Today’s European Parliament vote concludes the MiFID/R review process
Today’s European Parliament vote concludes the MiFID/R review process
IZFiA (Izba Zarzadzajacych Funduszami i Aktywami) has just joined EFAMA, the Brussels-based trade body representing the European investment management industry.
In our latest International Quarterly Statistical Release, we show the following main developments in the worldwide investment fund industry:
Net assets of worldwide investment funds decreased by 0.2% in euro terms.
The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) has promoted transparency in sustainable finance, however its use by market participants as a de facto ESG labelling regime has stretched it beyond its original intentions and not always been helpful. The current European Commission review needs to address how SFDR can provide clearer, more meaningful information for retail investors, promote transition finance, and align well with other relevant legislation.
Review of SFDR is an opportunity to improve transparency for investors
In our latest Monthly Statistical Release, we show the following main developments in October 2023 for the investment fund market:
EFAMA is pleased to share its response to the ESMA Call for Evidence on shortening the settlement cycle. In light of the imminent US move to T1, EFAMA supports a timely transition to T1 for Europe, while calling for a dynamic roadmap which can be adapted and modified as lessons from the US migration become known.
For asset managers the main issue continues to be the reclassification of ETDs as OTCs as a result of the non-equivalence of UK regulated markets. While we understand that a review is legally mandated at this point in time, we do not see value in recalibrating the various thresholds or making changes to the calculation methodologies unless these are in the two areas we define below. Our main concern revolves around the fact that changes would carry significant compliance costs while making little impact on the population of counterparties and notional captured by the thresholds.
Investors, asset managers and civil society organisations call for the prompt implementation of the reform on corporate sustainability reporting and EU standards
This is a timely and necessary review to which we hope to contribute in a constructive manner. As already recognised in the consultation paper and in the MiFID Quick Fix proposal, RTS 27 and RTS 28 currently fall short of the objective of providing valuable and comparable datasets for investment managers and the investing public. We appreciate the present effort to revise reporting requirements to produce more meaningful reports.
The Joint Associations1 welcome clarification from ESMA that national competent authorities are expected not to prioritise supervisory actions in relation to the application of the CSDR buy-in regime.2
EFAMA welcomes ESMA’s Call for Evidence to assess the rapidly shifting investment landscape and ensure that the current regulatory environment, its underlying market structure, and the existing industry practices safeguard retail investors’ interests. It is our strong belief that improving retail investor empowerment in Europe is key to further develop and deepen its capital markets.
Discover the 6 reasons why your organisation should become a member of EFAMA.
Our members enjoy significant benefits including the opportunity to shape the industry positions, get first-hand access to regulatory and political intelligence, engage with industry peers and policymakers, and take part in EFAMA events.
Our three membership categories cater to the wide range of organisations that make up and support the investment management industry in Europe.
Trends in European investment funds (EFAMA Fact Book 2024 release on 18 JUN 2024)