(9)It is necessary to ensure transparency of the shareholding structure of the applicant credit institution and to prevent criminals and their associates from holding, or being the beneficial owners of, qualifying holdings in credit institutions. Applications for authorisation as a credit institution should therefore contain information about the persons or entities that have or will have, in case of authorisation of the applicant credit institution, qualifying holdings in that credit institution. For the same reason, and where no person or other entity has or will have, in case of authorisation of the applicant credit institution, a qualifying holding in the credit institution, applications for authorisation as a credit institution should contain information about the persons who are or will be, in case of authorisation of the applicant credit institution, the twenty largest shareholders or members and about each person who has or will have, in case of authorisation, close links with the credit institution.