Article 1 Composition of the oversight function

The structure and composition of the oversight function shall be proportionate to the ownership and control structure of the administrator and shall, as a general rule, be determined in accordance with one or more appropriate governance arrangements listed in the Annex to this Regulation. Administrators shall provide the FCA with a justification for any deviation from such arrangements.

Where the benchmark is a critical benchmark, the oversight function shall be carried out by a committee with at least two independent members. Independent members shall be natural persons sitting on the oversight function who are not directly affiliated with the administrator other than through their involvement in the oversight function, and shall have no conflicts of interest, particularly at the level of the relevant benchmark.

The oversight function shall be composed of members who together have the skills and expertise appropriate to the oversight of the provision of a particular benchmark and to the responsibilities that the oversight function is required to fulfil. Members of the oversight function shall have appropriate knowledge of the underlying market or economic reality that the benchmark seeks to measure.

Administrators of regulated-data benchmarks shall include, as members of the oversight function, representatives from the entities listed in the definition of a regulated-data benchmark at point (a) of Article 3(1)(24) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1011 and, where applicable, from entities contributing net asset values of investment funds to regulated-data benchmarks. Administrators shall provide the FCA with a justification for any exclusion of representatives from these entities.

Where a benchmark is based on contributions and representatives of its contributors or of supervised entities that use the benchmark are members of the oversight function, the administrator shall ensure that the number of members with conflicts of interest does not amount to or exceed a simple majority. Before the appointment of members, administrators shall also identify and take into account the conflicts arising from relationships between potential members and other external stakeholders, in particular resulting from a potential interest at the level of the relevant benchmarks.

Persons directly involved in the provision of the benchmark that may be members of the oversight function, shall have no voting rights. Representatives of the management body shall not be members or observers but may be invited to attend meetings by the oversight function in a non-voting capacity.

Members of the oversight function shall not include persons who have been subject to sanctions of administrative or criminal nature relating to financial services, in particular manipulation or attempted manipulation under Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.