relevant national law, it shall prepare a draft decision proposing that the ECB grant the applicant authorisation to take up the business of a credit institution (hereinafter a ‘draft authorisation decision’).

The NCA shall ensure that the draft authorisation decision is notified to the ECB and the applicant at least 20 working days before the end of the maximum assessment period provided for by the relevant national law.

The NCA may propose attaching recommendations, conditions and/or restrictions to a draft authorisation decision in accordance with national and Union law. In such cases, the NCA shall be responsible for assessing compliance with the conditions and/or restrictions.

The ECB shall assess the application on the basis of the conditions for authorisation laid down in the relevant Union law. If, in its view, these conditions are not met, the ECB shall give the applicant the opportunity to comment in writing on the facts and objections relevant to the assessment, in accordance with Article 31.

If a meeting is considered necessary and in any other cases that are duly justified, the ECB may extend the maximum period for deciding on an application in accordance with Article 14(3) of the SSM Regulation. The extension shall be notified to the applicant in accordance with Article 35 of this Regulation.

The ECB shall take a decision on a draft authorisation decision it receives from the NCA within 10 working days, unless a decision on the extension of the maximum period has been taken in accordance with Article 77(2). It may support the draft authorisation decision and thereby agree to the authorisation or object to the draft authorisation decision.

The ECB shall base its decision on its assessment of the application, the draft authorisation decision and any comments provided by the applicant pursuant to Article 77.

If the ECB does not take a decision within the period referred to in paragraph 1, the draft authorisation decision prepared by the NCA shall be deemed to be adopted.

The ECB shall adopt a decision granting authorisation if the applicant complies with all the conditions for the authorisation in accordance with the relevant Union law and national law of the Member State in which the applicant is established.

The decision granting authorisation shall cover the applicant’s activities as a credit institution as provided for in the relevant national law , without prejudice to any additional requirements for authorisation under the relevant national law for activities other than the business of taking deposits or other repayable funds from the public and granting credits for its own account.

If the relevant NCA considers that a credit institution’s authorisation should be withdrawn in whole or in part in accordance with relevant Union or national law, including a withdrawal at the credit institution’s request, it shall submit to the ECB a draft decision proposing the withdrawal of the authorisation (hereinafter a ‘draft withdrawal decision’), together with any relevant supporting documents.

The NCA shall coordinate with the national authority competent for the resolution of credit institutions (hereinafter the ‘national resolution authority’) with regard to any draft withdrawal decision that is relevant to the national resolution authority.

The ECB shall assess the draft withdrawal decision without undue delay. In particular, it shall take into account reasons for urgency put forward by the NCA.

The right to be heard, as provided for in Article 31, shall apply.

If the ECB becomes aware of circumstances that may warrant the withdrawal of an authorisation, it shall assess, on its own initiative, whether the authorisation should be withdrawn in accordance with the relevant Union law.

The ECB may consult at any time with the relevant NCAs. If the ECB intends to withdraw an authorisation, it shall consult with the NCA of the Member State where the credit institution is established at least 25 working days before the date on which it plans to make its decision. In duly justified urgent cases, the time limit for the consultation may be reduced to five working days.

If the ECB intends to withdraw an authorisation, it shall inform the relevant NCAs of any comments provided by the credit institution. The credit institution’s right to be heard, as provided for in Article 31, shall apply.

The ECB shall coordinate with the national resolution authority with regard to a proposal to withdraw an authorisation in accordance with Article 14(5) of the SSM Regulation. The ECB shall inform the NCA immediately after initiating contact with the national resolution authority.

The ECB shall take a decision on the withdrawal of an authorisation without undue delay. In doing so it may accept or reject the relevant draft withdrawal decision.

In taking its decision, the ECB shall take into account all of the following: (a) its assessment of the circumstances justifying withdrawal; (b) where applicable, the NCA’s draft withdrawal decision; (c) consultation with the relevant NCA and, where the NCA is not the national resolution authority, the national resolution authority (together with the NCA, the ‘national authorities’); (d) any comments provided by the credit institution pursuant to Articles 81(2) and 82(3).

