Skip to the text
Text as of 4 Dec 2024 · Consolidated version of 23 November 2025 · Same wording as today’s text.Today’s text

Article 32 — Trading obligation procedure

Financial servicesLevel 1RegulationMiFIRIn forceOfficial source

32(1)
1.ESMA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to specify the following:
Copy link
32(1)(a)
(a)which of the class of derivatives declared subject to the clearing obligation in accordance with Article 5(2) and (4) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 or a relevant subset thereof shall be traded on the venues referred to in Article 28(1) of this Regulation;
Copy link
32(1)(b)
(b)the date or dates from which the trading obligation takes effect, including any phase-in and the categories of counterparties to which the obligation applies where such phase-in and such categories of counterparties have been provided for in regulatory technical standards in accordance with Article 5(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
Copy link

ESMA shall submit those draft regulatory technical standards to the Commission within six months after the adoption of the regulatory technical standards in accordance with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 by the Commission.

Before submitting the draft regulatory technical standards to the Commission for adoption, ESMA shall conduct a public consultation and, where appropriate, may consult third-country competent authorities.

Power is conferred to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.

32(2)
2.In order for the trading obligation to take effect:
Copy link
32(2)(a)
(a)the class of derivative pursuant to paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article or a relevant subset thereof must be traded on at least one trading venue as referred to in Article 28(1); and
Copy link
32(2)(b)
(b)there must be sufficient third-party buying and selling interest in the class of derivatives or a relevant subset thereof so that such a class of derivatives is considered sufficiently liquid to trade only on the venues referred to in Article 28(1).
Copy link
32(3)
3.In developing the draft regulatory technical standards referred to in paragraph 1, ESMA shall consider the class of derivatives or a relevant subset thereof as sufficiently liquid pursuant to the following criteria:
Copy link
32(3)(a)
(a)the average frequency and size of trades over a range of market conditions, having regard to the nature and lifecycle of products within the class of derivatives;
Copy link
32(3)(b)
(b)the number and type of active market participants including the ratio of market participants to products/contracts traded in a given product market;
Copy link
32(3)(c)
(c)the average size of the spreads.
Copy link

In preparing those draft regulatory technical standards, ESMA shall take into consideration the anticipated impact that trading obligation might have on the liquidity of a class of derivatives or a relevant subset thereof and the commercial activities of end users which are not financial entities.

ESMA shall determine whether the class of derivatives or relevant subset thereof is only sufficiently liquid in transactions below a certain size.

32(4)
4.ESMA shall, on its own initiative, in accordance with the criteria laid down in paragraph 2 and after conducting a public consultation, identify and notify to the Commission the classes of derivative or individual derivative contracts that should be subject to the obligation to trade on the venues referred to in Article 28(1) of this Regulation, but for which no CCP has yet received authorisation pursuant to Article 14 or 15 of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012.
Copy link

Following the notification by ESMA referred to in the first subparagraph, the Commission may publish a call for development of proposals for the trading of those derivatives on the venues referred to in Article 28(1).

32(4a)
4a.Where ESMA considers that the suspension of the clearing obligation as referred to in Article 6a of Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 is a material change in the criteria for the trading obligation to take effect, as referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article, ESMA may request that the Commission suspend the trading obligation laid down in Article 28(1) of this Regulation for the same classes of OTC derivative that are subject to the request to suspend the clearing obligation.
Copy link
32(4b)
4b.ESMA may request that the Commission suspend the trading obligation laid down in Article 28(1) for specific classes of OTC derivative or for a specific type of counterparty, where such a suspension is necessary to avoid or address adverse effects on liquidity or a serious threat to financial stability and to ensure the orderly functioning of financial markets in the Union and where that suspension is proportionate to those aims.
Copy link
32(4c)
4c.The requests referred to in paragraphs 4a and 4b shall not be made public.
Copy link
32(4d)
4d.After having received the requests referred to in paragraphs 4a and 4b, the Commission shall, without undue delay and on the basis of the reasons and evidence provided by ESMA, do either of the following:
Copy link
32(4d)(a)
(a)by way of an implementing act, suspend the trading obligation for classes of OTC derivative or for types of counterparties;
Copy link
32(4d)(b)
(b)reject the requested suspension.
Copy link

For the purposes of point (b) of the first subparagraph, the Commission shall inform ESMA of the reasons why it rejected the requested suspension. The Commission shall immediately inform the European Parliament and the Council of that rejection and forward them the reasons provided to ESMA. The information provided to the European Parliament and the Council regarding the rejection and the reasons for that rejection shall not be made public.

The suspension referred to in the first subparagraph, point (a), shall be valid for an initial period of no more than three months from the date of publication of the implementing act referred to in that point.

Where the grounds for the suspension referred to in the first subparagraph, point (a), continue to apply, the Commission may, by way of an implementing act, extend that suspension for further periods of no more than three months, with the total period of the suspension of no more than 12 months.

The implementing acts referred to in the first subparagraph, point (a), and the fourth subparagraph of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 51.

32(5)
5.ESMA shall in accordance with paragraph 1, submit to the Commission draft regulatory technical standards to amend, suspend or revoke existing regulatory technical standards whenever there is a material change in the criteria set out in paragraph 2. Before doing so, ESMA may, where appropriate, consult the competent authorities of third countries.
Copy link

Power is conferred to the Commission to adopt regulatory technical standards referred to in this paragraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.

32(6)
6.ESMA shall develop draft regulatory technical standards to specify the criteria referred to in paragraph 2(b).
Copy link

ESMA shall submit drafts for those regulatory technical standards to the Commission by 3 July 2015.

Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.