Reset to Today

To access the FCA Handbook Archive choose a date between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2004.

Content Options:

Add to favourites

View Options:

More Resources:

External link Handbook Publications

Alternative versions

  1. Point in time
    2020-11-25

PRR 4.1 Use of languages

Language

PRR 4.1.1EU

1Article 27 of the Prospectus Regulation provides:

Article 27

Use of language

  1. 1. Where an offer of securities to the public is made or admission to trading on a regulated market is sought only in the home Member State, the prospectus shall be drawn up in a language accepted by the competent authority of the home Member State.

  2. 2. Where an offer of securities to the public is made or admission to trading on a regulated market is sought in one or more Member States excluding the home Member State, the prospectus shall be drawn up either in a language accepted by the competent authorities of those Member States or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance, at the choice of the issuer, the offeror or the person asking for admission to trading on a regulated market.

    The competent authority of each host Member State shall require that the summary referred to in Article 7 be available in its official language, or at least one of its official languages, or in another language accepted by the competent authority of that Member State, but it shall not require the translation of any other part of the prospectus.

    For the purpose of the scrutiny and approval by the competent authority of the home Member State, the prospectus shall be drawn up either in a language accepted by that authority or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance, at the choice of the issuer, the offeror or the person asking for admission to trading on a regulated market.

  3. 3. Where an offer of securities to the public is made or an admission to trading on a regulated market is sought in more than one Member State including the home Member State, the prospectus shall be drawn up in a language accepted by the competent authority of the home Member State, and shall also be made available either in a language accepted by the competent authorities of each host Member State or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance, at the choice of the issuer, the offeror, or the person asking for admission to trading on a regulated market.

    The competent authority of each host Member State shall require that the summary referred to in Article 7 be available in its official language or at least one of its official languages, or in another language accepted by the competent authority of that Member State, but it shall not require the translation of any other part of the prospectus.

  4. 4. The final terms and the summary of the individual issue shall be drawn up in the same language as the language of the approved base prospectus.

    When, in accordance with Article 25(4), the final terms are communicated to the competent authority of the host Member State or, if there is more than one host Member State, to the competent authorities of the host Member States, the following language rules shall apply to the final terms and the summary annexed thereto:

    1. (a) the summary of the individual issue annexed to the final terms shall be available in the official language or at least one of the official languages of the host Member State, or in another language accepted by the competent authority of the host Member State in accordance with the second subparagraph of paragraph 2 or the second subparagraph of paragraph 3, as applicable;

    2. (b) where the base prospectus is to be translated pursuant to paragraph 2 or 3, as applicable, the final terms and the summary of the individual issue annexed thereto, shall be subject to the same translation requirements as the base prospectus.

  5. 5. Where a prospectus relates to the admission to trading on a regulated market of non-equity securities and admission to trading on a regulated market is sought in one or more Member States, the prospectus shall be drawn up either in a language accepted by the competent authorities of the home and host Member States or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance, at the choice of the issuer, the offeror or the person asking for admission to trading on a regulated market, provided that either:

    1. (a) such securities are to be traded only on a regulated market, or a specific segment thereof, to which only qualified investors can have access for the purposes of trading such securities; or

    2. (b) such securities have a denomination per unit of at least EUR 100 000.

English language

PRR 4.1.2R

1For the purposes of article 27 of the Prospectus Regulation, English is the language accepted by the FCA where the United Kingdom is a Home State or Host State.

Language customary in the sphere of international finance

PRR 4.1.3G

1The FCA will consider a language to be customary in the sphere of international finance if documents in that language are accepted for scrutiny and filing in at least three international capital markets in each of the following:

  1. (1) Europe;

  2. (2) Asia; and

  3. (3) the Americas.

Summary to be translated into English

PRR 4.1.4R

1If:

  1. (1) an offer is made or admission to trading is requested in the United Kingdom;

  2. (2) a prospectus relating to the transferable securities has been approved by the competent authority of another EEA State and the prospectus contains a summary; and

  3. (3) the prospectus is drawn up in a language other than English;

the offeror must ensure that the summary is translated into English.

[Note: Article 27(2) and (3) of the Prospectus Regulation]