The ECB shall also take a decision in the cases described in Article 84 if the relevant national resolution authority does not object to the withdrawal of the authorisation, or the ECB determines that proper actions necessary to maintain financial stability have not been implemented by the national authorities.

If the national resolution authority notifies its objection to the ECB’s intention to withdraw an authorisation, the ECB and the national resolution authority shall agree on a time period during which the ECB shall abstain from proceeding with the withdrawal of the authorisation. The ECB shall inform the NCA immediately after initiating contact with the national resolution authority in order to reach this agreement.

After the expiry of the agreed time period, the ECB shall assess whether it intends to proceed to withdraw the authorisation or to extend the agreed time period in accordance with Article 14(6) of the SSM Regulation, taking into account any progress made. The ECB shall consult with both the relevant NCA and the national resolution authority, if different from the NCA. The NCA shall inform the ECB of the measures taken by these authorities and its assessment of the consequences of a withdrawal.

If the national resolution authority does not object to the withdrawal of an authorisation, or the ECB determines that proper actions necessary to maintain financial stability have not been implemented by national authorities, then Article 83 shall apply.

An NCA that receives a notification of an intention to acquire a qualifying holding in a credit institution established in that participating Member State shall notify the ECB of such notification no later than five working days following the acknowledgement of receipt in accordance with Article 22(2) of Directive 2013/36/EU.

The NCA shall notify the ECB if it has to suspend the assessment period due to a request for additional information. The NCA shall send any such additional information to the ECB within 5 working days following receipt thereof by the NCA.

The NCA shall also inform the ECB of the date by which the decision to oppose or not to oppose the acquisition of a qualifying holding has to be notified to the applicant pursuant to the relevant national law.

The NCA to which an intention to acquire a qualifying holding in a credit institution is notified shall assess whether the potential acquisition complies with all the conditions laid down in the relevant Union and national law. Following this assessment, the NCA shall prepare a draft decision for the ECB to oppose or not to oppose the acquisition.

The NCA shall submit the draft decision to oppose or not to oppose the acquisition to the ECB at least 15 working days before the expiry of the assessment period as defined by the relevant Union law.

The ECB shall notify the parties of the following decisions without undue delay in accordance with Article 35:

The ECB shall notify the relevant NCA without undue delay of any of the following decisions:

The NCA shall notify the applicant for authorisation of the following decisions:

The NCA shall notify the relevant national resolution authority of the ECB decision on the withdrawal of an authorisation as a credit institution.

The ECB shall notify the European Banking Authority (EBA) of every ECB decision to grant or to withdraw an authorisation as a credit institution as well as of each lapsing of an authorisation. In doing so, the ECB shall specify the reasons for the decisions on the withdrawal of an authorisation or for the lapsing of an authorisation.

An NCA shall assist the ECB in the performance of its tasks under the conditions set out in the SSM Regulation and this Regulation, and shall, in particular, perform all the following activities:

When assisting the ECB, an NCA shall follow the ECB’s instructions in relation to significant supervised entities.

In accordance with Article 6(3) and Article 6(7)(b) of the SSM Regulation, the ECB may request an NCA to prepare a draft decision regarding the exercise of the tasks referred to in Article 4 of the SSM Regulation for its consideration.

An NCA may also, on its own initiative, submit a draft decision in respect of a significant supervised entity to the ECB for its consideration through the joint supervisory team.

To ensure that institutions have in place robust governance arrangements, and without prejudice to relevant Union and national law and Part V, a significant supervised entity shall notify the relevant NCA of any change to the members of its management bodies in their managerial and supervisory functions (hereinafter the ‘managers’) within the meaning of Articles 3(1)(7) and 3(2) of Directive 2013/36/EU, including the renewal of the managers’ term of office. The relevant NCA shall notify the ECB of any such change without undue delay informing it of the time limit within which a decision has to be taken and notified in accordance with the relevant national law.

