Natixis Environnement & Infrastructures - ss. 3.1(1), 80 of the CFA

Headnote

Section 80 of the Commodity Futures Act (Ontario) -- Relief from the adviser registration requirements of subsection 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of acting as an adviser to certain mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and similar investment vehicles established outside of Canada, the securities of which are primarily offered outside of Canada, in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options primarily traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and primarily cleared through clearing corporations outside of Canada, subject to certain terms and conditions.

Subsection 3.1(1) of the Commodity Futures Act (Ontario) -- Assignment by the Commission to the Director of the powers and duties vested in the Commission under subsection 78(1) of the CFA to allow the Director to vary the present order by specifically naming an affiliate as an applicant to the order.

Statutes Cited:

Commodity Futures Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.20, as am., ss. 3.1(1), 22(1)(b), 78, 80.

Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as am. -- Rule 35-502 -- Non Resident Advisers.

IN THE MATTER OF

THE COMMODITY FUTURES ACT,

R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER C.20, AS AMENDED

(the CFA)

AND

IN THE MATTER OF

NATIXIS ENVIRONNEMENT & INFRASTRUCTURES

ORDER

(Section 80 and Subsection 3.1(1) of the CFA)

UPON the application (the Application) of Natixis Environnement & Infrastructures (Natixis) and certain affiliates of, or entities organized by, Natixis that provide notice to the Director as referred to below (each, an Affiliate, and together with Natixis, the Applicants) to the Ontario Securities Commission (the Commission) for:

(a) an order pursuant to section 80 of the CFA that each of the Applicants (including their respective directors, officers, partners, principals, members and employees), be exempt, for a period of five years, from the registration requirements of paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of acting as an adviser to certain mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds and similar investment vehicles established outside of Canada (the Funds, as defined below), the securities of which are primarily offered outside of Canada, in respect of trades in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options primarily traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and primarily cleared through clearing corporations outside of Canada ; and

(b) an assignment by the Commission to each Director, acting individually, pursuant to subsection 3.1(1) of the CFA, of the powers and duties vested in the Commission under subsection 78(1) of the CFA, to vary this Order by specifically naming any Affiliate of Natixis as an Applicant to this Order in the circumstances described below;

AND UPON considering the Application and the recommendation of staff of the Commission;

AND UPON the Applicants having represented to the Commission that:

1. Each of the Applicants is or will be organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than Canada or the provinces or territories thereof. In particular, Natixis is a corporation (société par actions simplifiée) incorporated under the laws of France having its registered office in Paris, France.

2. Any Affiliate, whose name does not specifically appear in this Order, who wishes to rely on the exemption granted under this Order must execute and file with the Commission (Attention: Manager, Registrant Regulation) two copies of a notice (the Notice, in the form of Part A to the attached Schedule A), applying to the Director to vary this Order to specifically name the Affiliate as an Applicant to this Order. The Notice must be filed with the Commission at least ten (10) days prior to the date that such Affiliate wishes to begin relying on this Order.

3. If, in the Director's opinion, it would not be prejudicial to the public interest, within ten (10) days after receiving the Notice, the Director will provide the Affiliate with a written acknowledgment and consent (the Director's Consent, in the form of Part B to the attached Schedule A). The Director's Consent will allow the Affiliate to rely on the exemption granted in this Order by varying the Order to specifically name the Affiliate as an Applicant to this Order. The Affiliate may not rely on this Order until it has received the Director's Consent.

4. If, after reviewing the Notice, the Director provides a written notice of objection (the Objection Notice) to the Affiliate, the Affiliate will not be permitted to rely on the exemption granted under this Order. However, the Affiliate may, by notice in writing sent by registered mail to the Secretary of the Commission within 30 days after receiving the Objection Notice, request and be entitled to a hearing and review of such decision by the Commission.

5. Subsection 78(1) of the CFA provides that the Commission may, on the application of a person or company affected by the decision, make an order revoking or varying a decision of the Commission if, in the Commission's opinion, the order would not be prejudicial to the public interest. Further, subsection 3.1(1) of the CFA provides that a quorum of the Commission may assign any of its powers and duties under the CFA (except powers and duties under section 4 and Part IV) to the Director.

