(9)The date on which the clearing obligation takes effect for counterparties in the second and third categories should take into account the fact that most of them will get access to a CCP by becoming a client or an indirect client of a clearing member. This process may require between 12 and 18 months depending on the legal and operational capacity of counterparties and their level of preparation regarding the establishment of the arrangements with clearing members that are necessary for clearing the contracts. Furthermore, the date on which the clearing obligation takes effect for counterparties in the second and third categories should also take into account whether more than one CCP already clear the same class of OTC derivatives by the time this Regulation enters into force. In particular, an important number of counterparties seeking to establish clearing arrangements with the same CCP at the same time would mean that more time is required than when counterparties have the choice of several CCPs to establish their clearing arrangements with. Therefore, an additional period of 3 months should be granted to ensure an orderly implementation of the clearing obligation.