A body corporate or an unincorporated association may apply to the FSA for recognition as a UK recognised body under sections 287 (Application by an investment exchange) or 288 (Application by a clearing house) of the Act.

This chapter sets out guidance for UK applicants and for UK entities which are considering making an application. Guidance for applicants and prospective applicants for overseas recognised body status is given in REC 6.

The Director General of Fair Trading, the Competition Commission and the Treasury also have specific roles in relation to competition issues raised by applications to become a recognised body.

1. (1)

   Under section 303 of the Act (Initial report by the Director), the Director General of Fair Trading must issue a report on whether any of the applicant's regulatory provisions have a significantly adverse effect on competition. He must send copies of his report to the Treasury, the Competition Commission and the FSA.

2. (2)

   If the Director General of Fair Trading concludes that any of the applicant's regulatory provisions have a significantly adverse effect on competition, or if the Director General of Fair Trading concludes that none of the applicant's regulatory provisions has a significantly adverse effect on competition, but he nonetheless asks the Competition Commission to consider his report, the Competition Commission must normally make its own report under section 306 of the Act (Consideration by Competition Commission) on whether any of the applicant's regulatory provisions would have a significantly adverse effect on competition, whether any such effect is justified and, if it is not justified, what action, if any, the Treasury should direct the FSA to take.

3. (3)

   The Treasury's approval is required under section 307 of the Act (Recognition orders: role of the Treasury) before a recognition order can be made. (See also REC 5.2.11 G.)

The FSA must therefore send the Director General of Fair Trading copies of any regulatory provisions provided with the application. The FSA must also send to the Director General of Fair Trading such information in its possession as a result of the application, including supplementary information received after the application is made, but before it is determined by the FSA, as the FSA considers will assist the Director General of Fair Trading in discharging his functions in connection with the application.

The Office of Fair Trading may also make informal requests for further information from an applicant. The Director General of Fair Trading also has powers under section 305 of the Act (Investigations by Director) to obtain compulsorily documents or information from the applicant or other persons.

Potential applicants may wish to consult the Office of Fair Trading separately if they have any queries about the competition assessment or there are any aspects of their rules, guidance or clearing arrangements which they consider they may need to discuss with them.

An applicant for recognised body status needs to demonstrate to the FSA that it is able to meet the recognition requirements before a recognition order can be made. Once it has been recognised, a recognised body has to comply with the recognition requirements at all times. (Guidance on the recognition requirements applicable to UK recognised bodies (and applicants) is given in REC 2).

1. (1)

   There is no standard application form. A prospective applicant should contact the Markets Division at the FSA at an early stage for advice on the preparation, scheduling and practical aspects of its application.

2. (2)

   It is very important, if an application is to be processed smoothly and in a reasonable time, that it is comprehensively prepared and based on a well-developed and clear proposal.

An application should:

1. (1)

   be made in accordance with any directions the FSA may make under section 287 (Application by an investment exchange) or section 288 (Application by a clearing house) of the Act;

2. (2)

   be accompanied by the applicant's regulatory provisions (the material specifically prescribed in section 287 or section 288);

3. (3)

   be accompanied by the information, evidence and explanatory material (including supporting documentation) necessary to demonstrate to the FSA that the recognition requirements will be met; and

4. (4)

   be accompanied by the appropriate fee (see REC 7).

Other information and documentation which should normally accompany an application is listed in more detail in REC 5.2.14 G.

A prospective applicant who is an authorised person may wish to consult the FSA about the extent to which information which it has already supplied in connection with its status as an authorised person can be used to support an application to become a UK recognised body.

Under section 289 of the Act (Applications: supplementary), the FSA may require the applicant to provide additional information, and may require the applicant to verify any information in any manner. In view of their likely importance for any application, the FSA will normally wish to arrange for its own inspection of an applicant's information technology systems.

At any time after making a formal application, the applicant may make amendments to its rules, guidance or any other part of its application submitted to the FSA. Any amendments or additional information are likely to be forwarded by the FSA to the Director General of Fair Trading and the Treasury under section 303 of the Act (Initial report by Director) (see REC 5.1.5 G).

1. (1)

   The FSA will keep the applicant informed of the progress of the application.

2. (2)

   It may be necessary to ask the applicant to clarify or amplify some aspects of its proposals. The FSA may wish to discuss various aspects of the application and may invite the applicant to attend one or more meetings for that purpose. When requested to do so, the FSA will explain the nature of the information which it has asked an applicant to supply in connection with its application.

1. (1)

   While the FSA is considering the application, the Office of Fair Trading will be reviewing the regulatory provisions so that the Director General of Fair Trading is able to make the report required by section 303 of the Act.

2. (2)

   When the Director General of Fair Trading has issued his report, if the circumstances described in REC 5.1.4 G apply, the Competition Commission must normally make its own report under section 306 of the Act.

Where the FSA considers that an applicant satisfies the recognition requirements, and that the Treasury has had an opportunity to consider any reports from the Director General of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission, the FSA will then seek the Treasury's approval, under section 307 of the Act (Recognition orders: role of the Treasury), to the making of a recognition order.

Under section 307 of the Act, the Treasury will have to follow the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading or the Competition Commission as appropriate unless it considers that there are exceptional circumstances for not doing so. The Treasury will therefore ordinarily give its approval to the making of a recognition order if the applicant's regulatory provisions are not considered to have a significantly adverse effect on competition or, if they are considered to have that effect, the effect is justified. It will ordinarily refuse its approval if the applicant's regulatory provisions are considered to have any significantly adverse effect on competition and that effect is not considered to be justified.

Where the FSA considers that it is unlikely to make a recognition order, or to seek the Treasury's approval, it will discuss its concerns with the applicant as early as possible with a view to enabling the applicant to make changes to its rules or guidance, or other parts of the application (see REC 5.2.7 G). If the FSA decides that it will not make a recognition order, it will follow the procedure set out in section 298 of the Act (Directions and revocation: procedure) and described in more detail in REC 4.8.

The FSA will notify the applicant if the Treasury does not give its approval under section 307 of the Act (Recognition orders: role of the Treasury). Under section 290 (Recognition orders), the FSA does not have to follow the section 298 procedure (see REC 4.8) in this case and will not normally do so. The Treasury is required in those circumstances to follow a similar procedure under section 310 of the Act (Procedure on the exercise of certain powers by the Treasury).