COBS 4.1 Application

1. (1)

   4This chapter applies in relation to an authorised professional firm in accordance with COBS 18 (Specialist regimes).

2. (2)

   This chapter applies, to a limited extent, in relation to communicating or approving a financial promotion that relates to a deposit if the deposit is a structured deposit, cash deposit ISA or cash deposit CTF.

A firm is required to comply with the financial promotion rules in relation to a financial promotion communicated by its appointed representative even where the financial promotion does not require approval because of the exemption in article 16 of the Financial Promotion Order (Exempt persons).

1. (1)

   In COBS 4.3.1 R,9 the defined term9 "financial promotion" includes:11

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   1. (a)

      in relation to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business, all communications that are marketing communications within the meaning of MiFID; and11

   2. (b)

      in relation to insurance distribution, all communications that are marketing communications within the meaning of IDD.11

2. (2)

   In the case of MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9, certain requirements in this chapter are subject to an exemption for the communication of a third party prospectus in certain circumstances (see recital 73 of the MiFID Org Regulation)9. This has a similar effect to the exemption in article 70(1)(c) of the Financial Promotion Order, which is referred to in the definition of an excluded communication.

3. (3)

   In this chapter “financial promotion” and “direct offer financial promotion” include communications that are marketing communications for the purposes of the UCITS Directive.5

9A firm communicating with an eligible counterparty should have regard to the application of COBS to eligible counterparty business (COBS 1 Annex 1 Part 1).

Approving a financial promotion without communicating it (which includes causing it to be communicated)3 is not MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9. Communicating a financial promotion to a person, such as a corporate finance contact or a venture capital contact, who is not a client within the meaning of COBS 3.2.1 R (1), COBS 3.2.1 R (2) or COBS 3.2.1 R (4) in respect of the MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9 to which the financial promotion relates,3 is also not MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9. Further guidance on what amounts to MiFID business may be found in PERG 13.

A reference in this chapter to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9 includes a reference to communications that occur before an agreement to perform services in relation to MiFID, equivalent third country or optional exemption business9.

1. (1)

   The EEA territorial scope rule modifies the general territorial scope of the rules in this chapter to the extent necessary to be compatible with European law. This means that in a number of cases, the rules in this chapter will apply to communications made by UK firms to persons located outside the United Kingdom and will not apply to communications made to persons inside the United Kingdom by EEA firms. Further guidance on this is located in COBS 1 Annex 1.

2. (2)

   One effect of the EEA territorial scope rule is that the rules in this chapter will not generally apply to an EEA key investor information document but will, for example, apply to a firm (including an EEA UCITS management company) when marketing in the United Kingdom the units of an EEA UCITS scheme that is a recognised scheme.5

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3. (3)

   The financial promotion rules do not apply to incoming communications in relation to the MiFID business of an investment firm from another EEA State that are, in its home member state, regulated under MiFID other than to the extent COBS 4.12 (Restrictions on the promotion of non-mainstream pooled investments) applies.7

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Firms should note the territorial scope of this chapter is also affected by:

1. (1)

   the disapplication for financial promotions originating outside the United Kingdom that are not capable of having an effect within the United Kingdom (section 21(3) of the Act (Restrictions on financial promotion)) (see the defined term “excluded communication”);

2. (2)

   the exemptions for overseas communicators (see the defined term “excluded communication”); and

3. (3)

   the rules on financial promotions with an overseas element (see COBS 4.9).