6. None of the Applicants are or will be registered in any capacity under the CFA or the Securities Act (Ontario) (the OSA).

7. Natixis serves as the investment manager and/or investment adviser to European Kyoto Fund (the Existing Fund), among other mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds or similar investment vehicles. The Applicants may in the future establish or advise certain other mutual funds, non-redeemable investment funds or similar investment vehicles (together with the Existing Fund, the Funds).

8. The Funds may, as a part of their investment program, invest in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options primarily traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and primarily cleared through clearing corporations located outside of Canada.

9. The Funds advised by the Applicants are and will be established outside of Canada. Securities of the Funds are and will be primarily offered outside of Canada to institutional investors and may also be offered to high net worth individuals primarily outside of Canada. Securities of the Funds will be offered to certain Ontario residents who will be, at the time of their investment, institutional investors or high net worth individuals that qualify as an "accredited investor" under National Instrument 45-106 -- Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and will be distributed in Ontario in reliance upon an exemption from the prospectus requirements of the OSA and an exemption from the adviser registration requirement of the OSA under section 7.10 of OSC Rule 35-502 -- Non Resident Advisers (Rule 35-502).

10. Paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA prohibits a person or company from acting as an adviser unless the person or company is registered as an adviser under the CFA, or is registered as a partner or an officer of a registered adviser and is acting on behalf of a registered adviser. Under the CFA, "adviser" means a person or company engaging in or holding himself, herself or itself out as engaging in the business of advising others as to trading in "contracts", and "contracts" means commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options.

11. By advising the Funds on investing in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options primarily traded on commodity futures exchanges outside Canada and primarily cleared through clearing corporations outside Canada, the Applicants will be providing advice to Ontario investors with respect to commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options and, in the absence of being granted the requested relief, would be required to register as advisers under the CFA.

12. There is presently no rule under the CFA that provides an exemption from the adviser registration requirement in paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA for a person or company acting as an adviser in respect of commodity futures options and commodity futures contracts that is similar to the exemption that is provided under section 7.10 of Rule 35-502 from the adviser registration requirement in section 25(1)(c) of the OSA for acting as an adviser (as defined in the OSA) in respect of securities.

13. As would be required under section 7.10 of Rule 35-502, securities of the Funds are, or will be:

(a) primarily offered outside of Canada;

(b) only distributed in Ontario through one or more registrants under the OSA; and

(c) distributed in Ontario in reliance upon an exemption from the prospectus requirements of the OSA.

14. Each of the Applicants, where required, is or will be appropriately registered or licensed or is or will be entitled to rely on appropriate exemptions from such registrations or licences to provide advice to the Funds pursuant to the applicable legislation of its principal jurisdiction. In particular, Natixis Environnement & Infrastructures is registered as a French portfolio management company ("société de gestion de portefeuille") with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) of France.

15. All of the Funds issue securities that are offered primarily outside of Canada. None of the Funds have any current intention of becoming a reporting issuer in Ontario or in any other Canadian jurisdiction.

16. Prior to purchasing any securities in one or more of the Funds, all investors in the Funds who are Ontario residents will receive disclosure that includes:

(a) a statement that there may be difficulty in enforcing any legal rights against the relevant Fund or any of the Applicants (or the individual representatives of the Applicants) advising the relevant Fund, because such entities are resident outside of Canada and all or substantially all of their assets are situated outside of Canada; and

(b) a statement that the relevant Applicant advising the relevant Fund is not, or will not be, registered with or licensed by any securities regulatory authority in Canada, and accordingly, the protections available to clients of an adviser so registered or licensed will not be available to purchasers of securities of the relevant Fund.

