The European Commission’s proposal for a Retail Investment Strategy is currently being debated within the European Parliament and Council. As a contribution to this discussion, EFAMA have produced a short leaflet which summarises the needs of EU retail investors, what the proposal gets right, and alternative proposals to consider, with a special focus on disclosures and advice.
EFAMA has released today a new issue of its Market Insights series titled “UCITS ETFs: A growing market in volatile times”.
As the US moves to a T+1 settlement cycle from May 2024, the settlement mismatch between the US and EU will raise operational challenges as well as, we suspect, market structure changes. But another direct consequence of the mismatch will be in the enforcement of current EU regulation. In this paper, we identify those scenarios where EU rules will be tested, suggest the scope of that impact and ask policymakers to explore how the regulatory impacts of US T+1 can be mitigated.
As the EU Member States conclude technical discussions around the AIFMD & UCITS review, EFAMA would like to congratulate the European Commission and the co-legislators for keeping the key elements of both Directives intact during their review. These frameworks lie at the core of a well-functioning and resilient funds market and this agreement is a welcome step forward for the funds industry, investors and the Capital Markets Union project.
EFAMA has today published its latest monthly Investment Fund Industry Fact Sheet, which provides net sales data on UCITS and AIFs for August 2023, at European level and by country of fund domiciliation.
The EU’s Listing Act is a key legislative initiative aimed at enhancing the appeal of EU public markets and facilitating capital access for small-medium enterprises (SMEs). That includes a new proposal by the European Commission for a Multiple Voting Shares Directive (MVSD). EFAMA believes it is of key importance to the European economy to ensure that EU capital markets remain attractive and competitive globally, therefore getting these types of initiatives right is crucial.
EFAMA appreciates the European Commission's efforts to bolster the Capital Markets Union and increase the appeal and competitiveness of public capital markets. However, the investment industry wishes to highlight some concerns concerning this Directive. Against this backdrop, it is important to note that the European Union has recently enhanced its corporate governance and shareholders’ engagement practices to fortify financial market stability, uphold capital market integrity and safeguard investors’ interests.
The European Parliament and Council are currently finalising their views on the European Commission’s anti-money laundering (AML) package proposal. In addition to the much publicized debate around the location of the new AML Authority, there are even more important elements being discussed which aim to curb money laundering and counter the financing of terrorism (CFT).
EFAMA welcomes EIOPA’s consultation and the opportunity to share our views on EIOPA’s recommendations to develop an EU single market for personal pensions.
EFAMA supports the conclusions of EIOPA’s impact assessment:
• The standardization of key elements of a PEPP - as proposed by EIOPA in its advice - with space to accommodate the specificities of Member States, is the best policy option.
• It would be difficult to achieve full standardization via harmonization because this would require bringing all national regulations on PPPs to one level.
EFAMA is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of the Regulation through a consultation and we appreciate the effort of the regulator to adopt an approach to reporting consistent with EMIR and to develop, where more efficient, a different reporting logic.
EFAMA fully supports the aim of eliminating tax abuse enshrined in the draft Anti-Tax Avoidance (ATA) Directive which the European Commission published on 28 January 2016. EFAMA is the representative association for the European investment management industry. EFAMA represents through its 26 member associations and 61 corporate members EUR 21 trillion in assets under management of which EUR 12.6 trillion managed by 56,000 investment funds at end 2015.
Importance of Responsible Investment
EFAMA welcomes the opportunity to respond to the European Commission’s Green Paper on retail financial services. Widening the opportunities for European citizens to save and invest will facilitate better outcomes both for savers and the wider European economy.
EFAMA fully shares the goals of a Single Market for retail financial services in the EU, i.e.:
1. Promoting an EU-wide market in retail financial services that can facilitate cross-border business and consumer choice.
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.
