What is MiFID?

On the 15th of May 2014, the European Union issued the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), 2014/65/EU, and the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR), 600/2014, (together MiFID II), which aim, amongst others, to further strengthen investor protection.

MiFID II broadens the scope of MiFID I to other financial instruments and trading venues and extends to market participants and activities not regulated under MiFID I for the purpose of strengthening the transparency framework, better protection of investors, and addressing non-regulated investment sectors.

The new legislative framework has been transposed into Cyprus national law by Law 87(I)/2017 and applies from 3rd of January 2018.

  • Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited services include receiving and transmitting client orders in financial investments, the execution of client orders and providing investment advice. Upon request, we can furnish you with further details on the portfolio management services provided by our subsidiary CISCO.

    Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited and all of its subsidiaries  (the "Group”, “we”,  “us”) is subject to requirements under European and Cypriot legislation regarding the way investment services are provided across the European Economic Area, including the requirement to provide our clients with information on the way in which we provide services.

    Your legal relationship with us will be governed by the terms and conditions of the investment services agreement you enter into with the Group (the "Agreement"). Further information on the relevant services is included in the MIFID Pre-Contractual Information Package (“Info Pack”). Before we start providing investment services to you, a copy of this Package will be given to you together with the Agreement.

    The information on this site is provided to existing and potential clients, wishing to receive general information on investment and related ancillary services offered by the Bank. This information is subject to change from time to time by the Bank, in accordance with the terms and conditions of your Agreement. Clients are advised to regularly visit the Bank's website to obtain the updated information.

    It is important to read and understand the information provided in both your Agreement and the MIFID Pre-Contractual Information Package on this site. You should obtain such legal, investment and other advice as you consider appropriate in relation to such information and its effect on your Agreement, or any future Agreement, with the Bank, as appropriate.

  • Depending on the services that you wish to receive, you may first be required to complete a questionnaire.

    If your services include investment advice and portfolio management, you will be required to complete a Suitability Questionnaire. The Group uses this questionnaire to obtain the necessary information about your knowledge and experience in the investment field relevant to the investment service and financial instrument provided to you, your financial situation and investment objectives. This enables the Group to recommend suitable investments. If we provide you with a personal recommendation to buy, hold, or sell an investment, we will provide you with a suitability report explaining why we believe this recommendation is suitable for you, even if this does not result in an investment transaction.

    Where you have been classified as a retail client and your investment services relate to complex financial instruments (other than in relation to investment advice and/or portfolio management), you will be required to complete an Appropriateness Questionnaire. Where we consider, on the basis of the information received, that the investment service or Financial Instrument envisaged is not appropriate for you, we shall warn you accordingly.

  • On 3rd January 2018, the new European legislation, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (collectively, “MiFID II”) took effect across all European Union (EU) member states, including Cyprus.

    Investor Protection- Costs & Associated Charges Information

    Pursuant to MiFID II, Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited (“Bank of Cyprus”, the “Bank”, “us”, “we” and “our”, as appropriate) has an obligation to provide you (the “Client”, “yourself” and “your”, as appropriate), with clear and comprehensible information regarding the Bank and its services, the financial instruments and proposed investment strategies, execution venues and all costs and associated charges in good time before the provision of services. This is done in order to ensure your awareness of all costs and associated charges to be incurred as well as to enable you to evaluate such information and compare with different financial instruments and investment services, further to the information already provided in the agreement for the provision of investment services and activities and ancillary services and/or for the provision of global custody services (the “Agreement”) and/or the MiFID Pre-Contractual Information Package (the “Info Pack”) and the "Product Governance and Costs and Associated Charges Information" pack.

    Two types of disclosures will be made to you:

    • On an ex-ante basis (i.e. before you trade) disclosures of aggregated expected costs and associated charges for the relevant investment service and financial instrument.
    • On an ex-post basis (i.e. after you trade), disclosures of aggregated costs and associated charges that have actually been incurred by you for the relevant investment service and financial instrument. This will be provided to you annually on a personalised basis.

    All costs and associated charges which should form part of the amount disclosed to you should be separated and aggregated in two main categories:

    • Costs and associated charges related to the financial instrument (the “Financial Product Costs” or “Product Costs”). These should generally be considered as costs related to the manufacturing and managing of the financial instrument.
    • Costs and associated charges charged for the investment service(s) and/or ancillary services (the “Investment Service Costs” or “Service Costs”). These should generally be considered as costs related to the establishment and maintenance of a position in a financial instrument charged by us or other parties.

    For each of these categories, we will show separate figures comprising:

    • Entry Costs which may include one-off, incidental, transaction and ancillary services costs which occur upon entry.
    • Running Costs which may include on-going, incidental, transaction and ancillary services costs.
    • Exit Costs which may include one-off, incidental, transaction and ancillary services costs which occur upon the sale of a financial instrument.

    Further information on our costs and associated charges and examples of how these are applied across different products and asset classes are included in the "Product Governance and Costs & Associated Charges Information" pack.

  • On 3rd January 2018, the new European legislation, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (collectively, “MiFID II”) took effect across all European Union (EU) member states, including Cyprus.

    Investor Protection - Product Governance & Target Market Information

    Pursuant to MiFID II, Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited (“Bank of Cyprus”, the “Bank”, “us”, “we” and “our”, as appropriate) has an obligation to comply with product governance requirements, which include the implementation of target market assessment for financial instruments which the Bank creates, develops, issues and/or designs (as a manufacturer) and financial instruments which the Bank offers or sells (as a distributor) to you (the “Client”, “yourself” and “your”, as appropriate).

    The rules under product governance may be applied in a proportionate manner, depending on the complexity of the product and the degree to which publicly available information can be obtained, taking into account the nature of the instrument, the investment service and the target market.

    According to the above, clients under the execution-only regime and clients for whom the Bank has not collected information to perform a thorough analysis of their compatibility with the target market of a financial instrument, should refer to the Bank’s website at http://www.bankofcyprus.com.cy for more information on the target market assessment of various asset class categories to evaluate themselves if they fall within the said target market.

    Please see below related example.

    A. Target Market Assessment Examples

  • During your relationship with the Bank, you may wish to make a complaint. We maintain and implement a clients’ complaints management policy and related procedures for the handling of clients’ complaints fairly and promptly.

    If you are dissatisfied with a product or service provided by us, you may contact us to complain. A complaint may be addressed to your relationship officer orally, by letter, phone, email or fax.  If your complaint relates to a particular service or product, please use the contact details for the relevant department. You may also submit a complaint electronically here.

    However, if you are not satisfied with our final response, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman.  For complete information about the Financial Ombudsman, please visit www.financialombudsman.gov.cy.