For purposes of applying this Directive:
(a) "collective investment undertakings other than the closed-end type" shall mean unit trusts and investment companies: - the object of which is the collective investment of capital provided by the public, and which operate on the principle of risk spreading, and - the units of which are, at the holders' request, repurchased or redeemed, directly or indirectly, out of the assets of these undertakings. Action taken by such undertakings to ensure that the stock exchange value of its units does not significantly vary from their net asset value shall be regarded as equivalent to such repurchase or redemption;
(b) "units of a collective investment undertaking" shall mean securities issued by a collective investment undertaking as representing the rights of participants in the assets of such an undertaking;
(c) "issuers" shall mean companies and other legal persons and any undertaking whose securities are the subject of an applicatio