AND UPON being satisfied that it would not be prejudicial to the public interest for the Commission to grant the exemption requested on the basis of the terms and conditions proposed,

IT IS ORDERED pursuant to section 80 of the CFA that each of the Applicants (including their respective directors, officers, partners, principals, members and employees) is exempted from the requirements of paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of acting as an adviser in connection with any one or more of the Funds, for a period of five years, provided that at the relevant time that such activities are engaged in:

(a) each Applicant, where required, is or will be registered or licensed or is or will be entitled to rely on appropriate exemptions from such registrations or licences to provide advice to the relevant Fund pursuant to the applicable legislation of its principal jurisdiction;

(b) the Funds invest, or may in the future invest, in commodity futures contracts and commodity futures options primarily traded on commodity futures exchanges outside of Canada and primarily cleared through clearing corporations located outside of Canada;

(c) securities of the Funds are:

(i) primarily offered outside of Canada;

(ii) only distributed in Ontario through one or more registrants under the OSA; and

(iii) distributed in Ontario in reliance on an exemption from the prospectus requirements of the OSA and, when required, upon an exemption from the adviser registration requirement of the OSA under section 7.10 of Rule 35-502;

(d) prior to purchasing any securities in one or more of the Funds, all prospective investors in the Funds who are Ontario residents will receive disclosure that includes:

(i) a statement that there may be difficulty in enforcing any legal rights against the relevant Fund or any of the Applicants (or the individual representatives of the Applicants) advising the relevant Fund, because such entities are resident outside of Canada and all or substantially all of their assets are situated outside of Canada; and

(ii) a statement that the relevant Applicant advising the relevant Fund is not, or will not be, registered with or licensed by any securities regulatory authority in Canada, and accordingly, the protections available to clients of an adviser so registered or licensed will not be available to purchasers of securities of the relevant Fund; and

(e) each Applicant either:

(i) is specifically named in this Order; or

(ii) has filed with the Commission the Notice and received the Director's Consent.

AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED pursuant to subsection 3.1(1) of the CFA that the Commission assigns to each Director, acting individually, the powers and duties vested in the Commission under subsection 78(1) of the CFA, to vary this Order by specifically naming any Affiliate of Natixis as an Applicant to this Order (as described in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 above) by providing such Affiliate with the Director's Consent, provided that, the Affiliate may, by notice in writing sent by registered mail to the Secretary of the Commission within 30 days after receiving the Objection Notice, request and be entitled to a hearing and review of such decision by the Commission.

Dated February 8, 2008.

Schedule A

Part A: Notice to the Ontario Securities Commission (the Commission)

The undersigned, being an authorized representative of the Affiliate, hereby represents to the Commission that:

(a) on ____________________, 2008, the Commission issued the attached order (the Order), pursuant to section 80 of the Commodity Futures Act (Ontario) (the CFA), that each of the Applicants (as defined in the Order) is exempt from the requirements of paragraph 22(1)(b) of the CFA in respect of acting as an adviser in connection with any one or more of the Funds (as defined in the Order), for a period of five years;

(b) the Affiliate, is an affiliate of the Named Applicant;

(c) the Affiliate, whose name does not specifically appear in the Order, wishes to rely on the exemption granted under the Order and hereby applies to the Director, under section 78 of the CFA, to vary the Order to specifically name the Affiliate as an Applicant to the Order;

(d) the Affiliate has attached a copy of the Order to this Notice;

(e) the Affiliate confirms the truth and accuracy of all the information set out in the Order;

(f) this Notice has been executed and filed with the Commissioner at least ten (10) days prior to the date on which the Affiliate wishes to begin relying on the Order; and

(g) the Affiliate has not, and will not, rely on the Order until it has received a written acknowledgment and consent from the Director as provided in Part B herein.

Part B: Acknowledgment and Consent by Director

I acknowledge receipt of your Notice, dated ____________________, 20_____, providing the Commission with notice, as described in the Order, that the Affiliate, whose name does not specifically appear in the Order, wishes to rely on the exemption granted under the Order and has applied to have the Order varied to specifically name the Affiliate as an Applicant to the Order.

Based on the representations contained in the Order and in your Notice, I do not consider it prejudicial to the public interest to vary the Order to specifically name the Affiliate as an Applicant to the Order and do hereby so vary the Order.