To assess the suitability of managers of significant supervised entities, the ECB shall have the supervisory powers that competent authorities have under the relevant Union and national law.

A significant supervised entity shall inform the relevant NCA of any new facts that may affect an initial assessment of suitability or any other issue which could impact on the suitability of a manager without undue delay once these facts or issues are known to the supervised entity or the relevant manager. The relevant NCA shall notify the ECB of such new facts or issues without undue delay.

The ECB may initiate a new assessment based on the new facts or issues referred in paragraph 1 or if the ECB becomes aware of any new facts that may have an impact on the initial assessment of the relevant manager or any other issue which could impact on the suitability of a manager. The ECB shall then decide on the appropriate action in accordance with the relevant Union and national law and shall inform the relevant NCA of such action without undue delay.

Without prejudice to the specific procedures provided for in particular in Part V and to its ordinary interaction with its NCA, a significant supervised entity shall address to the ECB all its requests, notifications or applications relating to the exercise of the tasks conferred on the ECB.

The ECB shall make any such request, notification or application available to the relevant NCA and may request the NCA to prepare a draft decision in accordance with Article 91.

In case of substantial changes compared to the authorisation given for the initial request, notification or application, the significant supervised entity shall address a new request, notification or application to the ECB in accordance with the procedure referred to in paragraph 1.

To enable the ECB to exercise oversight over the functioning of the system, as laid down in Article 6(5)(c) of the SSM Regulation, NCAs shall provide the ECB with information relating to material NCA supervisory procedures concerning less significant supervised entities. The ECB shall define general criteria, in particular taking into account the risk situation and potential impact on the domestic financial system of the less significant supervised entity concerned, to determine for which less significant supervised entities which information shall be notified. The information shall be provided by the NCAs ex ante or in duly justified cases of urgency simultaneously to opening a procedure.

The material NCA supervisory procedures referred to in paragraph 1 shall consist of:

In addition to the information requirements set out by the ECB in accordance with this Article, the ECB may, at any time, request from NCAs information on the performance of the tasks carried out by them in respect of less significant supervised entities.

In addition to the information requirements set out by the ECB in accordance with this Article, NCAs shall, on their own initiative, notify the ECB of any other NCA supervisory procedure which:

If the ECB requests an NCA to further assess specific aspects of a material NCA supervisory procedure, this request shall specify which aspects are concerned. The ECB and the NCA shall respectively ensure that the other party has sufficient time to enable the procedure and the SSM as a whole to function efficiently.

To enable the ECB to exercise oversight over the functioning of the system, as laid down in Article 6(5)(c) of the SSM Regulation, NCAs shall send to the ECB draft supervisory decisions that fulfil the criteria laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 where the draft decision concerns the less significant supervised entities for which the ECB considers that, based on the general criteria defined by the ECB regarding their risk situation and potential impact on the domestic financial system, the information shall be notified to it.

Subject to paragraph 1, draft supervisory decisions shall be sent to the ECB prior to being addressed to less significant supervised entities if such decisions:

In addition to the information requirements laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2, NCAs shall transmit to the ECB any other draft supervisory decisions:

NCAs shall send draft decisions meeting the criteria laid down in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, and that therefore are deemed material draft supervisory decisions, to the ECB at least 10 days in advance of the planned date of adoption of the decision. The ECB shall express its views on the draft decision within a reasonable time before the planned adoption of the decision. In cases of urgency, a reasonable time period for sending a draft decision which meets the criteria laid down in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 to the ECB shall be defined by the relevant NCA.

To enable the ECB to exercise oversight over the functioning of the SSM pursuant to Article 6(5)(c) of the SSM Regulation, and without prejudice to Chapter 1, the ECB may require NCAs to report to the ECB on a regular basis on the measures they have taken and on the performance of the tasks they are to carry out in accordance with Article 6(6) of the SSM Regulation. The ECB shall inform the NCAs annually of the categories of less significant supervised entities and the nature of the information required.

