MiFID
The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive governs how funds (and other financial instruments) can be sold and distributed to investors throughout the EU. It does this by balancing investor protection (governing under what rules and conditions investment advice and portfolio management can be given) with providing the right amount of information about products and services (information about the products’ objectives and costs). In most cases, this type of financial advice, which connects funds with end investors, is provided not by fund managers, but by other financial players, such as banks or financial advisers.
Against this backdrop, EFAMA wants to ensure that these rules are balanced and the information provided to investors is meaningful. While more protection is necessary for retail investors, MiFID should allow other, more professional investors, more freedom in defining what information is necessary to conduct their day-to-day business. Also, MiFID must not make it impossible for ordinary EU citizens to access financial advice to save for their future and retirement.
EFAMA Reply: ESMA CP on review report MiFIR transparency regime for equity, ETFs & other related instruments
Joint Statement on Market Data Costs
Reasonable Market Data Costs Benefits the Real Economy
The fundamental function of a trading venue is to match buyers and sellers of securities at a price that balances supply and demand through transparent rules and processes. The sale of market data is a related but separate by-product of that primary function.
Buy-side use-cases for a real-time consolidated tape
A real-time consolidated tape, provided it is made available at a reasonable cost, will bring many benefits to European capital markets. A complete and consistent view of market-wide prices and trading volumes is necessary for any market, though this is especially true for the EU where trading is fragmented across a large number of trading venues. A real-time consolidated tape should cover equities and bonds, delivering data in ‘as close to real-time as technically possible’ after receipt of the data from the different trade venues.
Visual | Why do we need a real-time Consolidated Tape in the EU?
The current lack of quality pre- and post-trade data and the fragmentation of data sources remain an obstacle to the completion of the Capital Markets Union. The benefits of a real-time Consolidated Tape are wide-ranging: from market surveillance for supervisors, to best execution and an improved view on trading opportunities for retail investors, to portfolio management and pre- and post-trade analysis for fund managers to name a few.
Ensuring a market structure and a transparency regime which facilitate liquidity, investors’ choice, and funding of companies | Joint statement
Well-functioning and liquid capital markets are fostered by an efficient market structure and supporting legislative frameworks. A diverse and efficient market structure reduces the costs of trading whilst promoting best execution. This optimises funding opportunities for issuers and maximises returns for investors and savers.
Buy-side use-cases for a real-time consolidated tape
A real-time consolidated tape, provided it is made available at a reasonable cost, will bring many benefits to European capital markets. A complete and consistent view of market-wide prices and trading volumes is necessary for any market, though this is especially true for the EU where trading is fragmented across a large number of trading venues. A real-time consolidated tape should cover equities and bonds, delivering data in ‘as close to real-time as technically possible’ after receipt of the data from the different trade venues.
Visual | Why do we need a real-time Consolidated Tape in the EU?
The current lack of quality pre- and post-trade data and the fragmentation of data sources remain an obstacle to the completion of the Capital Markets Union. The benefits of a real-time Consolidated Tape are wide-ranging: from market surveillance for supervisors, to best execution and an improved view on trading opportunities for retail investors, to portfolio management and pre- and post-trade analysis for fund managers to name a few.
Investment Funds Distributor Due Diligence Questionnaire
Funds face unique challenges in performing intermediary oversight, and especially so because of MiFID II requirements, changing regulatory landscapes, and the absence of an industry agreed-upon standard between funds and their distribution channels. To help address these challenges, a dedicated working group developed a uniform due diligence questionnaire (DDQ) that will serve as the standard for investment funds (UCITS and AIFs) in performing onboarding and ongoing oversight of distribution channels.