Article 40, Ongoing Oversight, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)

Jul 25, 2024by Sneha Naskar

Overview

1. When conducting oversight activities, in particular general investigations or inspections, the Lead Overseer shall be assisted by a joint examination team established for each critical ICT third-party service provider.

2. The joint examination team referred to in paragraph 1 shall be composed of staff members from:

(a) the ESAs;

(b) the relevant competent authorities supervising the financial entities to which the critical ICT third-party service provider provides ICT services;

(c) the national competent authority referred to in Article 32(4), point (e), on a voluntary basis;

(d) one national competent authority from the Member State where the critical ICT third-party service provider is established, on a voluntary basis.

Members of the joint examination team shall have expertise in ICT matters and in operational risk. The joint examination team shall work under the coordination of a designated Lead Overseer staff member (the ‘Lead Overseer coordinator’).

3. Within 3 months of the completion of an investigation or inspection, the Lead Overseer, after consulting the Oversight Forum, shall adopt recommendations to be addressed to the critical ICT third-party service provider pursuant to the powers referred to in Article 35.

Article 40, Ongoing Oversight, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)
4. The recommendations referred to in paragraph 3 shall be immediately communicated to the critical ICT third-party service provider and to the competent authorities of the financial entities to which it provides ICT services.

For the purposes of fulfilling the oversight activities, the Lead Overseer may take into consideration any relevant third-party certifications and ICT third-party internal or external audit reports made available by the critical ICT third-party service provider.

Summary Of Article 40

Article 40 of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) defines the framework for ongoing oversight of critical ICT third-party service providers. The Lead Overseer conducts oversight activities with the assistance of a joint examination team, established specifically for each critical provider. This team comprises experts from the ESAs, relevant supervisory authorities, and voluntary national authorities. Coordinated by a Lead Overseer staff member, the team ensures expertise in ICT and operational risk. Recommendations based on investigations are issued within three months, considering certifications and audit reports, to enhance ICT service resilience.