Is a small ESG rating provider that is part of a medium-sized or large group eligible for the temporary regime under Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2024/3005 when it is operating independently of the group’s resources and consolidated capacity?

The AIFMD II (Directive (EU) 2024/927), which will enter into effect on 16 April 2026 imposes a requirement on EU open ended alternative investment funds (EU AIFs) and UCITS to specify/include in their rules or instruments of incorporation two (2) liquidity management tools (LMTs), which are defined in the Annex V of the AIMFD II.

The AIFMD II is silent when it comes of the requirement of LMTs for non-EU open-ended AIFs such as Cayman Islands domiciled open-ended unit trusts. Can the ESMA provide clarifications on whether the requirement to choose two (2) liquidity management tools (LMTs) for open-ended EU AIFs apply also to non-EU open ended AIFs managed by an EU AIFM, even if those non-EU AIFs are not marketed in the Union?

For the purposes of applying the exclusions in the Guidelines, how should fund managers apply the exclusion referred to in Article 12(1)(c) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 (i.e. “companies that benchmark administrators find in violation of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises”)?

For the purposes of applying the exclusions in the Guidelines, how should fund managers apply the exclusion referred to in Article 12(1)(c) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1818 (i.e. “companies that benchmark administrators find in violation of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles or the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises”)?

For the purposes of Article 15(12), does the obligation to notify the rated item or the issuer “at least two full working days before the first issuance of the ESG rating” apply exclusively to ESG ratings issued on or after 2 July 2026?