Article 31 Withdrawal of registration of an administrator located in a third country
1. ESMA shall withdraw the registration of an administrator located in a third country by removing that administrator from the register referred to in Article 36 where it has well-founded reasons, based on documented evidence, that the administrator:
(a) is acting in a manner which is clearly prejudicial to the interests of the users of its benchmarks or the orderly functioning of markets; or
(b) has seriously infringed the national legislation in the third country or other provisions applicable to it in the third country and on the basis of which the Commission has adopted the implementing decision in accordance with Article 30(2) or (3).
2. ESMA shall take a decision under paragraph 1 only if the following conditions are fulfilled:
(a) ESMA has referred the matter to the competent authority of the third country and that competent authority has not taken the appropriate measures needed to protect investors and the orderly functioning of the markets in the Union, or has failed to demonstrate that the administrator concerned complies with the requirements applicable to it in the third country;
(b) ESMA has informed the competent authority of the third country of its intention to withdraw the registration of the administrator, at least 30 days before the withdrawal.
3. ESMA shall inform the other competent authorities of any measure adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 without delay and shall publish its decision on its website.