The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched the second phase of its Financial Instrument Reference Database (FIRDS).

The launch involves providing access to the database containing the currently available reference data that will eventually enable market participants to identify instruments subject to MAR and MiFID II/MiFIR reference data reporting requirements. This will allow market participants to prepare their reporting systems ahead of the go-live date on 3 January 2018.

The advance publication of this data will facilitate markets participants’ preparation of their systems to fulfil future reporting obligations to national competent authorities (NCAs) under MiFIDII/MiFIR. ESMA has also published instructions for market participants on how to access the data and download the relevant machine-readable files.

The requirements of Article 27 of MiFIR and related technical standards oblige trading venues and systematic internalisers to submit reference data, from 3 January, for the relevant financial instruments to national competent authorities (NCAs) who will subsequently transmit it to ESMA for publication.

The data released today are subject to quality limitations, in particular regarding their completeness. ESMA and the NCAs will continue to monitor and improve the quality and completeness of the published information.

Background

ESMA, in order to allow for a smooth transition to the new MIFID reporting regime, began the first phase of FIRDS in July by collecting financial instrument reference data from reporting entities and today’s release to the market contains the currently available data in advance of MIFIR’s 3 January 2018 go-live date. The availability of this information at this early stage will play an important role in assuring the quality of data that market participants report to NCAs from 3 January 2018 onwards.

In preparation for 3 January 2018, ESMA encourages market participants to begin using the published data following the instructions provided on how to access the data, download the machine-readable files as well as the reporting instructions.

Source: ESMA