The requirements laid down in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be without prejudice to the ECB’s right to make use of the powers referred to in Articles 10 to 13 of the SSM Regulation in respect of less significant supervised entities.

For the purpose of this Part, macro-prudential tools means any of the following instruments:

The macro-prudential procedures referred to in Articles 5(1) and (2) of the SSM Regulation shall not constitute ECB or NCA supervisory procedures within the meaning of this Regulation, without prejudice to Article 22 of the SSM Regulation in relation to decisions addressed to individual supervised entities.

In accordance with Article 5(1) of the SSM Regulation, the relevant NCA or NDA, when it intends to apply such tools, shall notify its intention to the ECB ten working days prior to taking such a decision. This notwithstanding, if an NCA or NDA intends to make use of a macro-prudential tool, it shall inform the ECB as early as possible of its identification of a macro-prudential or systemic risk for the financial system and, where possible, of the details of the intended tool. Such information shall as far as possible include specificities of the intended measure, including the intended date of application.

The notification of intent shall be provided by the NCA or NDA to the ECB.

If the ECB objects to the intended measure of an NCA or NDA, the ECB shall state its reasons for doing so within five working days after the day of receipt of the notification of intent. Such objection shall be in writing and state the reasons for the objection. The NCA or NDA shall duly consider the ECB’s reasons prior to proceeding with the decision as appropriate.

In accordance with Article 5(2) of the SSM Regulation, when the ECB intends on its own initiative, or on the proposal of an NCA or NDA, to apply higher requirements for capital buffers or to apply more stringent measures aimed at addressing systemic or macro-prudential risks it shall cooperate closely with the NDAs in the Member States concerned and, in particular, notify its intention to the NDA or NCA 10 working days prior to taking such a decision. This notwithstanding, if the ECB intends to apply higher requirements for capital buffers or to apply more stringent measures aimed at addressing systemic or macro-prudential risks at the level of credit institutions subject to the procedures set out in Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 and Directive 2013/36/EU in the cases specifically set out in Union law, it shall inform the relevant NCA or NDA as early as possible of its identification of a macro-prudential or systemic risk to the financial system and, where possible, of the details of the intended tool. Such information shall, as far as possible, include the specificities of the intended measure, including the intended date of application.

If any of the concerned NCAs or NDAs objects to the intended measure of the ECB, it shall state its reasons to the ECB within five working days after the day of receipt of the ECB’s notification of intent. Such objection shall be in writing and state the reasons for the objection. The ECB shall duly consider those reasons prior to proceeding with the decision as appropriate.

From the date on which an ECB decision pursuant to Article 7(2) of the SSM Regulation establishing close cooperation between the ECB and an NCA of a non-euro area Member State applies, and until the termination or suspension of such close cooperation, the ECB shall carry out the tasks referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) and Article 5 of the SSM Regulation in relation to supervised entities and groups established in the relevant participating Member State in close cooperation, in accordance with Article 6 of the SSM Regulation.

If a close cooperation has been established pursuant to Article 7(2) of the SSM Regulation the ECB and the NCA in close cooperation shall, in respect of significant supervised entities and groups and less significant supervised entities and groups established in the participating Member State in close cooperation, be in a position comparable to significant supervised entities and groups and less significant supervised entities and groups established in euro area Member States, taking into account that the ECB does not have directly applicable powers over significant supervised entities and groups and less significant supervised entities and groups established in the participating Member State in close cooperation.

In accordance with Article 6 of the SSM Regulation, the ECB may issue to an NCA in close cooperation instructions in respect of significant supervised entities and groups and only general instructions in respect of less significant supervised entities and groups.

Close cooperation shall end on the date on which the derogation pursuant to Article 139 TFEU is abrogated in respect of a participating Member State in close cooperation in accordance with Article 140(2) TFEU, and the provisions of this Part shall then cease to apply.

