--- title: "ESMA Q&A 1054 — Q&A — Best Execution [Answer Published]" shortTitle: "ESMA Q&A 1054 — Q&A — Best Execution [Answer Published]" answer_id: ESMA_QA_1054 topic: "Best Execution" status: "Answer Published" type: qa instrument_type: qa authority: ESMA binding: false binding_character: non_binding legal_status: in_force regulation: "MiFID II" mifid_level3: true mica_level2: false legal_basis: "MiFID II" date: 4 April 2017 source_link: https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/1054 lifecycle: "Answer Published" text_version: "ESMA Q&A register, 4 April 2017" source_url: "https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/1054" check_status: matched verified: true last_checked: 2026-10-26 checked_against: "the ESMA publication" source: prepared_by: "ESMA" published_by: "ESMA" published_in: "ESMA Q&A tool" evidence: prepared_by: "ESMA Answer" locator: "ESMA Q&A entry ESMA_QA_1054: field 'ESMA Answer', no 'Answer provided by' line" document_type: "qa_answer" legal_nature: "not_legislation" addressees: "not stated in the document" dates: published_on: "2017-04-04" question_submitted_on: "2017-04-04" locators: published_on: "ESMA Q&A Excel export ESMA_QA_1054, column 'Esma responses', date line" question_submitted_on: "ESMA Q&A Excel export ESMA_QA_1054, column 'Date of submission'" lifecycle_label: "Answer Published" --- **Answer by ESMA, published in its Q&A tool · not legislation · published 4 Apr 2017 [Answer Published]** *Answer Published · ESMA Q&A register, 4 April 2017 · Checked against the ESMA publication on 26 Oct 2026 · [Official source](https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/1054)* | | | |---|---| | **Full title** | ESMA Q&A 1054 — Q&A — Best Execution \[Answer Published\] | | **Prepared by** | ESMA | | **Published by** | ESMA, in the ESMA Q&A tool | | **Reference** | ESMA_QA_1054 | | **Document type** | Q&A | | **Legal nature** | Not legislation | | **Addressees** | Not stated in the document | | **Dates** | Published 4 April 2017; question submitted 4 April 2017 | | **Legal basis** | MiFID II | | **Related instruments** | None recorded | | **Text on this page** | Word for word — the full text of the ESMA publication | **Best Execution** ### Question How should passive and aggressive orders be understood in the context of portfolio management or of reception and transmission of orders for the purposes of the RTS 28 report to be published under Article 65(6) of the Delegated Regulation? *** ### Answer \[ESMA35-43-439 MiFID II Investor Protection Best execution Q&A 14\] Investment firms providing portfolio management or reception and transmission of orders services are required to publish information that is consistent with the RTS 28 which includes, among others, data on passive and aggressive orders. The relevance of these descriptive terms in the context of portfolio managers will however vary according to the nature of the activities undertaken, the trading system used and the classes of financial instruments. If a portfolio manager, or a receiver and transmitter of orders, sends an order to an entity for execution (broker), the distinction between passive and aggressive orders as defined in Article 2 of RTS 28 is likely not relevant and will not need to be disclosed in the report to be published in accordance with Article 65(6) of the Delegated Regulation. An exception to this is where the portfolio manager or transmitter of orders has attached a specific instruction to an order, and that instruction is understood to mean that the broker will execute the order in a fashion that is either passive or aggressive within the meaning of the definition provided under RTS 28. If a portfolio manager is executing orders directly on an execution venue then Article 27 of MiFID II and RTS 28 apply and the distinction between passive and aggressive will be relevant and should be disclosed in the report, where applicable. *** **Source:** [ESMA original document](https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/1054)