# Article 5 — Degree of substitutability **Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1502 · binding · OJ L, 2024/1502, 30.5.2024 · dated 22 Feb 2024 [in force]** *In force · Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1502, OJ L, 2024/1502, 30.5.2024 · Checked against EUR-Lex on 26 Oct 2026 · [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/1502/oj/eng)* 1. When considering the criterion set out in [Article 31(2)](../../articles/31.md), point (d), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, the ESAs shall assess whether the ICT third-party service provider fulfils the following ‘step 1’ sub-criteria: **(a)** sub-criterion 4.1: the share of the total number of financial entities, broken down by categories of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, for which no alternative ICT third-party service provider is available which has the required capacity to provide the same ICT services that support critical or important functions of financial entities as the one provided by the relevant ICT third-party service provider; **(b)** sub-criterion 4.2: the share of the total number of financial entities, broken down by categories of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, for which it is highly difficult to migrate an ICT service provided by the relevant ICT third-party service provider that supports critical or important functions of financial entities to another ICT third-party service provider. 1. The sub-criterion 4.1 set out in paragraph 1, point (a), shall be calculated as follows: number of financial entities of a category of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, for which no alternative ICT third party service provider is available which has the required capacity to provide the same ICT services that support critical or important functions of financial entities as the one provided by the relevant ICT third party service provider total number of financial entities of that category of financial entities as set out in Article 2(1)of Regulation 2022/2554 1. The sub-criterion set out in paragraph 1, point (b), shall be calculated as follows: number of financial entities of a category of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554, for which it is highly difficult to migrate or reintegrate an ICT service provided by the ICT third party provider that support critical or important functions to another ICT third party provider total number of EU financial entities of that category of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 1. An ICT third-party service provider shall be considered as having fulfilled both sub-criteria 4.1 and 4.2 where either of the following is met: **(a)** the share of the total number of financial entities referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), is of at least 10 % of the total number of financial entities for a category of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554; **(b)** the share of the total number of financial entities referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), is of at least 10 % of the total number of financial entities or a category of financial entities as set out in [Article 2(1)](../../articles/2.md) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554. 1. When considering the criterion set out in [Article 31(2)](../../articles/31.md), point (d), of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 and where the ICT third-party service provider fulfils the ‘step 1’ sub-criteria referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the ESAs shall carry out their assessment in the light of the step two sub-criterion specified in [Article 31(2)](../../articles/31.md), point (d)(i) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2554.