With respect to the tasks referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) and Article 5 of the SSM Regulation, the ECB may give instructions, make requests or issue guidelines.

If the ECB considers that a measure relating to the tasks referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) of the SSM Regulation should be adopted by the NCA in close cooperation in relation to a supervised entity or group, it shall address to that NCA:

If the ECB considers that a measure relating to the tasks referred to in Article 5 of the SSM Regulation should be adopted by the NCA or NDA in close cooperation, it may address to that NCA or NDA a general or specific instruction, a request or a guideline requiring the application of higher requirements for capital buffers or the application of more stringent measures aimed at addressing systemic or macro-prudential risks.

The ECB shall specify in the instruction, request or guideline a relevant time limit for the adoption of the measure by the NCA in close cooperation, which shall be no less than 48 hours, unless earlier adoption is necessary to prevent irreparable damage. When determining the time limit, the ECB shall take into account the administrative and procedural law with which the relevant NCA in close cooperation has to comply.

An NCA in close cooperation shall take all necessary measures to comply with the ECB’s instructions, requests or guidelines and it shall inform the ECB without undue delay of the measures it has taken.

The provisions of Part IV on the determination of the status of supervised entities or supervised groups as significant or less significant shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of supervised entities and supervised groups in participating Member States in close cooperation in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

An NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that the procedures laid down in Part IV can be applied in respect of supervised entities and supervised groups established in its Member State.

In circumstances where Part IV provides for the ECB to address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, the ECB shall, instead of addressing a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, issue instructions to the NCA in close cooperation and that NCA shall address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group in accordance with such instructions.

The provisions of Part V on common procedures shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of supervised entities and supervised groups in the participating Member States in close cooperation, subject to the provisions of this Article.

An NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that the procedures laid down in Part V can be applied in respect of supervised entities established in its Member State. In particular, the NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that the ECB receives any information and documentation needed to carry out the tasks conferred on it by the SSM Regulation.

In circumstances where Part V provides for the ECB to address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, the ECB shall, instead of addressing a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, issue instructions to the NCA in close cooperation and that NCA shall address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group in accordance with such instructions.

In circumstances where Part V provides for the relevant NCA to prepare a draft decision, an NCA in close cooperation shall submit a draft decision to the ECB and request instructions.

The provisions of Part X on administrative penalties shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of supervised entities and supervised groups in participating Member States in close cooperation.

In circumstances where Article 18 of the SSM Regulation in connection with Part X of this Regulation provide for the ECB to address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, the ECB shall, instead of addressing a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group, issue instructions to the NCA in close cooperation and that NCA shall address a decision to a supervised entity or supervised group in accordance with such instructions.

In cases where Article 18 of the SSM Regulation or Part X of this Regulation provides for the relevant NCA to address a decision to a significant supervised entity or significant supervised group, an NCA in close cooperation shall initiate proceedings with a view to taking action to ensure that appropriate administrative penalties are imposed only on the ECB’s instructions. The NCA in close cooperation shall inform the ECB once a decision has been adopted.

The provisions of Part XI which relate to cooperation with regard to Articles 10 to 13 of the SSM Regulation shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of supervised entities and supervised groups in participating Member States in close cooperation.

An NCA in close cooperation shall make use of the investigatory powers pursuant to Articles 10 to 13 of the SSM Regulation in accordance with the ECB’s instructions.

An NCA in close cooperation shall provide the ECB with findings resulting from the use of the investigatory powers pursuant to Articles 10 to 13 of the SSM Regulation.

An NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that designated ECB staff members can participate as observers in any investigation pursuant to Articles 10 to 13 of the SSM Regulation.

Parts II and VI shall apply mutatis mutandis to significant supervised entities and significant supervised groups established in a participating Member State in close cooperation in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

An NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that the ECB receives all the information and reporting from and in respect of significant supervised entities and significant supervised groups which the NCA in close cooperation itself receives and which are necessary to carry out the tasks conferred on the ECB by the SSM Regulation.

