Determination of the most relevant market in terms of liquidity
1. The most relevant market in terms of liquidity for a financial instrument which is admitted to trading on a regulated market, hereinafter 'the most relevant market', shall be determined in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 8.
2. In the case of a share or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(a) of Directive 2004/39/EC or of a unit in a collective investment undertaking, the most relevant market shall be the Member State where the share or the unit was first admitted to trading on a regulated market.
3. In the case of a bond or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(b) of Directive 2004/39/EC or of a money market instrument which, in either case, is issued by a subsidiary, within the meaning of Seventh Council Directive 83/349/EEC of 13 June 1983 on consolidated accounts (5), of an entity which has its registered office in a Member State, the most relevant market shall be the Member State where the registered office of the parent entity is situated.
4. In the case of a bond or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(b) of Directive 2004/39/EC or of a money market instrument which, in either case, is issued by a Community issuer and which is not covered by paragraph 3 of this Article, the most relevant market shall be the Member State where the registered office of the issuer is situated.
5. In the case of a bond or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(b) of Directive 2004/39/EC or a money market instrument which, in either case, is issued by a third country issuer and which is not covered by paragraph 3 of this Article, the most relevant market shall be the Member State where that security was first admitted to trading on a regulated market.
6. In the case of a derivative contract or a financial contract for differences or a transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(c) of Directive 2004/39/EC, the most relevant market shall be:
(a)
where the underlying security is a share or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(a) of Directive 2004/39/EC which is admitted to trading on a regulated market, the Member State deemed to be the most relevant market in terms of liquidity for the underlying security, in accordance with paragraph 2;
(b)
where the underlying security is a bond or other transferable security covered by Article 4(1)(18)(b) of Directive 2004/39/EC or a money market instrument which is admitted to trading on a regulated market, the Member State deemed to be the most relevant market in terms of liquidity for that underlying security, in accordance with paragraphs 3, 4 or 5;
(c)
where the underlying is an index composed of shares all of which are traded on a particular regulated market, the Member State where that regulated market is situated.
7. In any case not covered by paragraphs 2 to 6, the most relevant market shall be the Member State where the regulated market that first admitted the transferable security or derivative contract or financial contract for differences to trading is located.
8. Where a financial instrument covered by paragraphs 2, 5 or 7, or the underlying financial instrument of a financial instrument covered by paragraph 6 to which one of paragraphs 2, 5 or 7 is relevant, was first admitted to trading on more than one regulated market simultaneously, and all those regulated markets share the same home Member State, that Member State shall be the most relevant market.
Where the regulated markets concerned do not share the same home Member State, the most relevant market in terms of liquidity for that instrument shall be the market where the turnover of that instrument is highest.
For the purposes of determining the most relevant market where the turnover of the instrument is highest, each competent authority that has authorised one of the regulated markets concerned shall calculate the turnover for that instrument in its respective market for the previous calendar year, provided that the instrument was admitted to trading at the beginning of that year.
Where the turnover for the relevant financial instrument cannot be calculated by reason of insufficient or non-existent data and the issuer has its registered office in a Member State, the most relevant market shall be the market of the Member State where the registered office of the issuer is situated.
However, where issuer does not have its registered office in a Member State, the most relevant market for that instrument shall be the market where the turnover of the relevant instrument class is the highest. For the purposes of determining that market, each competent authority that has authorised one of the regulated markets concerned shall calculate the turnover for the instruments of the same class in its respective market for the preceding calendar year.
The relevant classes of financial instrument are the following:
(a)
shares;
(b)
bonds or other forms of securitised debt;
(c)
any other financial instruments.