(2)An effect of the financial crisis has been that there is over-reliance by investors, including IORPs, UCITS, and alternative investment funds (AIFs), on credit ratings to carry out their investments in debt instruments, without necessarily conducting their own assessments of the creditworthiness of issuers of such debt instruments. In order to improve the quality of the investments made by IORPs, UCITS and AIFs and, therefore, to protect investors in those funds, it is appropriate to require IORPs, management and investment companies with regard to UCITS, and AIFMs to avoid relying solely or mechanistically on credit ratings or using them as the only parameter when assessing the risk involved in the investments made by IORPs, UCITS and AIFs. The general principle against over-reliance on credit ratings should therefore be integrated into the risk-management processes and systems of IORPs, management and investment companies with regard to UCITS, and AIFMs, and adapted to their specificities.