A joint supervisory team shall be established to supervise each significant supervised entity or significant supervised group established in a participating Member State in close cooperation. The members of the joint supervisory team shall be appointed in accordance with Article 4. The NCA in close cooperation shall appoint the NCA sub-coordinator to act directly in relation to the significant supervised entity or significant supervised group, in accordance with the instructions of the JST coordinator.

An NCA in close cooperation shall ensure that designated ECB staff members are invited to participate in any on-site inspection carried out in respect of a significant supervised entity or significant supervised group. The ECB may determine the number of ECB staff members who will participate as observers.

In the context of consolidated supervision and colleges of supervisors, in circumstances where a parent undertaking is established in a euro area Member State or in a non-euro area participating Member State, the ECB, as competent authority, shall be the consolidating supervisor and shall chair the college of supervisors. The ECB shall invite the relevant NCA in close cooperation to appoint an NCA staff member as observer. The ECB may act by giving instructions to the relevant NCA in close cooperation.

Without prejudice to the powers of NCAs in respect of tasks not conferred on the ECB pursuant to the SSM Regulation, an NCA in close cooperation shall adopt decisions in respect of significant supervised entities and significant supervised groups in its Member State only on the ECB’s instructions. The NCA in close cooperation may also request instructions from the ECB.

An NCA in close cooperation shall make any decision in respect of a significant supervised entity or significant supervised group available to the ECB immediately.

An NCA in close cooperation shall inform the ECB in relation to both: (a) decisions it adopts under its powers in respect of tasks not conferred on the ECB pursuant to the SSM Regulation; and (b) decisions it adopts pursuant to the ECB’s instructions, or as provided for in this Part.

Part VII shall apply mutatis mutandis to less significant supervised entities and less significant supervised groups in participating Member States in close cooperation in accordance with the following provisions.

For the purposes of ensuring the consistency of supervisory outcomes within the SSM, the ECB may issue general instructions and guidelines and make requests to an NCA in close cooperation requiring it to adopt a supervisory decision in respect of less significant supervised entities or less significant supervised groups established in the participating Member State in close cooperation. Such general instructions, guidelines or requests may refer to groups or categories of credit institutions.

The ECB may also address to an NCA in close cooperation a request to further assess aspects of a material NCA procedure as provided for in Article 6(7)(c)(ii) of the SSM Regulation.

The ECB shall inform the NCA in close cooperation of the Supervisory Board’s complete draft decision in relation to a supervised entity or supervised group located in a participating Member State in close cooperation, subject to confidentiality requirements under Union law.

If the NCA in close cooperation disagrees with the Supervisory Board’s complete draft decision, it shall, within five working days of receipt of the complete draft decision, notify the Governing Council in writing of the reasons for its disagreement.

The Governing Council shall decide on the matter within five working days of receipt of such notification, taking the reasons stated for the disagreement fully into account, and it shall provide the NCA in close cooperation with written reasons for its decision.

A participating Member State in close cooperation may request the ECB to terminate its close cooperation with immediate effect and shall then not be bound by any ensuing decision of the Governing Council.

The ECB shall inform an NCA in close cooperation of any objection of the Governing Council to a complete draft decision of the Supervisory Board.

If the NCA in close cooperation disagrees with the Governing Council’s objection to the Supervisory Board’s complete draft decision it shall, within five working days of receiving the Governing Council’s objection, notify the ECB of its reasons for its disagreement.

The Governing Council shall give its written opinion on the reasoned disagreement expressed by the NCA in close cooperation within 30 days of receipt of the reasoned disagreement and, stating its reasons for doing so, shall either confirm or withdraw its objection. The ECB shall inform the NCA in close cooperation thereof.

If the Governing Council confirms its objection, the NCA in close cooperation may, within five days of being informed that the Governing Council has confirmed its objection, notify the ECB that it will not be bound by any decision taken following amendment of the initial complete draft decision to which the Governing Council objects.

