AUTH 5.1 Application and purpose

1. (1)

   This chapter applies to an EEA firm that wishes to exercise an entitlement to establish a branch in, or provide cross border services into, the United Kingdom under a Single Market Directive. (The Act refers to such an entitlement as an EEA right and its exercise is referred to in the Handbook as "passporting"). (See SUP App 3 (Guidance on passporting issues) for further guidance on passporting).3

2. (2)

   The chapter also applies to:

   1. (a)

      a Treaty firm that wishes to exercise rights under the Treaty in respect of regulated activities not covered by the Single Market Directives and qualify for authorisation under Schedule 4 to the Act (Treaty Rights); and

   2. (b)

      a UCITS qualifier, that is, an operator, trustee or depositary of a recognised collective investment scheme, constituted in another EEA State, and which qualifies for authorisation under Schedule 5 to the Act (Persons concerned in collective investment schemes).

3. (3)

   The provisions implementing the Single Market Directives are within the coordinated field (see AUTH 2.9.18 G (1)). So, where an incoming ECA provider intends to provide electronic commerce activity that consist of activities that fall within one of the Single Market Directives, the passporting requirements on exercising an EEA right in this chapter will apply.1

This chapter does not apply to:

1. (1)

   an EEA firm that wishes to carry on in the United Kingdom activities which are outside the scope of its EEA right and the scope of a permission granted under Schedule 4 to the Act; in this case the EEA firm requires a "top-up permission" under Part IV of the Act and `should refer to AUTH 3 (Applications for Part IV permission); or

2. (2)

   a person participating in a community co-insurance operation by the provision of services and otherwise than as leading insurer, carrying on any insurance activity; by virtue of Article 11 of the Regulated Activities OrderCommunity co-insurance operation is treated as authorised on completion by the leading insurer of the requirements of Schedule 3 to the Act.

3. (3)

   a Treaty firm that wishes to provide electronic commerce activities into the United Kingdom.1

1. (1)

   Under The Gibraltar Order made under section 409 of the Act (Gibraltar), a Gibraltar firm is treated as an EEA firm under Schedule 3 to the Act if it is:

   1. (a)

      authorised in Gibraltar under the Insurance Directives; or

   2. (b)

      authorised in Gibraltar under the Banking Consolidation Directives.

2. (2)

   A Gibraltar insurance company is allowed to passport its services into the United Kingdom if it complies with the relevant notification procedures. Similarly, a Gibraltar credit institution is allowed to passport into the United Kingdom to provide banking services provided those services fall within items 1 to 6 in Annex 1 to the Banking Consolidation Directive. So, any references in this chapter to EEA State or EEA right include references to Gibraltar and the entitlement under the Gibraltar Order where appropriate.

3. (3)

   The entitlement in the Gibraltar Order does not, however, extend to investment services as Gibraltar investment firms have not been granted the right to passport into the United Kingdom.

1. (1)

   This chapter explains how an EEA firm and a Treaty firm can qualify for authorisation under Schedules 3 and 4 to the Act and how a UCITS qualifier is authorised under Schedule 5 to the Act.

2. (2)

   This chapter also provides guidance on Schedule 3 to the Act for an incoming EEA firm that wishes to establish a branch in the United Kingdom instead of, or in addition to, providing cross border services into the United Kingdom or vice versa.

1. (1)

   EEA firms should note that the chapter only addresses the procedures which the FSA will follow under the Act after it has received a consent notice or been notified of an EEA firm's intentions by its Home State regulator. So, an EEA firm should consider this guidance in conjunction with the requirements with which it will have to comply in its Home State.

2. (2)

   The guidance in this chapter represents the FSA's interpretation of the Single Market Directives the Act and the secondary legislation made under the Act. The guidance is not exhaustive and should not be seen as a substitute for a person consulting the legislation or taking legal advice.2