General information
The Legal Entity Identifier (LEI Code) is a unique 20-digit, alpha-numeric code based in the ISO 17442 international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), that allows the consistent and unambiguous identification of all legal entities that, in any jurisdiction, participate in financial transactions, namely as counterparties and use the services of the market infrastructures (Stock Exchanges, Central Counterparties and Central Securities Depositories).
The LEI Code connects to key reference information (about the entity and about the code) that enable the crossover of information and guarantee the existence of high quality data – reliable and comparable – facilitating efficient supervision practices and contributing, effectively, to a significant increase in the transparency of financial markets.
The ISO 17442 – Financial services – Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) specifies the structure of the LEI Code as well as the minimum referential data associated to each code.
To see the LEI code of Participants Affiliated.
To see the LEI code of Issuers.
Application for issuance
- A LEI Code may be requested to any entity that has been authorized and accredited to act as a LOU (Local Operating Unit) by the GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation);
- In Portugal there is already a designated LOU entity – Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado, I.P. (IRN). Although the IRN has not yet begun assigning LEI codes, these may be requested to any LOU entity;
- Requests for the issuance of codes are made through self-registration on sites provided by LOUs for this purpose.
The Euronext Group, of which INTERBOLSA is a member, has a duly accredited entity to issue these codes, Euronext Dublin.
Issuance of a LEI code
Before issuing the LEI Code, the LOU entity validates the data based on the information available in different public sources, also making sure that no LEI Code has been assigned to that entity.
The LEI Code is issued after the payment of the issuance fees; these fees may vary, from LOU to LOU.
A LEI Code may at any time be transferred to another LOU with no additional costs (portability).
Renewal
- The LEI Code is renewed annually and by its renewal the respective fee is charged;
- When renewing the code, it must be ensured that all the reference information are updated;
- If the renewal of the LEI Code is not effected, it will become “lapsed”.
Mandatory use of the LEI code – Legal basis
Regulators are currently requiring from market infrastructures to disclose the LEI codes of their customers.
In order to comply with Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 – CSD Regulation and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/394 of 11 November 2016 (approved by the EC on March 10, 2017), CSDs clients (including issuers) must provide them the LEI codes of their legal entities so that the CSDs make the due report to their competent authority.
Article 29 of the CSDR
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/394 of 11 November 2016
Annex IV – Format of CSD records
Table 2 – Position (stock) records
ESMA – Questions and Answers
Implementation of the Regulation (EU) No 909/2014
Part II: Central Securities Depositories (CSD) – CSD
Question 3 / Organisational requirements: Record keeping
(Article 29 of CSDR)
A CSD shall maintain, for a period of at least 10 years, all its records on the services and activities.
A CSD shall make the records available upon request to the competent authority and the relevant authorities and any other public authority which under Union law or national law of its home Member State.
To ensure consistency of the record keeping, all legal entities that use the services of a CSD should be identified by a unique code through the use of legal entity identifiers (LEI).
The use of an LEI should be required for the purposes of the record keeping by CSDs.
CSD question 3 (f) *new* – Under rules implementing Articles 22 and 29 of CSDR, CSDs must record the LEIs of the issuers pertaining to the financial instruments in respect of which CSDs provide notary or central maintenance services. (*)
(*) CSD Answer 3
(f) CSDs should require in their rules that all issuers obtain and provide current LEI codes.
For issuers of securities issues that will occur after the entry into force of the requirements for CSDs to record LEIs for issuers, CSDs should not accept new securities issues from issuers which cannot provide the CSD with a LEI.
For issuers of securities issues that have occurred before the entry into force of the requirements for CSD to record LEIs, the CSDs should inform the issuers pertaining to the securities in respect of which the CSD provide notary service or central maintenance service of their obligation to obtain a LEI.
For more information:
Global LEI Foundation (GLEIF) – link
LEI Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC): – link
Search for a LEI code / Global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) – link
Search for a LOU entity – link
CSD regulation – link
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/394 of 11 November 2016 – link
ESMA – Questions and Answers – Implementation of the Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 – link