COBS 3.3 General notifications
2Articles 45(1) and (2) of the MiFID Org Regulation require firms to provide clients with specified information concerning client categorisation.
45 (1) Investment firms shall notify new clients, and existing clients that the investment firm has newly categorised as required by Directive 2014/65/EU, of their categorisation as a retail client, a professional client or an eligible counterparty in accordance with that Directive.
(2) Investment firms shall inform clients in a durable medium about any right that client has to request a different categorisation and about any limitations to the level of client protection that a different categorisation would entail.
[Note: articles 45(1) and (2) of the MiFID Org Regulation]
2The information referred to in article 45(2) of the MiFID Org Regulation (as reproduced at COBS 3.3.1AEU) must be provided to clients prior to any provision of services.
[Note: paragraph 2 of section I of annex II to MiFID]
This chapter requires a firm to allow a client to request re-categorisation as a client that benefits from a higher degree of protection (see COBS 3.7.1 R). A firm must therefore notify a client that is categorised as a professional client or an eligible counterparty of its right to request a different categorisation whether or not the firm will agree to such requests. However, a firm need only notify a client of a right to request a different categorisation involving a lower level of protection if it is prepared to consider such requests.