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.
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.
EFAMA believes that the general assessment of the characteristics of automated financial advice tools is captured accurately.
The signatories share the following views:
• Securitisation is an important element of well-functioning financial markets. Prudently deployed and sensibly regulated, it can:
o act as a bridge between the banks’ financing and the capital markets;
o enable non-banks to diversify funding sources; and
o provide investors with high quality fixed income securities at attractive yields.
EFAMA is supportive of the general objectives of the PRIIP KID Regulation. We are however concerned about the very limited time that product manufacturers will have between the final technical rules (RTS) and essential guidelines being published and the deadline to produce Key Information Documents (KIDs) from 31 December 2016 onwards. Having provided extensive feedback throughout the ongoing Level-2 work, we seriously doubt there will be enough time for market participants to implement the final rules by the end of this year, as originally foreseen by the co-legislators.
EFAMA welcomes the opportunity to provide the views of the asset management industry to this challenging exercise of assessing the impacts of recent regulatory reforms in the area of financial services.
There are a number of general remarks that we would like to make by way of introduction.
Need for consistency and coordination
After having looked extensively at the Level-2 work done by the ESAs, EFAMA1 comes to the unfortunate conclusion that, due to the very technical nature of the underlying methodologies and calculations, there will not be enough time for market participants to fully implement the PRIIP KID by 31 December 2016.
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)