For the purposes of the procedures provided for in Article 18(1) of the SSM Regulation, the procedural rules contained in this Regulation shall apply, in accordance with Article 18(4) of the SSM Regulation.

For the purposes of the procedures provided for in Article 18(7) of the SSM Regulation, the procedural rules contained in this Regulation shall complement those laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2532/98 and shall be applied in accordance with Articles 25 and 26 of the SSM Regulation.

The ECB shall establish an internal independent investigating unit (hereinafter the ‘investigating unit’) which shall be composed of investigating officers designated by the ECB.

The investigating officers shall not be involved, and shall not for the two years before taking up the position of investigating officer, have been involved in the direct or indirect supervision or authorisation of the relevant supervised entity.

The investigating officers shall perform their investigative functions independently of the Supervisory Board and Governing Council and shall not take part in the deliberations of the Supervisory Board and Governing Council.

For the purpose of investigating alleged breaches as referred to in Article 124, the investigating unit may exercise the powers granted to the ECB under the SSM Regulation.

Where a request is made to the supervised entity concerned under the powers granted to the ECB pursuant to the SSM Regulation in the context of an investigation, the investigating unit shall specify the subject matter and the purpose of the investigation.

When carrying out its tasks, the investigating unit shall have access to all documents and information gathered by the ECB and, where appropriate, by the relevant NCAs in the course of their supervisory activities.

On completion of an investigation and before a proposal for a complete draft decision is prepared and submitted to the Supervisory Board, the investigating unit shall notify the supervised entity concerned in writing of the findings under the investigation carried out and of any objections raised thereto.

In the notification referred to in paragraph 1, the investigating unit shall inform the supervised entity concerned of its right to make submissions in writing to the investigating unit on the factual results and the objections raised against the entity as set out therein, including the individual provisions which have been allegedly infringed, and it shall set a reasonable time limit for receipt of such submissions. The ECB shall not be obliged to take into account written submissions received after the time limit set by the investigating unit has expired.

The investigating unit may also, following notification in accordance with paragraph 1, invite the supervised entity concerned to attend an oral hearing. The parties subject to investigation may be represented and/or assisted by lawyers or other qualified persons at the hearing. Oral hearings shall not be held in public.

The right of access to the file of the investigating unit by the supervised entity under investigation shall be determined in accordance with Article 32.

If an investigating unit considers that an administrative penalty should be imposed on a supervised entity, the investigating unit shall submit a proposal for a complete draft decision to the Supervisory Board, determining that the supervised entity concerned has committed a breach and specifying the administrative penalty to be imposed. The investigating unit shall also submit its file on the investigation to the Supervisory Board.

The investigating unit shall base its proposal for a complete draft decision only on facts and objections on which the supervised entity has had the opportunity to comment.

If the Supervisory Board considers that the file submitted by the investigating unit is incomplete, it may return the file to the investigating unit together with a reasoned request for additional information. Article 125 shall apply accordingly.

If the Supervisory Board, on the basis of a complete file, agrees with the proposal for a complete draft decision of the investigating unit in respect of one or more breaches and the factual basis for such decision, it shall adopt the complete draft decision proposed by the investigating unit regarding the breach or breaches it agrees have taken place. To the extent that the Supervisory Board does not agree with the proposal, a decision shall be taken pursuant to the relevant paragraphs of this Article.

If the Supervisory Board, on the basis of a complete file, considers that the facts described in the proposal for a complete draft decision as referred to in paragraph 1 do not appear to reveal sufficient evidence of a breach as referred to in Article 124, it may adopt a complete draft decision closing the case.

If the Supervisory Board, on the basis of a complete file, agrees with the determination in the proposal for a complete draft decision of the investigating unit that the supervised entity concerned has committed a breach, but disagrees with the proposed recommendation concerning administrative penalties, it shall adopt the complete draft decision, specifying the administrative penalty it considers appropriate.