Related provisions for RCB 2.1.1
1Sections 87A(2), (2A), 2(3) and (4) of the Act provide for the general contents of a prospectus:
(2) |
The necessary information is the information necessary to enable investors to make an informed assessment of – |
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(a) |
the assets and liabilities, financial position, profits and losses, and prospects of the issuer of the transferable securities and of any guarantor; and |
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(b) |
the rights attaching to the transferable securities.2 |
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2(2A) |
If, in the case of transferable securities to which section 87 applies, the prospectus states that the guarantor is a specified EEA State, the prospectus is not required to include other information about the guarantor. |
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(3) |
The necessary information must be presented in a form which is comprehensible and easy to analyse. |
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(4) |
The necessary information must be prepared having regard to the particular nature of the transferable securities and their issuer.6 266 |
Article 24 of the PD Regulation provides for how the contents of the summary are to be determined:
3Content of the summary of the prospectus, of the base prospectus and of the individual issue |
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1 |
The issuer, the offeror or the person asking for the admission to trading on a regulated market shall determine the detailed content of the summary referred to in Article 5(2) of Directive 2003/71/EC in accordance with this Article. A summary shall contain the key information items set out in Annex XXII. Where an item is not applicable to a prospectus, such item shall appear in the summary with the mention "not applicable". The length of the summary shall take into account the complexity of the issuer and of the securities offered, but shall not exceed 7% of the length of a prospectus or 15 pages, whichever is the longer. It shall not contain cross-references to other parts of the prospectus. The order of the sections and of the elements of Annex XXII shall be mandatory. The summary shall be drafted in clear language, presenting the key information in an easily accessible and understandable way. Where an issuer is not under an obligation to include a summary in a prospectus pursuant to Article 5(2) of Directive 2003/71/EC, but produces an overview section in the prospectus, this section shall not be entitled "Summary" unless the issuer complies with all disclosure requirements for summaries laid down in this Article and Annex XXII. |
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2 |
The summary of the base prospectus may contain the following information: |
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(a) |
information included in the base prospectus; |
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(b) |
options for information required by the securities note schedule and its building block(s); |
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(c) |
information required by the securities note schedule and its building block(s) left in blank for later insertion in the final terms. |
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3 |
The summary of the individual issue shall provide the key information of the summary of the base prospectus combined with the relevant parts of the final terms. The summary of the individual issue shall contain the following: |
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(a) |
the information of the summary of the base prospectus which is only relevant to the individual issue; |
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(b) |
the options contained in the base prospectus which are only relevant to the individual issue as determined in the final terms; |
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(c) |
the relevant information given in the final terms which has been previously left in blank in the base prospectus. |
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Where the final terms relate to several securities which differ only in some very limited details, such as the issue price or maturity date, one single summary of the individual issue may be attached for all those securities, provided the information referring to the different securities is clearly segregated. The summary of the individual issue shall be subject to the same requirements as the final terms and shall be annexed to them. |
A person is an indirect holder of shares for the purpose of the applicable definition of shareholder to the extent that he is entitled to acquire, to dispose of, or to exercise voting rights in any of the following cases or a combination of them:
Case |
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(a) |
voting rights held by a third party with whom that person has concluded an agreement, which obliges them to adopt, by concerted exercise of the voting rights they hold, a lasting common policy towards the management of the issuer in question; |
(b) |
voting rights held by a third party under an agreement concluded with that person providing for the temporary transfer for consideration of the voting rights in question; |
(c) |
voting rights attaching to shares which are lodged as collateral with that person provided that person controls the voting rights and declares its intention of exercising them; |
(d) |
voting rights attaching to shares in which that person has the life interest; |
(e) |
voting rights which are held, or may be exercised within the meaning of points (a) to (d) or, in cases (f) and (h) by a person1 undertaking investment management, or by a management company, by an undertaking controlled by that person; 1 |
(f) |
voting rights attaching to shares deposited with that person which the person can exercise at its discretion in the absence of specific instructions from the shareholders; |
(g) |
voting rights held by a third party in his own name on behalf of that person; |
(h) |
voting rights which that person may exercise as a proxy where that person can exercise the voting rights at his discretion in the absence of specific instructions from the shareholders. |
[Note: article 10 of the TD]
Section 87G of the Act provides that:
(1) |
Subsection (2) applies if, during the relevant period, there arises or is noted a significant new factor, material mistake or inaccuracy relating to the information included in a prospectus approved by the [FCA]. |
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(2) |
The person on whose application the prospectus was approved must, in accordance with prospectus rules, submit a supplementary prospectus containing details of the new factor, mistake or inaccuracy to the [FCA] for its approval. |
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(3) |
The relevant period begins when the prospectus is approved by the [FCA] and ends – |
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(a) |
with the closure of the offer of the transferable securities to which the prospectus relates; or |
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(b) |
when trading in those securities on a regulated market begins. |
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4(3A) |
But where the prospectus relates both to an offer of transferable securities to the public and the admission of those securities to trading on a regulated market, subsection (3) does not apply and the relevant period beings when the prospectus is approved and ends with the later of - |
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(a) |
the closure of the offer to the public to which the prospectus relates; or |
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(b) |
the time when trading in those securities on a regulated market begins. |
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(4) |
"Significant" means significant for the purposes of making an informed assessment of the kind mentioned in section 87A(2). |
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(5) |
Any person responsible for the prospectus who is aware of any new factor, mistake or inaccuracy which may require the submission of a supplementary prospectus in accordance with subsection (2) must give notice of it to – |
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(a) |
the issuer of the transferable securities to which the prospectus relates, and |
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(b) |
the person on whose application the prospectus was approved. |
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(6) |
A supplementary prospectus must provide sufficient information to correct any mistake or inaccuracy which gave rise to the need for it. |
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(7) |
Subsection (1) applies also to information contained in any supplementary prospectus published under this section. |
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 382/2014 supplementing Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards for publication of supplements to the prospectus provides that:
Recital 5 |
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It is not possible to identify all the situations in which a supplement to the prospectus is required as this may depend on the issuer and securities involved. Therefore, it is appropriate to specify the minimum situations where a supplement is required. |
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Article 2 |
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Obligation to publish a supplement |
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A supplement to the prospectus shall be published in the following situations: |
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(a) |
where new annual audited financial statements are published by any of the following: |
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(1) |
an issuer where a prospectus relates to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(2) |
an issuer of the underlying shares or other transferable securities equivalent to shares in case of equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(3) |
an issuer of the underlying shares where the prospectus is drawn up in accordance with the depository receipt schedule, set out in Annex X or XXVIII of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(b) |
where an amendment to a profit forecast or a profit estimate already included in the prospectus is published by any of the following: |
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(1) |
an issuer where a prospectus relates to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(2) |
an issuer of the underlying shares or other transferable securities equivalent to shares where a prospectus relates to equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(3) |
an issuer of the underlying shares where the prospectus is drawn up in accordance with the depository receipt schedule, set out in Annex X or XXVIII to Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(c) |
where there is a change in control in respect of any of the following: |
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(1) |
an issuer where a prospectus relates to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004: |
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(2) |
an issuer of the underlying shares or other transferable securities equivalent to shares where a prospectus relates to equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(3) |
an issuer of the underlying shares where a prospectus is drawn up in accordance with a depository receipt schedule, set out in Annex X or XXVIII to Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(d) |
where there is any new public takeover bid by third parties, as defined in Article 2(1)(a) of Directive 2004/25/EC of the European Parliament and the Council and the outcome of any public takeover bid in respect of any of the following: |
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(1) |
the equity of the issuer where a prospectus relates to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(2) |
the equity of the issuer of the underlying shares or other transferable securities equivalent to shares where a prospectus relates to equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(3) |
the equity of the issuer of the underlying shares where a prospectus is drawn up in accordance with the depository receipt schedule, set out in Annex X or XXVIII to Regulation (EC) No 809/2004; |
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(e) |
where in relation to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004 and convertible or exchangeable debt securities which are equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of that Regulation there is a change in the working capital statement included in a prospectus when the working capital becomes sufficient or insufficient for the issuer’s present requirements; |
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(f) |
where an issuer is seeking admission to trading on (an) additional regulated market(s) in (an) additional Member State(s) or is intending to make an offer to the public in (an) additional Member State(s) other than the one(s) provided for in the prospectus; |
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(g) |
where a new significant financial commitment is undertaken which is likely to give rise to a significant gross change within the meaning of Article 4a(6) of Regulation (EC) No 809/2004 and the prospectus relates to shares and other transferable securities equivalent to shares referred to in Article 4(2)(1) of that Regulation and other equity securities complying with the conditions set out in Article 17(2) of that Regulation; |
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(h) |
where the aggregate nominal amount of the offering programme is increased. |
Section 87B(1) of the Act sets out when the FCA may authorise the omission of information from a prospectus:
(1) |
The [FCA] may authorise the omission from a prospectus of any information, the inclusion of which would otherwise be required, on the ground – |
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(a) |
that its disclosure would be contrary to the public interest; |
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(b) |
that its disclosure would be seriously detrimental to the issuer, provided that the omission would be unlikely to mislead the public with regard to any facts or circumstances which are essential for an informed assessment of the kind mentioned in section 87A(2); or |
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(c) |
that the information is only of minor importance for a specific offer to the public or admission to trading on a regulated market and unlikely to influence an informed assessment of the kind mentioned in section 87A(2). |
Article 28 of the PD Regulation provides examples of information that may be incorporated by reference:
Arrangements for incorporation by reference |
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1. |
Information may be incorporated by reference in a prospectus or base prospectus, notably if it is contained in one the following documents: |
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(1) |
annual and interim financial information; |
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(2) |
documents prepared on the occasion of a specific transaction such as a merger or demerger; |
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(3) |
audit reports and financial statements; |
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(4) |
memorandum and articles of association; |
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(5) |
earlier approved and published prospectuses and/or base prospectuses; |
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(6) |
regulated information; |
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(7) |
circulars to security holders. |
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2. |
The documents containing information that may be incorporated by reference in a prospectus or base prospectus or in the documents composing it shall be drawn up following the provisions of [PR 4.1 (Use of languages)]. |
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3. |
If a document which may be incorporated by reference contains information which has undergone material changes, the prospectus or base prospectus shall clearly state such a circumstance and shall give the updated information. |
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4. |
The issuer, the offeror or the person asking for admission to trading on a regulated market may incorporate information in a prospectus or base prospectus by making reference only to certain parts of a document, provided that it states that the non-incorporated parts are either not relevant for the investor or covered elsewhere in the prospectus. |
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5. |
When incorporating information by reference, issuers, offerors or persons asking for admission to trading on a regulated market shall endeavour not to endanger investor protection in terms of comprehensibility and accessibility of the information. |